Saanich is the largest municipality of Greater Victoria and it includes 25 residential areas. There are lots of recreational and economic opportunities. Saanich has more parks per capita than any other municipalities in BC. Saanich shares the University of Victoria and Camosun College with the neighbouring municipality of Oak Bay. Saanich includes Saanich East and Saanich West.

Location

Saanich is located north of Victoria. It has an area of 103 km. sq., and is made of a range of urban and rural areas.

Population

Saanich has the most population of all Greater Victoria municipalities: over 108,000.

Schools

The two school districts in the Municipality of Saanich are School District 61 and School District 63. It is also home to the South Island Distance Education School. There are many options for choosing a school, including world-renowned private schools Saint Michael’s University School, Maria Montessori Academy, Saint Margaret’s School and Pacific Christian School. Saanich is home to great choices for post-secondary schools, such as the University of Victoria and both campuses of Camosun College.

Recreation

There are lots of recreation opportunities, such as golf courses, recreation centres, and parks. There are 170 municipal parks, three regional parks and a cycling route. Some of the best parks are Mount Douglas Park, Mount Tolmie Park, and Gyro Park. Saanich has a long shoreline with sandy beaches. Two of the beaches are Cadboro Bay Beach and Cordova Bay Beach. There is also an extensive cycling network that includes Lochside Trail, Galloping Goose Trail, and many kilometers of bike lanes. There are four library branches: Emily Carr, Nellie McClung, Bruce Hutchinson, and Saanich Centennial. Saanich offers excellent outdoor opportunities, where people can walk or bike:

• Mount Douglas Park
• Mount Tolmie Park
• Gyro Park
• Elk and Beaver Lake Regional Park
• Swan Lake / Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary
• Galloping Goose and Lochside Trails
• Cordova Bay Beach
• Cadboro Bay Beach

Economy

Most of its economy is based on small businesses. Saanich offers a range of economic opportunities such as retail, high technology, and agriculture. It is also home to the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory.  Saanich has a skilled workforce that continues to grow.

Saanich Real Estate

Saanich Real Estate offers a large range of properties such as single family homes, multi family houses, condominiums, townhouses, waterfront properties, luxurious houses, investment properties, lots, and acreages. There is a lot of choices in the houses in terms of styles, sizes, and prices. There are many waterfront and water-view properties, as Saanich stretches along 18 km of oceanfront. There are also some suburban family neighbourhoods. With such a wide variety in price, styles and landscape, you will probably be able to find your dream home here.

For more information about Saanich Real Estate, please give me a call on my cellphone at: 250-686-2242, or email me at valentino@onepercentrealty.com.

1. Saanich East

Estimated distance / travel time from Saanich East:

• to Swartz Bay Ferry: 29 km / 30 min;
• to Victoria International Airport: 24 km / 25 min;
• to downtown Victoria: 4 km / 5 min.

Saanich East is home to the University of Victoria, which is the landmark of the community. The extensive number of parks in the Sannich area offer wonderful hiking and cycling trails. This family oriented area boasts natural beauty and it has all the amenities, along with access to the ocean. It is located just a short drive to downtown Victoria.  This municipality offers excellent leisure opportunities. There are three golf courses in this area: Cordova Bay, Cedar Hill, and Blenkinsop Valley.  Cadboro Bay and Cordova Bay have sandy beaches. Mt. Douglas and Mt. Tolmie offer plenty of hiking opportunities and spectacular views. Conveninently access to amenities include several shopping centers.

Saanich East Real Estate

Saanich East Real Estate offers something for everyone including cottages, small farms, large family homes and subdivisions. Saanich East includes some of the best neighbourhoods in Greater Victoria, such as: Broadmead, Arbutus, Gordon Head, and Cordoba Bay. There is a variety of commumities in Saanich East as well as housing types. Saanich East is a very popular choice for real estate in Greater Victoria.

Some of the communities in Saanich East are:

• Gordon Head:

Gordon Head is a seaside neighbourhood in the municipality of Saanich. It’s an upper middle class family area, being an excellent residential community. It has several shopping malls, restaurants and a movie theatre located within a short driving distance. Gordon Head lies north of McKenzie Avenue and east of the Blenkinsop Valley. The University of Victoria is located partly within Gordon Head along the southeast boundary. Finnerty Road separates Gordon Head from the adjacent neighbourhood of Cadboro Bay. The local area is dominated physically by Mt. Douglas, and a coastline along Haro Strait. It offers great recreation opportunities, such as Mt. Douglas Park and numerous beaches.

• Broadmead:

Located east of the Patricia Bay Highway, south of Cordova Bay, and north of Mount Douglas Park. An upscale, residential community with contemporary west coast architecture in a wooded setting. Broadmead Village is the commercial shopping core for residents. Sunnymead is sometimes referred to as being together with Broadmead, because it’s a neighbouring area.

• Arbutus:

Located just east of University of Victoria. It is an excellent upper class residential area. It offers easy access to parks and beaches. It is within walking distance to Cadboro Bay village and Gyro beach.

• Mt. Douglas:

It’s located west of Shelbourne Str. and Cedar Hill Road, north of McKenzie Ave., east of Blenkinsop Road, and bounded to the north by Haro Strait and Cordova Bay Road. It is dominated by Mount Douglas Park.

• Lambrick Park:

Across the street from UVic, Lambrick Park is the perfect neighbourhood for students, professors, or first time homebuyers looking to invest. This terrific location is within walking distance to University Heights Mall, transportation, and other local ammenities.

• Cordova Bay:

A mixed rural and residential area of newer and older homes, family homes, cottages, and small farms, situated east of Elk and Beaver Lakes and north of Broadmead. It is an upper middle class area, and includes the scenic Cordova Bay Road.

• Cedar Hill:

A middle-class, largely older residential area, located just south of Mount Douglas. It includes the Cedar Hill Golf Course.

• Lake Hill:

Located south of Broadmead, north of McKenzie Avenue. This is a neighbourhood of lower middle class and middle class homes. It includes the Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary.

• Swan Lake:

Lying south of McKenzie, east of the Patricia Bay Highway, north of Tattersall Dr., and west of Quadra St. A pleasant, treed area of older middle class homes, at the centre of which is Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary.

• Mt. Tolmie:

It is bounded to the west and south by the Victoria border, and to the east by the Oak Bay border. This area contains the Lansdowne Campus of Camosun College, St. Michael’s University School, a part of Royal Jubilee Hospital, and the panoramic Mt. Tolmie. It is a mixture of businesses and low-rise apartment buildings, as well as middle class homes.

• High Quadra:

It’s a community overlooking Blenkinsop Valley. It consists mostly of single family homes.

• Maplewood:

It is located west of the Cedar Hill golf course, south of Blenkinsop Road, and at the end of Cook Street. It is an older, treed area with many character homes and winding streets.

• Blenkinsop:

Blenkinsop Valley is charmingly rural.

 2. Saanich West

Estimated distance / travel time from Saanich West:

• to Swartz Bay Ferry: 29 km / 30 min;
• to Victoria International Airport: 24 km / 25 min;
• to downtown Victoria: 4 km / 5 min.

A large portion of Saanich West is rural in nature. It is home to wonderful fresh water lakes, such as Elk, Beaver and Prospect Lake. The numerous regional parks throughout the Saanich area offer many wonderful hiking and cycling trails. The Tillicum mall, Town and Country shopping center and the Silver City movie theatre are all conveniently located. At Prospect Lake there is a golf course. There is also the Commonwealth Place, a world-class pool and fitness centre.

Saanich West Real Estate

Saanich West is a peaceful place to call home. It is a multifaceted community stretching from the established suburban neighbourhoods of the Gorge area, north to the rural farmland around Elk Lake and Prospect Lake. The Gorge waterway is a beautiful setting and a popular area for young families who prefer to live close to town. Victoria General Hospital is little farther West and North, among the family-oriented neighbourhoods of Strawberry Vale, West Burnside and Glanford Area. The Interurban campus of Camosun College lies in the middle of this growing area, which is also host to many new subdivisions of single family residential development.

Slightly further North is the Prospect Lake community, a well established area featuring a 9-hole golf course and a lakeside retreat ambiance. Decidedly rural, the Elk Lake/Beaver Lake and the Old West Saanich Road areas include many horse farms and small acreages.

Some of the Saanich West communities are:

• Town and Country:

A largely commercial and industrial zone in the southwest corner of Saanich, next to the Victoria border. It contains mainly small, lower-middle class housing, and low-rise apartments. The municipal hall and two large shopping centres – Uptown and Mayfair – are located in this area.

• Gorge:

A mix of lower-middle and middle class homes, as well as mixed industrial and commercial neighbourhoods, bounded to the southwest by the picturesque Gorge Waterway, and to the southeast by the border with Victoria. Homes here are being renovated and upgraded.

• Tillicum:

It includes Tillicum Mall and the Silver City Movie Theatre Complex, the Pearkes Recreation Center and the Saanich Centennial Library. This commercial area also has a collection of small locally owned businesses and restaurants in nearby Burnside Plaza.

• Beaver Lake-Elk Lake:

A rural area just south of the Central Saanich border, bounded by Old West Saanich Road and the Patricia Bay Highway, dominated by Beaver and Elk Lakes, and Bear Hill Regional Park.

• Interurban:

A largely rural area, with large wooded areas, located to the east and west of Interurban Road. The neighbourhood, lying west of Wilkinson Road and south of West Saanich Road, is home to the Interurban Campus of Camosun College, and the Vancouver Island Technology Park.

• Strawberry Vale:

Bounded by Wilkinson Rd., View Royal, and the Layritz Park area. An area in transition, it is a mix of small farms, older subdivisions, and newer subdivisions.

• Marigold:

Bounded by West Burnside Rd., McKenzie Ave., Carey Rd., and Wilkinson Rd. The Marigold area is being developed extensively. There are many new neighbourhoods.

• Prospect Lake:

A largely rural and wooded area with some newer subdivisions, located in the northwest of the municipality. It lies just east of the Highlands. It contains some wooded parks, such as Prospect Lake.

• Glanford:

A mix of all kinds of residential homes. Located between Carey Rd., Patricia Bay Highway, and Vanalman Rd.

For more information regarding Saanich real estate, contact Valentino at 250-686-2242.