Walks in Your Backyard
A pocket guide to North Saanich Parks, Playgrounds and Green Spaces
copyright 2014 Roberta V. Eckard
The rural community that forms the District of North Saanich lies on the northern tip of the Saanich Peninsula, excluding the Town of Sidney, on the southern area of Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The parks, playgrounds and green spaces to explore are mostly multiuse trails that connect cul-de-sacs with other roads and provide access for pedestrians and, in a many places, horses and bicyclists.
North Saanich borders on the ocean to the north and west and has many beach access points. To the south is Central Saanich and to the east is Sidney-by-the-Sea. This rural yet urban community has an excellent variety of outdoor areas including playgrounds, trail through forest groves, hill top vistas and sandy beaches.
This blog describes the parks, playgrounds, and green spaces within North Saanich from north to south and east to west, mostly. The communities in North Saanich are: Swartz Bay, Lands End, Deep Cove, Ardmore, Bazan Bay and Sansbury/Dean Park. This blog is written to encourage you to explore the outdoors in your neighborhood by foot. There are stimulating walks and breathtaking sights in your backyard. Walking in established residential areas has the added bonus of frequent rest stops for young and old. Each place can take less than an hour to explore. A brief description of the nature of each park is provided with directions.
As all else, trails are altered and the conditions of the parks, playgrounds and green spaces that I describe in this blog change. As I cannot be held responsible for errors or discrepancies in the text, I ask that you help to keep this blog current and useful. For the enjoyment of all parks, playgrounds and green spaces, please carry out any litter, respect adjacent property, keep dogs on a leash, and do not pick the wildflowers, mushrooms or other vegetation. And, of course, the geographical locations that are provided are dependent on the stability of network that forms the global positioning system.
Exploration is footsteps away in your backyard.
Swartz Head Government Wharf Green Space
Piers Island Government Wharf and Green Space
Dunne Road Green Space
Fernie Wynd Trail and Green Space
Lochside Trail – North Saanich
McDonald Park – Gulf Island National Park Reserve
McDonald Park West Green Space
Eugene Bailin Memorial Trail
St . John’s United Church Green Space
Deep Cove Elementary School Green Space
Heather Road Park and Green Spaces
Littlewood – Glamorgan – Munro Trail
Glamorgan Common Gardens
North Saanich Municipal Green Space
Holy Trinity Anglican Church Green Space
Reay Creek Park – North Saanich
Victoria International Airport Green Spaces
Institute of Ocean Science Green Space
Glenelg Avenue Beach and Green Spaces
Hartfell Avenue Green Spaces and Beach
Aboyne Avenue Green Space and Beach
Ardmore Golf Course Green Space
Pauquachin First Nation Green Space
Driftwood Beach Green Space
Kelset Elementary School Green Space
Sansbury Elementary School Green Space
Walks in Your Backyard 