The eastern side of Saanich is dominated by the University of Victoria, which is a very large part of the local community  There are 170 municipal parks, three regional parks and a cycling network.  Saanich has more parks per capita than any other municipality in B.C.  There are several excellent golf courses including: Blenkinsop Valley, Cedar Hill, Cordocva Bay and Prospect Lake golf courses.

Saanich's distinct neighbourhoods include:  Gordon Head, a solidly upper middle class family area with several shopping malls:. HighQuadra, which overlooks the Blenkinsop Valley: Broadmead, with its imaginative West Coast architecture: and Cordova Bay perched along the seaside including a mixture of cottagees, small farms, sizable family homes and new subdivisions.