Cowichan Station Alumni
The CSAA brings neighbours together to enhance and protect the livability, sustainability, and cultural heritage of our area. When the community’s only public building, a 100-year old school, was closed in 2006, we stepped up to restore and run the school as an arts and recreation centre, The HUB.
A short History of Cowichan Station
As told by valley historian, Mr. Jack Fleetwood.
The story of the community of Cowichan Station goes back to 1862 when James Mearns, Senior, a native of Montrose, Scotland took up pre-emption of land comprising of what is now Fairbridge. That same year, James Itemingo took up land adjoining Mearns’ homestead and Arthur Todd took up a homestead of 150 acres that year, situated between what is now Koksilah, Howie and Mountain Roads.
In 1868, John Sinclair took up a homestead comprising 100 acres of Section 2, Range 1, Cowichan Land District, which was purchased by Donald McPherson, one of the three brothers that came to the district in 1881.