District of Saanich

The District of Saanich is a municipality on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. It is located north of the provincial capital, Victoria. It has a population of 108,265 people, making it the most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, and the seventh most populous in the province. The municipality is named after the Saanich First Nation, and means "emerging land" or "emerging people".

Saanich is part of Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District.

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 (2,020.1 acres) 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 straddles the boundary with the neighbouring 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 Municipality 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.