North Saanich

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John Dean Provincial Park

John Dean Provincial Park, the home of some of the last stands of old-growth Douglas Fir and Gary Oak trees on the greater Saanich Peninsula, lies on the top of Mount Newton in North Saanich. Its pristine wilderness and long-reaching views of the Saanich Peninsula, Gulf Islands, and Cascade Mountains make it  a hiking destination for many Vancouver Island visitors and natives alike. The numerous hiking trails in John Dean Provincial Park vary in difficulty, but all are considered day-hikes.

Mt. Newton (John Dean Provincial Park)

The south-east slope of Mount Newton has an 100+-year old forest of Oak and Arbutus woodland, rock outcrop and pasture. It also has a native wildflower species (Fawn Lily). Mt. Newton is a significant habitat and nesting area for Hammond's Flycatcher, Black-headed Grosbeak, Western Tanagers, and Morning Doves. Other wildlife includes songbirds, raptors, mammals, butterflies, reptiles, owls, and woodpeckers. Visit with care and protect the habitat of nesting, young, and adult animals.

North Saanich Farm Market

The North Saanich Farm Market offers a range of local produce, homemade bread and baked goods, jams, flowers, arts and crafts, and weekly live entertainment. Situated on the Northern part of the Saanich Peninsula, the area is a prime agricultural area encompassing 1,284 hectares of land protected by the Agricultural Land Reserve. The market was initiated in 2010 by the North Saanich Food for the Future Society whose mandate is to support and promote sustainable agriculture in the municipality of North Saanich.

Open Saturdays, 9:30am to 12:30pm, June through mid-October.

ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ (Mt. Newton)

Known in English as Mount Newton, the Wsanec First Nations know the mountain as ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ (or Lau, Welnew), which means "place of refuge" in the Sencoten language. The mountain is a significant historical feature. For thousands of years, elders have passed down the story of the Great Flood and the ancestors who survived it. During the flood, thought to have occured over 10,000 years ago, ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ was the place of refuge, where the ancestors tied their boats to an arbutus tree atop the mountain.

Panorama Recreation Centre

The Panorama Recreation Centre's pool is heated by a renewable energy system that captures thermal energy from wastewater and circulates it through a district energy system that heats the pool. Part of the Capital Regional District's award-winning Renewable Energy Heat Recovery Project, the new system replaces natural gas heating for the pool. Following the Project, the CRD reduced emissions by 286 tonnes in less than six months.

McTavish Park & Ride

Drive your car to the McTavish Park & Ride and take transit the rest of the way! The McTavish Park & Ride in Victoria BC has recently been expanded to include a total of 200 parking spaces as part of the McTavish Road Interchange Project, a major interchange project that incorporated roundabouts to improve safety and travel time for local traffic, transit, cyclers, and walkers, particularly those on their way to Victoria International Airport, ferry terminals, and adjacent municipalities.

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