by Al Smith, Executive Director, Saanich Peninsula – Chamber of Commerce
The Saanich Peninsula is an amazing place to live. We have access to so many incredible outdoor activities that cause many other places in Canada to envy us. On top of that, our amazing weather allows us to enjoy year-round walks and bike rides along the plentiful seaside and mountain trails. With the international airport and B.C. ferries right in our backyard, it’s extremely easy for us to travel or have friends and families visit us often. We know, appreciate and are constantly reminded of this amazing location, but the geography is not the only thing that makes this particular little oasis so special.
The businesses that make up the Saanich Peninsula are as unique as the geography itself! We have a plethora of lifestyle businesses like coffee shops, restaurants and boutique shopping experiences. Not to mention businesses that scale all the way up to world-leading, internationally acclaimed manufacturers and research facilities.
It’s this addition to the natural geography that makes this such an amazing place to live, work and play!
One of the things that is often forgotten is the extraordinary amount of work entrepreneurs, businesses owners, and staff put in to make this happen. Your favourite coffee shop, each boutique store you love to peruse, and every amazing meal you have had on the Saanich Peninsula is the result of a hard-working, diligent, thoughtful person working to custom create this experience just for you.
There is a large contingent of world class companies that have chosen to make the Saanich Peninsula their home. Most of them were started locally by entrepreneurs that lived and wanted to grow a business here. We have aviation companies shipping worldwide, ocean and marine companies recognized around the world, global high speed train electronic and software suppliers, and a Cadmium Zinc Telluride (CZT) semiconductor manufacturer known as a leader in medical imaging throughout the world.
From small to big, these businesses are a huge part of growing and adding to our community. They create job opportunities for our residents, provide the services we all need for a healthy daily life, and contribute to our municipal budgets and economic growth. As you go about your day, please join us in supporting, thanking and appreciating these hard-working individuals and teams!
