Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary
Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary is a nature reserve located in Saanich, British Columbia. The sanctuary includes a lake, adjacent marshy lowlands, and a nature centre, as well as a good part of the summit regions of Christmas Hill.
In the 1960s, Swan Lake was a polluted swamp. Fish were dying, and the water was so toxic that farmers were warned to ensure their cattle did not drink from it. In 1963, however, the Municipality of Saanich announced plans to clean up the lake. In 1973, the Municipality purchased 115 acres (0.47 km2) of land covering Swan Lake and Christmas Hill; they would join the two parcels to create a nature sanctuary. In 1973, they bought a further 54 acres (220,000 m2) at a cost of $230,000. It was estimated that the project could take as long as 25 years to finish. In 1975, the nature sanctuary was opened, but it was still far from completion. Between 1975 and 1990, the municipality contributed approximately $1 million to the project. In 1977, work began on additional boardwalks and trails, and in 1979 a wheelchair trail from the nature house to a viewpoint over the lake was completed.
Between 1980 and 1990, neighbours, students, and Saanich residents contributed over 14,000 hours of volunteer work to building the park. In 1981, work on the boardwalks and trails was completed. In 1981, a 7,500-square-foot (700 m2) building was designed to replace the existing nature house facility. In 1984, plans were unveiled to build a 170-metre long chain link fence between local residents' properties and the nature sanctuary (see Fence Controversy section for more details). Also in 1984, a nearby oil spill threatened to escape into the lake (see Oil Spill section for more details). In September 1988, the new nature centre was completed and opened to visitors.
The nature centre was a success, drawing 20,000 visitors in 1990 and 60,000 in 1995. In 1994, work began on a native plant garden, and is ongoing as of 2006.
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