Municipality of North Saanich: Neighbourhoods, Schools & More

The municipality of North Saanich is part of the Saanich Peninsula, located right by Sidney and north of Saanichton. This small/medium-sized municipality is mixed residential and commercial. It’s also home to the Victoria International Airport, Victoria’s only airport, which means there’s plenty of activity passing through.

The Patricia Bay Highway cuts right through the municipality from north to south, which connects downtown Victoria to the Saanich Peninsula, BC Ferries and the airport. Downtown Victoria is a straight shot down the highway for about 20 minutes when leaving from North Saanich.

Being located on the Saanich Peninsula, North Saanich residents have plenty of access to nature. On the east side you’ll find waterfront homes, Bed & Breakfasts and beachfront parks. On the west side is the entrance to John Dean Provincial Park. Perhaps you’re up for a little beach-combing. Check out the District of North Saanich website, it lists all of the trails, parks and beach accesses. Maybe you prefer to be on the water rather than beside it, North Saanich is riddled with marinas where you can moor your boat, and the protected waters of the Saanich Inlet are usually calm enough for even the smallest craft.

North Saanich residents also have easy access to Sidney, the stunning oceanside community with a vibrant commercial core. On Beacon Avenue, you’ll find plenty of shops, cafés, hotels and restaurants. Keep walking and you’ll reach the Sidney Pier and multiple beach entrance points.

North Saanich by the Numbers

Photo credit to North Saanich Marina

The 2021 population was 12,235
- The municipality grew 8% from 2016-2021
Population density of 329.2 per square kilometer
34% of the population is over the age of 65, making it one of Victoria’s oldest municipality
Of the 5,010 private dwellings, 3,970 are single-detached houses
In 2020, the median total income was $52,000

Neighbourhoods of North Saanich

North Saanich isn’t a huge municipality and the population is rather small. A large section of the area is taken up by the airport. However there are still a handful of distinct neighbourhoods that are commonly referred to. These are the main neighbourhoods contained in or touching the municipality of North Saanich:

Ardmore
Cloake Hill
Dean Park
Deep Cove
Lands End
Pat Bay
Swartz Bay

Schools in North Saanich

Photo credit to Victoria Tourism

North Saanich is not a hub for schools – at least not public schools for children. At the airport, there are multiple aviation and flight training schools, but the municipality doesn’t have much as far as public education.

For younger children, the only school within the municipality is Kelset Elementary. For more options, students will have to travel north to Sidney Elementary or Deep Cove Elementary, or head south into Saanichton and the rest of Saanich.

For older children, there are no options within the municipality. However the two closest high schools, Stelly’s Secondary and Parkland Secondary, are not far away. There’s also Claremont Secondary just a bit further down the highway.

North Saanich Links

Jodi Baker

After attending grade school locally, Jodi enrolled at Camosun College, taking Business Administration and majoring in marketing. She graduated in 1991, the same year she was licensed as a Real Estate Agent and joined RE/MAX Camosun. Since then Jodi has been been building her career based on a desire to provide friendly professional service to people who want to sell or buy properties in Victoria, winning several awards along the way. In 2003 Jodi joined Geoff McLean and Associates, and she enjoys being part of his team of real estate experts. The team approach allows Jodi to balance her career and home life, something that every mother can appreciate, especially when the children are young! Jodi also enjoys cooking, camping, traveling and music. She shares her Central Saanich home with her husband and two children, two border collies and a cat. Connect with Jodi via email: jodi@mcleanrealestategroup.ca