red cedar). Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock) is occasionally found. Taxus brevifolia (Pacific yew) is a frequent understory tree. The Arbutus menziesii (Pacific madrone) is a large broadleaf evergreen species. Large deciduous trees are Populus balsamifera (black cottonwood), Acer macrophyllum (bigleaf maple), Alnus rubra (red alder), and Quercus garryana (Garry oak). Small deciduous species include Prunus emarginata (bitter cherry), Rhamnus purshiana (cascara), Malus fusca (Pacific crabapple), Cornus nuttallii (Pacific dogwood), Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen), Acer glabrum (Douglas maple), Crataegus monogyna (common hawthorn) and Salix lucida (Pacific willow). Climate North Saanich has a warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csb) with short, warm, and dry summers and long, cool, and wet winters. Council and government The 2022 – 2024 council is: Mayor Peter Jones Councillor Jack McClintock Councillor Sanjiv Shrivastava Councillor Celia Stock Councillor Irene McConkey Councillor Phil DiBattista Councillor Brett Smyth The next election is scheduled for October 19, 2024, following provincial law. All municipalities in British Columbia will also hold elections on this date (the third Saturday of October every 4 years). Voters will vote for councillors, school board trustees and the mayor on the same ballot. Education Public schools serving North Saanich residents are operated by School District 63 Saanich. These include ḰELSET and Deep Cove Elementary Schools, North Saanich Middle School, and Parkland Secondary School. Transportation North Saanich can be accessed by highway on Highway 17 from Victoria, Sidney or Vancouver (through the BC Ferries terminal at Swartz Bay). Victoria International Airport is also located in the municipality, which offers daily service to Calgary, Edmonton, SeaTac, San Francisco, Kelowna, Toronto and hourly service to Vancouver International from Air Canada Express. The airport also offers seasonal services to Mexico and Hawaii, with talk about expansion to Europe or Asia. North Saanich also has a floatplane aerodrome near the Institute of Ocean Sciences in Patricia Bay, the Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome. Formerly the hub for Pat Bay Air, the aerodrome is now served by Harbour Air Seaplanes, Kenmore Air, Ocean Air Floatplanes and Salt Spring Air, which offer scheduled and charter flights. Public transport is provided by the Victoria Regional Transit System. North Saanich has seven marinas, many of which can accommodate temporary visitors. The highest concentration of marinas (five of the seven) is on the southern coast, between Curteis Point (near the ferry terminal) and McDonald Park Road, near Parkland Secondary School. Neighbourhoods Ardmore: population approximately 1,050; the entire neighbourhood is