South Beaver Lake is a luxury neighbourhood in Saanich, nestled in the southern region of Elk and Beaver Lake. Easily accessed from the Patricia Bay Highway, this serene neighbourhood borders Royal Oak to the east and Prospect Lake to the west, with plenty of expansive parkland to the north. South Beaver Lake is known for its sprawling estates, boutique farms, and secluded mansions tucked away in the forests and rolling fields.
Living in South Beaver Lake provides quiet and peaceful surroundings with lots of open spaces around the large properties. And with the vast lake and parklands next door, there is a feeling of seclusion. But just minutes away, South Beaver Lake residents can access both Royal Oak Shopping Centre and Broadmead Village Centre, which are hubs of activity filled with restaurants, coffee shops, and small retail businesses.
Beaver Lake
The highlight of the South Beaver Lake community is the lake itself. The lake is divided into two separate lakes – Elk to the north, and Beaver to the south. These interconnected lakes are the largest in Greater Victoria. Elk Lake is the larger of the two, home to the popular Hamsterly Beach and the Victoria City Rowing Club. It’s popular for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, and fishing for Rainbow Trout. Beaver Lake is far smaller, warmer and shallower, making it a great lake for families.
The surrounding 1,072-acre park space contains numerous picnic spots and 15km of walking trails, including a 10km loop trail. Throughout the network of trails, there are opportunities for walking, hiking, cycling and even horseback riding. There are also several open spaces that are perfect for dogs.
Saanich Commonwealth Place
The Saanich Commonwealth Place has been a community staple in Saanich since 1993, when it was constructed specifically for the 1994 Commonwealth Games hosted in Victoria. Successful athletes like Ryan Cochrane and Hilary Caldwell spent years training at Commonwealth. Built as a competitive facility, Commonwealth is home to a 50m competition pool and a dive tank with diving boards up to 10m high. Aside from the more competitive areas of the facility, there are other pools for leisure and playtime, plus hot tubs, a waterslide, steam room and sauna.
Connected to Commonwealth Place is the Bruce Hutchinson Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library system, which is open from 10am to 6 or 7pm.
Broadmead Village Shopping Centre
Broadmead Village is a beautiful, laid-back shopping centre just minutes from the South Beaver Lake neighbourhood on Royal Oak Drive. This open-air shopping district is anchored by major retail pillars like Thrifty Foods, BC Liquor Store and Canadian Tire. If you’re hungry, Broadmead is a hub for diverse dining options including Poke Fresh, Romeo’s, Baan Thai, Fudo Japanese Restaurant and Café MexiGo.
The shopping centre is also known for its fashion, apparel and specialty stores like Mark’s Work Warehouse, Timeless Toys, Heirloom Linens, Penna & Company, ArtSEE Eyewear and Running Room.
Royal Oak Shopping Centre
Just a couple minutes south down West Saanich Road is Royal Oak Shopping Centre. This shopping area is known for its popular retail brand names like McDonald’s and Tim Hortons. Royal Oak Shopping Centre is also a hot spot for necessities and convenience, with a gas station, bank, mortgage office, liquor store, grocery store and dollar store, plus several medical, health and dental offices. If you’re hungry, there’s BarBurrito, Tandoori Flavour Indian Bistro, Subway, Pizza Hut, Noodle Box, Gyrosa Fresh Greek Restaurant, Bon Sushi, and others.
The Gardens at HCP
The Horticulture Centre of the Pacific is home to a year-round botanical garden experience on Quayle Road, very close to the South Beaver Lake neighbourhood. In bloom since 1979, you’ll find 9-acres of gardens on a 103-acre site at HCP, lined with nature trails, wetlands and bird watching zones. There are several unique gardens to tour, including the Winter Garden, Japanese Takata Garden, Zen Garden, Rhododendron Garden and more.
Along with the gardens and trails, HCP is home to a beautiful event facility which makes for a stunning wedding venue, a restaurant, gift shop, plant shop, and even a library. HCP also offers educational opportunities and programs for children and adults.
