North Saanich

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North Saanich
District municipality
District of North Saanich[1]
Motto: "Eetsun-Hunnumut"  
"The place where it's good to be"
North Saanich is located in British Columbia
North Saanich
Location of District of North Saanich within the Capital District in British Columbia, Canada
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Country  Canada
Province  British Columbia
Region Vancouver Island
Regional district Capital Regional District
Incorporated 1965
Government
 • Governing body North Saanich Municipal Council
 • Mayor Alice Finall
Area
 • Total 37.25 km2 (14.38 sq mi)
Elevation 23 m (75 ft)
Population (2011)
 • Total 11,089
 • Density 297.7/km2 (771/sq mi)
Time zone PST (UTC-8)
Highways 17, 17A
Waterways Strait of Georgia
Saanich Inlet
Website North Saanich

North Saanich is located on the Saanich Peninsula, approximately 25 km (16 mi) north of Victoria, British Columbia 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 and is home to the Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.

History

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 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 In 1965, after a favourable public vote, the letters patent were withdrawn and the North Saanich Municipal District was established with offices at the present location on Mills Road.

The British actor Sebastian Cabot lived in North Saanich before his death.

Demographics

Canada 2006 Census Population  % of Total Population
Visible minority group
Source:[2]		 Chinese 240 2.2%
South Asian 60 0.6%
Black 75 0.7%
Filipino 15 0.1%
Latin American 35 0.3%
Southeast Asian 0 0%
Arab 45 0.4%
West Asian 10 0.1%
Korean 10 0.1%
Japanese 30 0.3%
Other visible minority 0 0%
Mixed visible minority 10 0.1%
Total visible minority population 525 4.9%
Aboriginal group
Source:[3]		 First Nations 125 1.2%
Métis 0 0%
Inuit 0 0%
Total Aboriginal population 125 1.2%
White 10,125 94%
Total population 10,775 100%

Fauna

The largest animal likely to be found in North Saanich is the black-tailed deer. Other native mammals include the mink, otter, raccoon, and deer mouse. Of introduced mammal species, the cottontail rabbit and gray squirrel are often seen. Common native birds include the northwestern crow, common raven, bald eagle, turkey vulture, American robin, varied thrush, Steller's jay, and several species of gull. Introduced birds are represented by the abundant common starling and the declining skylark.

Flora

The most common native tree in North Saanich is Douglas-fir. The other common large conifers are grand fir and western red cedar. Western hemlock is occasionally found. Pacific yew is a frequent understory tree. The arbutus is a large broadleaf evergreen species. Large deciduous trees are black cottonwood, bigleaf maple, red alder, and Garry oak. Small deciduous species include bitter cherry, cascara, Pacific crab apple, Pacific dogwood, quaking aspen, Douglas maple, common hawthorn and willow.

Council and Government

The 2014-2018 council is:

  • Mayor Alice Finall
  • Councillor Heather Gartshore
  • Councillor Jack McClintock
  • Councillor Geoff Orr
  • Councillor Celia Stock
  • Councillor Jack Thornburgh
  • Councillor Murray Weisenberger

The next election is scheduled for November 17, 2018 following provincial law. All municipalities in British Columbia will also hold elections on this date (the third Saturday of November every 3 years). Voters will vote for councillors and the mayor on the same ballot.

Education

Public schools serving North Saanich residents are operated by School District 63 Saanich. These include ḰELSET and Deep Cove Elementary Schools, North Saanich Middle School; and Parkland Secondary School.

Transportation

North Saanich can be accessed by highway on Highway 17 from Victoria, Sidney or Vancouver (through the BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay). Victoria International Airport is also located in the municipality, which offers daily service to Calgary, Edmonton, SeaTac, San Francisco, Kelowna, Toronto Pearson and hourly service to Vancouver from Air Canada Express. The airport also offers seasonal services to Mexico and Hawaii, with talk about expansion to Europe or Asia. North Saanich also has a float plane aerodrome near the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Pat Bay near the Airport. This is Pat Bay Air's hub, which offers flights around Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Metro Vancouver.

Public transit is provided by the Victoria Regional Transit System.

North Saanich has 7 marinas, many of which can accommodate temporary visitors. The highest concentration of marinas (5 of the 7) is on the southern coast, between Curteis Point (near the ferry terminal) and McDonald Park Road, near Parkland Secondary School.

Neighbourhoods

  • Ardmore: population approximately 1,050 the entire neighbourhood is mostly evenly dense. Ardmore contains a cemetery and the nine hole Ardmore Golf Course. It borders the Institute of Ocean Sciences to the north and Pauquachin First Nation to the south.
  • Cloake and Horth Hills: population approximately 1,200 the densest area is uphill on Cloake Hill. Horth Hill Regional Park, managed by the CRD is located near the center. The park offers a viewpoint, the second highest in North Saanich after Mount Newton. There are no commercial establishments in all of this neighbourhood, it is purely residential and forested, like much of the municipality. The north shore, the very end of the Saanich Peninsula offers several beach accesses with views of the Satellite Channel, Mount Tuam on Saltspring Island and other surrounding islands.
  • Dean Park: population approximately 3,200 is the most populous and dense neighbourhood in the municipality. It is mostly located on the sloped eastern flank of Mount Newton, directly below John Dean Provincial Park. Below the hill with a high concentration of streets is where Kelset Elementary, the Panorama Recreation center and the McTavish Junction (containing commercial space) are located. Dean Park borders Central Saanich.
  • Deep Cove: population approximately 2,000 with the Coal Point and marina area most densely populated area. Along West Saanich Road between Clayton and Wain roads is where "downtown" is located. This area contains a firehall, gas station, the Deep Cove Market, a church and Deep Cove Elementary School.
  • Central North Saanich: the population of this area is not well defined. The area is often regarded as having several neighbourhoods within and is little known as a whole, associated neighbourhoods include Pat Bay, Sandown, Airport and the Eagle Ridge Estates. Central North Saanich contains the Airport, the Dunsmuir Lodge, the Institute of Ocean Sciences and the former Sandown Harness Racetrack. This neighbourhood is the largest in terms of area, and the least in terms of density and perhaps population. The 2 First Nations reserves, industrial area, Municipal Hall of North Saanich, rock quarry, free ride park, gun club and most agricultural land can also be found here.
  • McDonald Park/Curteis Point: population approximately 900 is the least populous and smallest neighbourhood. Although small, it is the most industrious for its size. Dubbed "North Saanich's Marine Neighbourhood", McDonald Park/Curteis Point consists of 5 marinas around a small cove and inlet, which includes repair and boat yards. BC Ferries' Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal is on the north edge. McDonald Campground part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve occupies much of the southeast along with Blue Haron Park, which includes a soccer field. Parkland Secondary School, North Saanich Middle School and a small suburban-like sliver of the district surrounded by Sidney can be found at the southernmost extent.
  • Southeast Quadrant "Bazan Bay": Population approximately 1,200 is a small neighbourhood, the second most developed after Dean Park. Sidney borders discreetly to the north and Central Saanich to the south. highway 17 splits down this neighbourhood. The northern third is more rural, and the southern two thirds is sloped with many houses. The houses and beaches have a superb view of the Gulf and San Juan islands as well as downtown Sidney and at night possibly a glimpse of Vancouver. The federal government operates a plant health research center here for the food inspection agency.

North Saanich also surrounds two First Nations reserves, namely the Tseycum First Nation, located on the northeastern shore of Patricia Bay, and the Pauquachin First Nation, located on the southeastern shore of Coles Bay south of Ardmore. These first nations are not, strictly speaking, part of North Saanich.

Attractions

Victoria International Airport

References

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External links

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