Greater Victoria

The NRC Herzberg Astronomy and Astrophysics Research Centre (NRC Herzberg, HAA) is the leading Canadian centre for astronomy and astrophysics. It is based in Victoria, British Columbia. The current Director-General, as of 2021, is Luc Simard.

The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, located on Observatory Hill, in Saanich, British Columbia, was completed in 1918 by the Canadian government. The Dominion Architect responsible for the building was Edgar Lewis Horwood. The main instrument is the 72 inch (1.83 meter) aperture Plaskett telescope, proposed and designed by John S. Plaskett in 1910 with the support of the International Union for Cooperation in Solar Research. The observatory has been designated a National Historic Site of Canada as it is a world-renowned facility where many discoveries about the nature of the Milky Way were made, and it was one of the world’s main astrophysical research centres until the 1960s.

The Elk/Beaver Regional Park is a 1,072 acres (4.34 km2) park in Saanich, British Columbia, containing Elk Lake and Beaver Lake. Elk/Beaver Lake was known as the "Freshwater Playground of Victoria" in its heyday, the 1930s and 1940s. However, with the completion of the Pat Bay highway in the 1950s, focus turned "green" and measures were taken to start restoring the park to its natural state and protecting it. In 1966 Elk/Beaver Lake became a regional park.

Camosun College is a community college located in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The college has two campuses, Lansdowne and Interurban, with a total enrollment of ~20,000 students (including Continuing Education). Camosun College also provides contract training for local business; research, innovation and prototyping services for industry; and trained co-op students for employers. The Lansdowne campus provides University transfer and access programs, as well as career, technical and vocational programs in the fields of the arts, sciences, business, Indigenous studies, dental hygiene and dental assistant programs. The Interurban campus delivers programs in access, business, trades, technologies, sport and exercise education, and health and human services. The college also hosts a student paper, The Nexus.The enabling legislation is the College and Institute Act.

Elk Lake is a large lake located in Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park in Saanich, British Columbia. Elk Lake and Beaver Lake are actually one lake as a shallow channel connects them. Elk/Beaver lake was known as the "Freshwater Playground of Victoria" in its heyday, the 1930s and 1940s. However, with the completion of the Pat Bay highway in the 1950s, focus turned to environmentalism, and measures were taken to start restoring the park to its natural state and protecting it. In 1966 Elk/Beaver lake became a regional park.

Saanich Commonwealth Place is a recreation center located west of the Patricia Bay Highway and north of Royal Oak Drive in Saanich, British Columbia in Canada. It was originally constructed in 1993 for the August 1994 Commonwealth Games, and is currently a prominent facility in the community. In 2002 the original weightroom was completely renovated and it re-opened for operation in 2004. Among the center's other features are a full-size gymnasium (7000 square feet), a 50-meter competition pool, 4.5 meter deep dive tank with 1-, 3-, 5-, 7.5-, and 10-meter boards, and the Bruce Hutchison Branch of the Greater Victoria Public Library. The building's construction is unique; it features a red dome in the shape of a slightly flattened square pyramid over the main pool area. The inside of the dome boasts dozens of large, intricately engineered sound absorption ceiling panels. Finally, stretching from about one-sixth to one-third of the way down the pyramid dome's four massive triangular sides, angled multi-pane windows replace the ceiling panels as the focus of a backstroker's view. The facility is often referred to as the "Commonwealth Pool" by residents of Greater Victoria. Located only 10 minutes by automobile from Saanich's new Uptown Shopping Centre and only 300 meters from the Royal Oak Transit Exchange, which is served by 12 BC Transit routes, it is highly accessible to all residents of the Capital Regional District.

The Victoria City Rowing Club is a non-profit rowing club located at Elk Lake in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. VCRC offers a variety of recreational and seasonal rowing programs and services including programs for beginners, corporate retreats, customized training camps, and private coaching. There are three classes of membership: Junior (individuals under 19 yrs), Senior (individuals over 18 yrs), and Masters (27+). The other seasonal programs include: Youth Learn to Row, Youth Rec Rowing, Youth Summer Camps, Adult Learn to Row, Adult Rec Rowing, Novice Masters, and Community Corporate Rowing Challenge. The colours of the VCRC uniform are green, white, and black. The uniform features a green top with a white 'V' on the back and the club logo on the front, with black bottoms. The oars have a white blade and a green chevron or 'V' on both sides. The white 'V' on the uniforms and the green 'V' or chevron on the oars are symbolic of the 'V' in Victoria. The Victoria City Rowing Club is one of four member user groups that comprise the Victoria Rowing Society (VRS) that use the Elk Lake facility. Other members of VRS are: The Greater Victoria Youth Rowing Society (GVYRS) that comprises eight middle and secondary schools; Rowing Canada Aviron (RCA); and the University of Victoria.

The Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre (VIRCC) is a Regional Correctional Centre that is located in the District Municipality of Saanich, Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It lies within metropolitan Victoria, British Columbia, in its northwest suburbs. The centre offers grief counseling to the family members of prisoners' deceased victims. On October 26, 1977, approximately 20 inmates took a prison officer hostage with a knife, but released him peacefully the next day. A prison riot at Prince George Regional Correctional Centre on April 26, 1983 led to ten prisoners being transferred to VIRCC. A prison riot at VIRCC in January 1985 led to 37 prisoners appearing before a disciplinary review board. On March 26, 2005, five inmates were charged with mischief after having together caused between $40,000 and $50,000 worth of damage to a living unit at the centre. In September 2006, David Johnston, a homeless man imprisoned at the VIRCC due to repeated sleeping on Beacon Hill Park and St. Ann's Academy property, went on a hunger strike to fight for the right to sleep outdoors and was supported by other homeless people who created a tent city. On February 22, 2007, inmate Wayne Allan Turner was found dead in the centre, hanging from a fire sprinkler head. British Columbia Government and Service Employees' Union corrections and sheriff services component chairman Dean Purdy stated in March 2010 that there had been 63 assaults on the centre's guards by inmates since 2003 when the jail became overcrowded due to the closing of nine other British Columbia jails. An attempted prison escape by two prisoners was foiled in July 2011.

Central Saanich is a district municipality in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District. It is located on the Saanich Peninsula. The district began as a farming community, and many hobby farms, along with a handful of small working farms and vineyards, still exist. In recent decades, the area has seen increasing residential, commercial, and industrial development, especially around the neighbourhoods of Brentwood Bay and Saanichton, which are occasionally referred to as separate communities. The area's best-known tourist attractions are the Butchart Gardens, located in the Brentwood Bay area, Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, and Island View Beach. The mayor of Central Saanich is former district councillor Ryan Windsor. Municipal councillors last elected in 2014 include Niall Paltiel, Carl Jensen, Alicia Cormier, Bob Thompson, Christopher Graham, and Zeb King.

Strawberry Vale Elementary School is a public primary school in the municipality of Saanich, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The school is noted for its building, designed by Patkau Architects and completed in 1995.

Rithet's Bog is a restored lowland peat bog located in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The bog and its surroundings are protected as Rithet's Bog Conservation Area, a municipal park which covers an area of approximately 38 hectares (94 acres). The land was donated to the District of Saanich by the Guinness family in 1994. While the landscape was significantly altered for agricultural use beginning in the late 1800s, extensive restoration efforts have helped the bog ecosystems return.

Claremont Secondary School (CSS) is a public secondary school in Saanich, a municipality of Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is operated by School District 63 Saanich. CSS is one of three secondary schools in the school district and the one serving the southern end of the Saanich Peninsula. It is fed from Royal Oak Middle School and is an active participant in the Saanich International Student Program (SISP), with over 100 international students from nine countries enrolled at CSS for the 2013-14 school year.CSS offers a variety of special academic programs, including: study/work programs in Quebec and France; a vibrant literary and creative writing environment; foreign languages with a focus on French and Spanish; Advanced Placement courses in sciences, liberal arts, and mathematics; and post secondary credit courses in accounting, criminology, and secondary school apprenticeships; and specialty and performing arts (see below).