Saanich, BC

Know the town

About Saanich

Saanich is the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, spreading north of downtown Victoria from the ocean at Cordova Bay to the farmland of the Blenkinsop Valley. Most people living in Greater Victoria pass through it every day, but Saanich is less a single town than a patchwork of neighbourhoods, lakes, parks and working farms, all inside one district.

Lakes and big parks

Elk and Beaver Lakes form the district’s largest regional park, with beaches, a rowing course and a flat loop trail around the water. Mount Douglas Park, also known by its Lekwungen name PKOLS, rises over the north end; a short, steep climb rewards you with one of the best views in the region, over the peninsula and the Gulf Islands. Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary, close to the busy highway interchanges, is a surprisingly quiet marsh with floating boardwalks and a nature house.

Farms inside the city

Saanich has kept a large share of its land in farming. Along roads such as Blenkinsop and Old West Saanich, you’ll find farm stands, berry fields, greenhouses and nurseries a short drive from suburban streets — a big part of why the region eats so well.

Trails and the university

Two of the region’s best-loved routes cross Saanich: the Lochside Trail running north toward Sidney, and the Galloping Goose heading west toward Langford and Sooke. Both are mostly flat, paved or packed gravel, and popular with commuters on bikes. The University of Victoria sits on the Saanich–Oak Bay boundary, and its students and staff give the nearby neighbourhoods much of their energy.

Getting around

The Pat Bay Highway and the Trans-Canada both run through Saanich, so downtown Victoria, the Swartz Bay ferries and the airport are all easy to reach. Shopping centres at Uptown and Tillicum cover the everyday errands.

Saanich’s verified local businesses follow, along with any upcoming events nearby.

For council, permits, garbage and recycling, parks bookings and other local services, visit District of Saanich.