Saanich, British Columbia

For other uses, see Saanich (disambiguation).
Saanich
W̱SÁNEĆ
District municipality
The Corporation of the District of Saanich[1]

Aerial of Saanich, with Cadboro Bay in the foreground

Coat of arms
Saanich

Location of Saanich within British Columbia

Coordinates: 48°29′02″N 123°22′52″W / 48.484°N 123.381°W / 48.484; -123.381
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Regional District Capital
Incorporated 1906
Government
  Mayor Richard Atwell
  Governing body Saanich Council
  MP
  MLA
Area
  Total 103.44 km2 (39.94 sq mi)
Elevation 23 m (75 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
  Total 109,752
  Density 1,057.6/km2 (2,739/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC−8)
  Summer (DST) PDT (UTC−7)
Postal code span V8N-V8Z
Area code(s) 250, 778 & 236
Website www.saanich.ca/

The District of Saanich (/sænɪ/) is a district municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, within the Greater Victoria area. The population was 109,752 at the 2011 census, making it the most populous municipality in the Capital Regional District and Vancouver Island, and the eighth-most populous in the province.[3] The district adopted its name after the Saanich First Nation, meaning "emerging land" or "emerging people".[4]

The Municipality of Saanich was incorporated on March 1, 1906. With an area of 103.44 square kilometres (39.94 sq mi), it is the largest of the core municipalities making up Greater Victoria. The topography is undulating with many glacially scoured rock outcroppings. Elevations range from sea level to 229 metres (751 ft). The physical setting is greatly influenced by water. There are 8.1749 square kilometres (3.1563 sq mi) of fresh water lakes and 29.61 kilometres (18.40 mi) of marine shoreline.

Saanich is home to part of the University of Victoria which is bisected by the boundary with the neighbouring district municipality of Oak Bay. Saanich is fairly large in area and contains a wide variety of rural and urban landscapes and neighbourhoods stretching north to the Saanich Peninsula. Saanich is the location of the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory near Elk Lake. The District of Saanich contains a long shoreline with sandy beaches located at a number of ocean bays. Two of the beaches are Cadboro Bay Beach and Cordova Bay Beach. Cadboro Bay is known as a place to view the "Cadborosaurus", a mythical sea monster that may or may not exist. Saanich's notable parks include Mount Douglas Park, Mount Tolmie Park (with viewpoints) and Gyro Park.

Communities of Saanich

Saanich consists of 18 communities[5] recognized by the municipal government. These communities were originally created to collect and provide input into land use within those areas. However, over the years many community associations have expanded the scope of their activities beyond land use issues.

Neighbourhoods of Saanich

The Victoria Real Estate Board divides the District of Saanich along the Patricia Bay Highway into two broad areas: Saanich East and Saanich West.[6] Both of these areas contain a number of distinct shopping areas or communities.

Saanich East

The Saanich neighbourhoods located east of the Patricia Bay Highway include:

Saanich West

The Saanich neighbourhoods located west of the Patricia Bay Highway include:

History

Saanich has been the home to First Nations people for thousands of years. The non-native history begins with the arrival of the Hudson's Bay Company in the 1840s.

The Craigflower Schoolhouse (originally called Maple Point School), the oldest surviving school building in Western Canada, was built on orders from Kenneth MacKenzie. He came from Scotland with his family in 1852, on the Hudson's Bay Company ship Norman Morison, to establish a farm for the Puget Sound Agricultural Company, a subsidiary of the Hudson's Bay Company. A school was needed for the children of farm employees, as well as those of arriving settlers.

The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory telescope was designed by Dr John Stanley Plaskett, astronomer with the Department of the Interior in Ottawa. The 72 inch (1.8 m) reflecting telescope was the largest of its kind in the world when it was built, though this was only the case for a few short months in 1918.

Education

The northeastern half of British Columbia's third largest university, the University of Victoria campus, is in Saanich, while the southwestern portion is in neighbouring Oak Bay. Saanich is also home to both major campuses of Camosun College, the original Lansdowne campus which is also divided between Saanich and Oak Bay and the Interurban campus.

Saanich is divided between two bordering school districts, School District 61 Greater Victoria and School District 63 Saanich. It is also the home of South Island Distance Education School.

Demographics

(according to Statistics Canada 2001 census) Growth rate (1996 to 2001): 2.2% Total private Dwellings: 42,905 Area: 103.45 square kilometres (39.94 sq mi) Density: 1,002.2 people/km2, 2,595.7 people/sq mi

Surrounding municipalities and communities

References

External links

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