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Saanich is an ideal destination for any type of traveler. Located in British Columbia, it has something for everyone! Our travel guide has the best information about Saanich regarding places to visit, things to see and do, accommodations, dining, and much more! When visiting British Columbia, you will find that the shopping, night life, and beautiful scenery has some of the top standards in the country, and will definitely leave you wanting to come visit this city again. Take a look at our Canadian listings and find all the information you need about Saanich, and all its surrounding cities and travel spots. So don't waste another minute, and starting planning your vacation to Saanich!
Saanich, the largest municipality in the region of Greater Victoria, offers its residents and visitors the beauty of country life blended with the comfort of proximity to the provincial capital of Victoria and urban residential neighbourhoods. The Saanich Peninsula has been inhabited by the Coast Salish people for thousands of years. This region was widely used by the Saanich First Nations and the Songhees for fishing, hunting, and gathering plants. Back in the middle of the nineteenth century, the Saanich Peninsula was traded from the Coast Saanich people for only 386 wool blankets. The city’s name, Saanich, comes from the Native word meaning “elevated” or “upraised’, which perhaps describes the look of the Mount Newton if approached by sea from the east.
The city of Saanich prides itself for being one of the oldest agricultural settlements in B.C., and a region which is very rich in history, revealing it in multiple old buildings and structures: houses, churches, schools, farm buildings, and commercial structures of historical significance mirror the efforts of both the early era and later times of development. In the middle of the nineteenth century, the first colonial settlers and the workers of the Hudson's Bay Company managed to fulfill a hard work of making productive farmland out of the virgin Peninsula forests. In a short time the Saanich’s farms and dairy herds turned to be an important food source for Victoria's growing population.
Then, by the turn of the century, the area became famous for its cultivation of fruit and flowers. Since that time the city of Saanich has become the largest residential region in the Capital Regional District, at the same time remaining a vital agricultural source. Everywhere you go in the city would be a place to enjoy the outdoor activities, no matter if it will be serene forests, mountain parks, quiet coves, meadows of wildflowers, ocean beaches, scenic viewpoints or riverside paths. It's just a true pleasure to drive around the city, letting your eyes drift across the picturesque landscape. Today the municipality of Saanich, accounting for a population of 110,000 people, is situated on the Saanich Peninsula, straight north of Victoria and Oak Bay. The city provides its residents with a huge number of places to visit and things to do.
