Saanich, British Columbia

Saanich
District municipality
The Corporation of the District of Saanich[1]
View of Mount Douglas from the south
View of Mount Douglas from the south
Coat of arms of Saanich
Saanich, British Columbia is located in Capital Regional District
Saanich
Saanich
Location of Saanich within the Capital Regional District
Saanich is located in Vancouver Island
Saanich
Saanich
Location of Saanich within British Columbia
Saanich is located in British Columbia
Saanich
Saanich
Saanich (British Columbia)
Coordinates: 48°29′02″N 123°22′52″W / 48.484°N 123.381°W / 48.484; -123.381
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Regional districtCapital
Incorporated1906
Government
 • MayorDean Murdock
 • Governing bodySaanich District Council
 • MP
 • MLA
Area
 • Land103.59 km2 (40.00 sq mi)
Elevation
23 m (75 ft)
Population
 • Total
117,735 (49th)
 • Density1,136.6/km2 (2,944/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−08:00 (PST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Postal code span
V8N-V8Z
Area code(s)250, 778, 236
Websitewww.saanich.ca Edit this at Wikidata

Saanich (/ˈsænɪ/ SAN-itch) is a district municipality on the southern end of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada, within the Greater Victoria area. The population was 117,735 at the 2021 census, making it the most populous municipality in the Capital Regional District and Vancouver Island, and the eighth-most populous in the province.[2] With an area of 103.44 square kilometres (39.94 sq mi), Saanich is also the largest municipality in Greater Victoria. The district adopted its name after the Saanich First Nation, meaning "emerging land" or "emerging people".[3]

Saanich contains a mix of urban, suburban, and rural areas stretching north to the Saanich Peninsula with a wide variety of features including ocean coastlines, freshwater lakes, small rivers, small mountains, rainforests, and agriculture ranging from hay to vineyards.The municipality's topography is undulating with many glacially scoured rock outcroppings. Elevations range from sea level to 229 metres (751 ft). There are 8.1749 square kilometres (3.1563 sq mi) of freshwater lakes and 29.61 kilometres (18.40 mi) of marine shoreline.

Saanich is also home to the northern half of the University of Victoria (with the neighbouring district municipality of Oak Bay home to the southern half), both campuses of Camosun College, and the Vancouver Island Technology Park.

  1. ^ "British Columbia Regional Districts, Municipalities, Corporate Name, Date of Incorporation and Postal Address" (XLS). British Columbia Ministry of Communities, Sport and Cultural Development. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  2. ^ a b c "Saanich, District municipality (DM) [Census subdivision], British Columbia and Capital, Regional district [Census division], British Columbia". Statistics Canada. January 30, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  3. ^ Elliott, John. "SENĆOŦEN Community Portal". www.firstvoices.ca. Retrieved April 10, 2018.