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Ladysmith BC, Vancouver
Island
Ladysmith is
a town located on the east coast of Vancouver Island British
Columbia, Canada.
The local economy is based on forestry, tourism and agriculture.
The town was built on a hillside close to the harbour. Ladysmith
has a population of approximately 7500 and is located in the Cowichan
Valley, just 30 km north of Duncan,
88 km north of Victoria
and 23 km south of Nanaimo.
The Town of Ladysmith
incorporated June 3, 1904.
Ladysmith BC
is also known for its annual "Festival
of Lights" in which the entire commercial sector and
many homes are decorated with strings of colourful lights for
six weeks in celebration of Christmas.
Ladysmith BC
is central on Vancouver Island and convenient to hiking, biking,
fishing, golfing and other activities. Attractions in Ladysmith
include Transfer Beach in Ladysmith Harbour, historical buildings
and artifacts and artisans and specialty farms.
History
Ladysmith was
founded by James Dunsmuir about 1898, a year after he built shipping
wharves for loading coal at Oyster Harbour. Dunsmuir, owner of
coal mines in the Nanaimo area, needed a location to house the
families of his miners. He chose to build the community at Oyster
Harbour, some twenty miles south of his Extension British Columbia
mines. Many buildings were moved from Extension and Wellington
by rail and by oxen.
Ladysmith, British
Columbia was named after Ladysmith, South Africa, which in turn
was named after Juana María de los Dolores de León
Smith also known as "Lady Smith", the Spanish wife of
Sir Harry Smith, the British Governor of the Cape Colony at the
time.
Dunsmuir thought
this would be a fitting tribute at the conclusion of the Boer
War. In addition to commemorating the end of the war by naming
his town after Ladysmith, Dunsmuir also chose to name the streets
of the community after generals who fought victoriously in the
Boer War. Included in this honour are Generals Buller, Kitchener,
Baden-Powell, Methuen and Symonds. Wikipedia
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