Shawnigan Lake is located about 30 minutes from Victoria and west of the highway. The village of Shawnigan Lake offers goods and services for daily living including general stores, cafes, fuel, and pharmacy. Locals can shop in Victoria or Duncan for big-box items and additional variety. Land use is mostly farm and forest with a number of hiking and other trails for recreation. The lake is a popular fishing spot with many species of fresh-water fish including trout, salmon, and bass. During the summer, it is not uncommon for workers from Victoria to commute to their jobs from a local vacation cabin.

Shawnigan Lake real estate

The local housing stock varies from executive-style homes and estates to offerings in the local mobile home park. Lakeside properties are the most desirable with some examples priced in the low seven figures. For families with a passion for boating or fishing, these homes are always in high demand. Due to the location and proximity to Victoria, Shawnigan Lake real estate has experienced stable and upward trending market values. If you’re looking to buy into the exclusive waterfront market near Victoria, BC then Shawnigan Lake might be what you’re looking for. If you’re interested in receiving the newest listings before they show on the MLS, please contact one of our sales professionals for a personal consultation.

Shawnigan Lake real estate listings

In 1883 construction of a railway line between Esquimalt and Nanaimo began. Prior to that, Shawnigan Lake was largely wilderness and the only supplies were delivered by a weekly steamship to Cowichan Bay. By 1900 the other main industry was tourism, with two hotels being built in Shawnigan for the visitors who would take the train up from Victoria. Shawnigan Lake’s forestry industry closed in the mid twentieth century due to both the loss of the mill, which was destroyed by fire (for the third time) and the economy.

  • Cowichan Bay
  • Mill Bay
  • Langford
  • Duncan

Shawnigan Lake has a temperate climate that is usually classified as Marine west coast (Cfb), with mild, damp winters and relatively dry and mild summers. It is sometimes classified as a Mediterranean climate (Csb). In the summer, daily temperatures can rise above 30°C while in the winter freezing overnight temperatures are rare. Nearly two thirds of the annual precipitation falls during the four wettest months, November to February with snow being a rare treat.

Due to its mild climate, Victoria and its surrounding area (southeastern Vancouver Island, Gulf Islands, and parts of the Lower Mainlandand Sunshine Coast) is home to many rare, native plants found nowhere else in Canada, including Quercus garryana (Garry oak), Arctostaphylos columbiana (Hairy manzanita), and Canada’s only broad leaf evergreen tree, Arbutus menziesii (Pacific madrone). Many of these species exist here at the northern end of their range, and are found as far south as Central and Southern California, and even parts of Mexico.

  • Shawnigan Lake is located in the Cowichan Valley

  • Easy commute to Victoria and Duncan by car

  • Vacation and recreation hot spot favoured by locals

  • Mediterranean climate with mild snowless winters and comfortable summers

  • Fishing, boating, and trails beckon the outdoor enthusiast

Shawnigan Lake waterfront real estate
Shawnigan Lake vacation properties for sale
Esquimalt waterfront properties