The district wraps around the City of Nanaimo, bringing together the town of Ladysmith and surrounding communities in the Cowichan Valley Regional District, rural areas in the inland west of the Regional District of Nanaimo, and the Oceanside region north of Greater Nanaimo, including Nanoose Bay, Parksville and Qualicum Beach. The district was controversial at its time of creation, earning criticism from some local elected officials.[2]