Mill Bay, BC

Know the town

About Mill Bay

Mill Bay is the first community you reach in the Cowichan Valley after coming down off the Malahat from Victoria. It sits on the western shore of Saanich Inlet, with calm water, a marina and views across the inlet to the Saanich Peninsula. For many people it is where the commute to the city ends and the valley begins.

The ferry shortcut

Mill Bay has its own small BC Ferries route across Saanich Inlet to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula. The crossing takes under half an hour and offers a scenic alternative to driving the Malahat — handy for reaching the airport, the Swartz Bay ferry terminal or the peninsula’s gardens without going through Victoria. Sailings are limited, so check the schedule before you plan around it.

On the inlet

The sheltered waters of Saanich Inlet are good for kayaking, paddleboarding and boating, and the marina is a hub for summer activity. Just south of the community, Bamberton Provincial Park has a sandy beach, picnic areas and a campground, and the inlet’s calm water is pleasant for a summer swim. The view from the beach across the inlet at sunset is reason enough to stop.

Everyday Mill Bay

Mill Bay’s shopping centre along the highway covers groceries, a pharmacy, restaurants and the everyday services that the surrounding rural area depends on. Many residents commute to Greater Victoria, while others run farms, home businesses and trades out of the acreages and quiet neighbourhoods tucked into the forest above the water.

Getting here

Mill Bay is right on Highway 1, roughly forty minutes north of downtown Victoria over the Malahat and about twenty minutes south of Duncan. The farms of Cobble Hill are just up the road.

Mill Bay’s shops, trades and services follow, together with what’s coming up on the valley calendar.

For council, permits, garbage and recycling, parks bookings and other local services, visit Cowichan Valley Regional District — Area A.