# North Saanich

The District of North Saanich is located on the Saanich Peninsula of British Columbia, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) north of Victoria 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. It 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 In 1965, after a favourable public vote, the letters patent were withdrawn and the North Saanich Municipal District was established with offices at the present location on Mills Road.

## Geography
### Climate

North Saanich has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) with short, warm, and dry summers and long, cool, and wet winters.
Climate data for North Saanich (Victoria International Airport) WMO ID: 1018620; coordinates 48°38′50″N 123°25′33″W﻿ / ﻿48.64722°N 123.42583°W﻿ / 48.64722; -123.42583﻿ (Victoria International Airport); elevation: 19.5 m (64 ft); 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1940-present :
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 17.4 | 17.1 | 21.1 | 26.1 | 33.6 | 34.7 | 39.6 | 36.8 | 34.7 | 27.0 | 20.0 | 17.7 | 42.6 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.1 (61.0) | 18.3 (64.9) | 21.4 (70.5) | 26.3 (79.3) | 31.5 (88.7) | 39.4 (102.9) | 36.3 (97.3) | 34.4 (93.9) | 31.2 (88.2) | 27.6 (81.7) | 18.3 (64.9) | 16.1 (61.0) | 39.4 (102.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 7.5 (45.5) | 8.7 (47.7) | 10.8 (51.4) | 13.7 (56.7) | 17.5 (63.5) | 20.2 (68.4) | 22.7 (72.9) | 22.6 (72.7) | 19.7 (67.5) | 14.3 (57.7) | 9.9 (49.8) | 7.3 (45.1) | 14.6 (58.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 4.6 (40.3) | 5.0 (41.0) | 6.8 (44.2) | 9.1 (48.4) | 12.6 (54.7) | 15.2 (59.4) | 17.2 (63.0) | 17.1 (62.8) | 14.5 (58.1) | 10.2 (50.4) | 6.5 (43.7) | 4.4 (39.9) | 10.3 (50.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 1.6 (34.9) | 1.4 (34.5) | 2.7 (36.9) | 4.6 (40.3) | 7.6 (45.7) | 10.1 (50.2) | 11.7 (53.1) | 11.6 (52.9) | 9.2 (48.6) | 6.0 (42.8) | 3.0 (37.4) | 1.5 (34.7) | 5.9 (42.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −15.6 (3.9) | −15.0 (5.0) | −10.0 (14.0) | −3.9 (25.0) | −1.1 (30.0) | 2.1 (35.8) | 4.1 (39.4) | 4.4 (39.9) | −1.1 (30.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | −13.3 (8.1) | −14.4 (6.1) | −15.6 (3.9) |
| Record low wind chill | −19.1 | −23.7 | −13.9 | −6.7 | −5.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −9.1 | −19.4 | −25.1 | −25.1 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 155.3 (6.11) | 84.5 (3.33) | 79.9 (3.15) | 48.2 (1.90) | 36.5 (1.44) | 29.2 (1.15) | 19.5 (0.77) | 24.2 (0.95) | 35.7 (1.41) | 96.1 (3.78) | 146.0 (5.75) | 146.1 (5.75) | 901.2 (35.48) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 144.2 (5.68) | 78.5 (3.09) | 76.3 (3.00) | 47.7 (1.88) | 36.5 (1.44) | 29.2 (1.15) | 19.5 (0.77) | 24.2 (0.95) | 35.7 (1.41) | 95.9 (3.78) | 141.8 (5.58) | 137.0 (5.39) | 866.6 (34.12) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 11.2 (4.4) | 7.1 (2.8) | 3.7 (1.5) | 0.5 (0.2) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.2 (0.1) | 3.6 (1.4) | 12.4 (4.9) | 38.6 (15.2) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 19.8 | 15.2 | 17.0 | 13.7 | 11.6 | 9.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 8.0 | 14.1 | 18.9 | 19.4 | 158.1 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 18.9 | 14.5 | 16.8 | 13.7 | 11.6 | 9.5 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 8.0 | 14.0 | 18.5 | 19.0 | 155.5 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 2.0 | 1.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 7.4 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST) | 78.4 | 69.9 | 65.3 | 60.5 | 58.4 | 56.3 | 55.4 | 56.4 | 60.7 | 69.7 | 76.6 | 79.3 | 65.6 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 70.8 | 95.5 | 145.3 | 191.3 | 241.5 | 251.7 | 318.1 | 297.5 | 228.6 | 136.9 | 72.8 | 58.9 | 2,108.8 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 26 | 33.3 | 39.5 | 46.7 | 51.2 | 52.2 | 65.4 | 66.9 | 60.3 | 40.7 | 26.2 | 22.7 | 44.3 |
| Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada (June maximum) (sun 1981–2010) ||||||||||||||

## Demographics

In the 2021 Canadian census conducted by Statistics Canada, North Saanich had a population of 12,235 living in 5,010 of its 5,235 total private dwellings, a change of 8.8% from its 2016 population of 11,249. With a land area of 37.16 km$^2$ (14.35 sq mi), it had a population density of 329.3/km$^2$ (852.8/sq mi) in 2021.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1966 | 2,891 | — |
| 1971 | 3,601 | +24.6% |
| 1976 | 4,697 | +30.4% |
| 1981 | 6,117 | +30.2% |
| 1986 | 7,247 | +18.5% |
| 1991 | 9,645 | +33.1% |
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1996 | 10,411 | +7.9% |
| 2001 | 10,436 | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 10,823 | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 11,089 | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 11,249 | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 12,235 | +8.8% |
Source: Statistics Canada :

### Ethnicity

Panethnic groups in the District of North Saanich (2001–2021) :
| Panethnic group | 2021 | 2021 | 2016 | 2016 | 2011 | 2011 | 2006 | 2006 | 2001 | 2001 |
| Panethnic group | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % |
| European | 11,060 | 90.73% | 10,395 | 92.85% | 10,300 | 93.47% | 10,125 | 93.97% | 10,020 | 96.25% |
| Indigenous | 340 | 2.79% | 190 | 1.7% | 205 | 1.86% | 125 | 1.16% | 60 | 0.58% |
| South Asian | 275 | 2.26% | 145 | 1.3% | 115 | 1.04% | 60 | 0.56% | 40 | 0.38% |
| East Asian | 260 | 2.13% | 220 | 1.97% | 220 | 2% | 280 | 2.6% | 130 | 1.25% |
| Southeast Asian | 135 | 1.11% | 120 | 1.07% | 110 | 1% | 15 | 0.14% | 35 | 0.34% |
| African | 45 | 0.37% | 60 | 0.54% | 20 | 0.18% | 75 | 0.7% | 45 | 0.43% |
| Latin American | 35 | 0.29% | 20 | 0.18% | 0 | 0% | 35 | 0.32% | 20 | 0.19% |
| Middle Eastern | 10 | 0.08% | 10 | 0.09% | 0 | 0% | 55 | 0.51% | 0 | 0% |
| Other/Multiracial | 20 | 0.16% | 35 | 0.31% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.09% | 55 | 0.53% |
| Total responses | 12,190 | 99.63% | 11,195 | 99.52% | 11,020 | 99.38% | 10,775 | 99.56% | 10,410 | 99.75% |
| Total population | 12,235 | 100% | 11,249 | 100% | 11,089 | 100% | 10,823 | 100% | 10,436 | 100% |
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses |||||||||||

### Religion

According to the 2021 census, religious groups in North Saanich included:
* Irreligion (6,910 persons or 56.7%)
* Christianity (4,905 persons or 40.2%)
* Sikhism (150 persons or 1.2%)
* Buddhism (100 persons or 0.8%)
* Judaism (20 persons or 0.2%)
* Other (110 persons or 0.9%)

## Government

The 2022 – 2026 council is:
* Mayor: Peter Jones
* Councilors:
** Jack McClintock
** Sanjiv Shrivastava
** Celia Stock
** Irene McConkey
** Phil DiBattista
** Kristine Marshall (elected in a 2023 by-election)
The next election is scheduled for October 17, 2026, following provincial law. All municipalities in British Columbia will also hold elections on this date (the third Saturday of October every 4 years). Voters will vote for councilors, school board trustees and the mayor on the same ballot.

## Attractions

* North Saanich Farm Market
* British Columbia Aviation Museum
* Institute of Ocean Sciences
* North Saanich Freeride Park
* 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron (Canadian Forces)
* Panorama Recreation Centre

## Notable people

* Muriel Wylie Blanchet, travel writer (1891–1961) best known for The Curve of Time, lived on Curteis Point in North Saanich.$^{:3}$