Metchosin History

Metchosin is on the southern coast of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The origin of the name "Metchosin"is said to date back to the time when a dead whale was cast up on a local beach, causing the local First Nations people to refer to the area as "Smets-Shosin", meaning "place of stinking fish" or "place smelling of fish oil".

The first European contact with Metchosin probably took place on June 30, 1790 when Sub-Lieutenant Manuel Quimper, an officer on the vessel Princesa Real, came ashore near Albert Head.