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Whether you want to water ski, wakeboard, boat, swim, hike, cycle, fish, kayak, golf or just suntan on a beach, the Cowichan Lake area has it. Cowichan Lake is one of the largest freshwater lakes on Vancouver Island, stretching 34 kilometres west from the town of Lake Cowichan. It is four kilometres at its widest point. The area - ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ which includes the Town of Lake Cowichan and rural communities of Caycuse, Honeymoon Bay, Mesachie Lake and Youbou - is in the middle of a temperate rain forest, with lots of rain in the winter and lots of sun in the summer. The mountains surrounding the lake provide a heat trap that helps produce the highest average daily temperatures in Canada. In the summer, that means an average of 24 degrees Celsius, although it regularly climbs above 30 degrees. The name Cowichan is appropriate, since it means warm sun on your back. Lake Cowichan is the largest community at the Lake, with roughly half of the areaÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢?ÃÂ?ÃÂÃ ?ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢?ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¬ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢?ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢s 6,000 residents. It has an abundance of accommodations, with hotels, motels, bed and breakfasts and even some camping. There are excellent stores, restaurants, watering holes and a multitude of other services. Meandering through Lake Cowichan, and draining Cowichan Lake, is the historic Cowichan River, the first river in B.C. to officially receive historic status. ItÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢?ÃÂ?ÃÂÃ ?ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢?ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¬ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢?ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢?Ã ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂ??ÃÂ?ÃÂ¢??ÃÂ?ÃÂÃÂ¢s recognized world wide for its excellent fishing.

Your Community News Team

	Production Alison MacKenzie 749-4383	Alison MacKenzie, production manager, Lake Cowichan Gazette Alison is a graphic designer with more than 30 years of experience. After graduating from the Alberta College of Art advertsing art course in 1975, she worked in a sign shop as a screen printer and layout artist for a few years. She then moved on to the City of Calgary, where she was employed as a graphic artist in the public relations department for five years. In 1982 Alison moved to Vancouver Island, where she freelanced for a few years, had her own design business for three years, worked for a design firm for five years, produced tourism magazines for a publishing firm for a year and was senior graphic designer at a print shop in Duncan for 10 years. Alison has been with the Gazette since July, 2007. In her spare time Alison dabbles in the fine arts, focusing on painting and printmaking.

	Publisher Dennis Skalicky 1-250-749-4383	Dennis has been involved in the newspaper publishing business in the Cowichan Valley for 18 years. He is active in the community, having served on the Cowichan Lake District Chamber of Commerce as a director and he still enjoys helping with community events. Dennis was publisher of the first edition of the Gazette in 1995 and is very pleased to see what an important part of the Cowichan Lake area the paper has become. In his spare time Dennis enjoys renovating his house and playing golf.

	Editor Doug Marner 250-749-4383	Doug has been the editor of the award-winning Gazette since August, 2000. He has 24 years of experience as a reporter, photographer and editor in Alberta and B.C. He loves hiking the many trails in the Cowichan Valley.

	Classifieds 1-250-310-3535

	Office Manager Karen Brouwer 250-749-4383	Karen began at the Lake Cowichan Gazette in the spring of 2001 as an on-call production assistant. She is nowÂ the office manager and recentlyÂ has been given the tasks of circulation.Â From time to timeÂ Karen still enjoys helping out in the productionÂ department.Â If you have questions about your advertising account or paper delivery, contact Karen.