Swan Lake

Swan Lake in Saanich is a nature sanctuary with lakeside trails, diverse birdlife, and includes a scenic hike to Christmas Hill

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Location

Saanich
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About

Formally known as Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, this recreation area is almost 69 hectares in size.
228 species of birds have been documented either living, breeding or resting here.
Those species include Common Goldeneye, Cackling Goose, Northern Shoveler, and American Coot.
It’s estimated that 93,000 people visit the trails here every year.
A 2.5km trail goes around the lake and it includes a series of wooden and metal bridges where ducks like to roam.
The lake is fairly shallow with a maximum depth of just under five meters.
The nature sanctuary is supported by almost 300 volunteers who help in several areas including invasive plant removal.
For a more challenging hike, venture to Christmas Hill for a great viewpoint.
As you walk towards the lake from the main parking lot, you’ll find the Nature House which introduces visitors to the Nature Sanctuary through sensory displays, maps, education programs, and interactive exhibits.
Past the Nature House is Founders Wharf where you can get an excellent view of the lake. The wharf is dedicated to organizations and members who helped form the sanctuary.
As you explore you may find blue herons, raccoons, turtles, and river otters.

History

Swan Lake was an important hunting and gathering area for the Songhees People, as shown by the many arrowheads and spear points found over the years in the surrounding fields and hillsides (Morrison, 2015 source).
The Songhees People knew and used over a hundred plant species for food, medicine, tools, shelter, and ceremony, including key food plants like camas lily, wild onion, berries, and fern rhizomes, as well as cattails and rushes from the lake shore for weaving shelters, mats, baskets, and clothing (Morrison, 2015 source).
The naming of Swan Lake is up for debate. Some believe it was named after James Gilchrist Swan. James was a man of many talents including being a journalist, schoolteacher, and lawyer. He visited Victoria occasionally in the early 1880’s when away from his home in Port Townsend. But many believe the lake gets its name from the Trumpeter swans that regularly visited the lake (Morrison, 2015 source).
Swan Lake Hotel was built in 1864 on the south side of the lake and people from near and far visited to go fishing in the spring and summer and ice skating in the winter.
Sadly, in January 1894 the hotel burned down but was quickly rebuilt only to burn again in October 1897 and was never rebuilt again (Morrison, 2015 source).
Between 1889 and the early 1900s, James Baker of the Victoria Ice Company and Baker’s Brickyard harvested ice from Swan Lake, packing it in sawdust to preserve it and selling it year-round for household iceboxes (Morrison, 2015 source).
Beginning in 1917, the Pendray family operated the 12 hectare Swan Lake Dairy Farm until 1978, covering much of the land that is now the Nature Sanctuary (from just below the Nature House in the north to Swan Street in the south) (Morrison, 2015 source).
In 1975, after consulting with local naturalists, school districts, the University of Victoria, and regional and provincial governments, the District of Saanich chose to support the creation of Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Centre Society under the B.C. Societies Act to develop and operate the site.

Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary stands as a vibrant natural refuge where wildlife thrives, visitors connect with nature, and community stewardship helps protect this special place for generations to come.

Lands

Lək'ʷəŋən peoples, represented by the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, represented by the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout), W̱SIḴEM (Tseycum) and MÁLEXEȽ (Malahat) Nations

Amenities