Saanich Peninsula ( Straits Salish : W̱SÁNEĆ ) is located north of Victoria, British Columbia , Canada . It is bounded by Saanich Inlet on the west, Satellite Channel on the north, the small Colburne Passage on the northeast, and Haro Strait on the east. The exact southern boundary of what is referred to as the "Saanich Peninsula" (or simply as "the Peninsula") is somewhat fluid in local parlance.
15-470: The District of North Saanich is located on the Saanich Peninsula of British Columbia , approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Victoria on southern Vancouver Island . It is one of the 13 Greater Victoria municipalities. The district is surrounded on three sides by 20 km (12 mi) of ocean shoreline, and consists of rural/residential areas and a large agricultural base. It
30-683: A change of 8.8% from its 2016 population of 11,249. With a land area of 37.16 km (14.35 sq mi), it had a population density of 329.3/km (852.8/sq mi) in 2021. According to the 2021 census , religious groups in North Saanich included: The 2022 – 2026 council is: The next election is scheduled for October 17, 2026, following provincial law. All municipalities in British Columbia will also hold elections on this date (the third Saturday of October every 4 years). Voters will vote for councilors, school board trustees and
45-689: Is a 449 m (1,473 ft) mountain in the Gowlland Range on southern Vancouver Island . It is located within Mount Work Regional Park in the District of Highlands , near Gowlland Tod Provincial Park and Goldstream Provincial Park , 14 km (9 mi) northwest of Victoria , being the highest mountain of the range. This article related to a mountain, mountain range, or peak in British Columbia , Canada
60-408: Is characterized by rolling hills and numerous freshwater ponds and lakes. Notable natural features of Saanich Peninsula include Elk Lake, Beaver Lake, Mount Newton, Bear Hill, Tod Inlet, Mount Finlayson, Maltby Lake , Prospect Lake, Durrance Lake, and Mount Work . Many of these features are protected in regional and municipal parks. Many different kinds of bedrock underlie the peninsula. Sandstone
75-455: Is common at the northern end. Granodiorite crops out in many northern and central areas. Amphibolite , diorite , gabbro and quartz diorite are common in the south. Smaller areas of andesite , basalt , chert , dacite and limestone are also found. The Saanich Peninsula is the historical homeland of several Coast Salish peoples. Numerous Indian Reserves are situated along the shores of Saanich Inlet. European settlers began arriving in
90-627: Is home to the Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal . In July 1905, North Saanich, then including the townsite of Sidney, was incorporated with the original Municipal Hall located in Sidney. Lacking population and a firm tax base, the municipality was dissolved in 1911. In 1940, the site of the present Victoria International Airport was selected as a military forces base and
105-794: The Pauquachin First Nation is based between Mount Newton and Coles Bay on west side of the Peninsula; and the Tseycum First Nation is based on the NW of the Peninsula along the shores of Patricia Bay. The rural community of Willis Point is also located on the peninsula, but is governed via the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area . names 48°32′59″N 123°26′00″W / 48.54972°N 123.43333°W / 48.54972; -123.43333 Mount Work Mount Work
120-768: The rain shadow of both the Vancouver Island Ranges and the Olympic Mountains , Saanich Peninsula is the driest part of Vancouver Island . The driest recording station in the provincial capital city of Victoria averages only 635 millimetres (25 in) of precipitation annually. Precipitation increases from east to west, and from south to north. The natural flora of the region include mixed forests of Douglas fir , Western red cedar , hemlock , arbutus , Garry oak , and manzanita . The ground cover includes snowberry , Oregon grape , salal , sword fern , trillium , and fawn lily . The peninsula
135-613: The Agricultural Land Reserve, protect a significant portion of its farmland from rezoning. The region also boasts several wilderness parks, predominantly located in the southwest, with the largest being Gowlland Tod Provincial Park. The peninsula is also the location of the Swartz Bay terminal of the BC Ferry Corporation , the Victoria International Airport at Patricia Bay , aka "Pat Bay", and
150-493: The North Saanich Municipal District was established with offices at the present location on Mills Road. North Saanich has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb ) with short, warm, and dry summers and long, cool, and wet winters. In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada , North Saanich had a population of 12,235 living in 5,010 of its 5,235 total private dwellings,
165-490: The area boomed with the influx of 10,000 military personnel, leading to incorporation for the Village of Sidney in 1952. Four years later, the residents of the North Saanich unorganized area, numbering 2,865, requested that letters patent be issued to form the "North Saanich Fire Prevention District" with power to own property, to tax and to borrow. In 1965, after a favourable public vote, the letters patent were withdrawn and
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#1732775456915180-588: The mayor on the same ballot. Saanich Peninsula Surrounded by the Salish Sea , Saanich Peninsula is separated from Saltspring Island by Satellite Channel, Piers Island and Coal Island by Colburne Passage, and James Island by Cordova Passage in Haro Strait. Its name in the Saanich dialect , W̱SÁNEĆ , means "raised up" (when referring to people, that term means "emerging people"). Lying in
195-586: The mid-nineteenth century, primarily engaging in resource-based industries such as logging, fishing, and notably, agriculture. The peninsula hosts the oldest agricultural exhibition in Western Canada, the Saanich Fair, organized by the North and South Saanich Agricultural Society. In recent decades, residential and commercial development has expanded across the peninsula, although provincial laws, such as
210-625: The same name. The following municipalities are located on the peninsula. They are part of Greater Victoria and member municipalities of the Capital Regional District /(CRD): The Tsawout First Nation reserve and band office is located in Saanichton overlooking James Island on the east shore of the Peninsula; the Tsartlip First Nation is based on the west side of the peninsula north of Brentwood Bay;
225-651: The western terminal of the Washington State Ferries run through the San Juan Islands from Anacortes to Sidney . A small ferry on the west coast of the Peninsula connects Brentwood Bay to Mill Bay . Just north of Elk Lake is the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory . Butchart Gardens is located just south of the town of Brentwood Bay , which was the original home of a long-established private school of
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