We have identified 23 RR Lyrae stars and 3 possible Anomalous Cepheids among 84 candidate variables in the recently discovered Canes Venatici I dwarf spheroidal galaxy .
The mean period of 18 RRab type stars is \langle P _ { ab } \rangle = 0.60 \pm 0.01 days .
This period , and the location of these stars in the period-amplitude diagram , suggest that Canes Venatici I is likely an Oosterhoff-intermediate system .
The average apparent magnitude of the RR Lyrae stars , { \langle V \rangle } = 22.17 \pm 0.02 mag , is used to obtain a precision distance estimate of 210 ^ { +7 } _ { -5 } kpc , for an adopted reddening E ( B - V ) =0.03 mag .
We present a B,V color-magnitude diagram of Canes Venatici I that reaches V \sim 25 mag , and shows that the galaxy has a mainly old stellar population with a metal abundance near [ Fe/H ] = - 2.0 dex .
The width of the red giant branch and the location of the candidate Anomalous Cepheids on the color-magnitude diagram may indicate that the galaxy hosts a complex stellar population with stars from \sim 13 Gyr to as young as \sim 0.6 Gyr .