Gordon Head
Encyclopedia
Gordon Head is a seaside neighbourhood in the District of Saanich
. Gordon Head lies north of McKenzie Avenue and east of the Blenkinsop Valley. The University of Victoria
is located partly within Gordon Head along the south-east boundary. Finnerty Road separates Gordon Head from the adjacent neighbourhood of Cadboro Bay. The local area is dominated physically by Mt. Douglas, a coastline along Haro Strait
, and the central plateau.
Formerly an area of small farms and greenhouses, Gordon Head developed into a residential neighbourhood in the 1970s. Today, many homes located near the university have undergone a conversion from single-family to shared rental occupancy in order to meet the demands of the local student population.
Gordon Head has numerous parks and green spaces, including several that border the ocean. Of the latter, Arbutus Cove Park and Hollydene Park are two of the most popular, especially in the summertime. A small handful of elementary, middle and secondary schools in the Greater Victoria School District
(SD61) call Gordon Head home. The community’s recreation centre is centrally located and features a pool, sauna and steamroom, whirlpool, weightroom, dance/fitness studio, and nearby skateboard/rollerblade park. Gordon Head has three shopping areas within its bounds: Torquay Village and University Heights Shopping Centre (which includes a movie theatre) are located on opposite sides of Shelbourne Street, and Tuscany Village is situated on the corner of Shelbourne and McKenzie.
The neighbourhood shares its name with the small strip of land that juts out into Haro Strait, not far from Vantreight Park and Ferndale Forest Park, in the community’s north-east corner.
Saanich
The Saanich or W̱SÁNEĆ are indigenous nations from the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington, the Gulf and San Juan Islands, southern Vancouver Island and the southern edge of the Lower Mainland in British Columbia.*BOḰEĆEN – Pauquachin...
. Gordon Head lies north of McKenzie Avenue and east of the Blenkinsop Valley. The University of Victoria
University of Victoria
The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...
is located partly within Gordon Head along the south-east boundary. Finnerty Road separates Gordon Head from the adjacent neighbourhood of Cadboro Bay. The local area is dominated physically by Mt. Douglas, a coastline along Haro Strait
Haro Strait
Haro Strait, often referred to as the Haro Straits because it is really a series of straits, is one of the main channels connecting the Strait of Georgia to the Strait of Juan de Fuca, separating Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands in British Columbia, Canada from the San Juan Islands of...
, and the central plateau.
Formerly an area of small farms and greenhouses, Gordon Head developed into a residential neighbourhood in the 1970s. Today, many homes located near the university have undergone a conversion from single-family to shared rental occupancy in order to meet the demands of the local student population.
Gordon Head has numerous parks and green spaces, including several that border the ocean. Of the latter, Arbutus Cove Park and Hollydene Park are two of the most popular, especially in the summertime. A small handful of elementary, middle and secondary schools in the Greater Victoria School District
School District 61 Greater Victoria
School District 61 Greater Victoria is a school district in the Canadian province of British Columbia. This includes the municipalities of Victoria, Esquimalt, Oak Bay, View Royal, and parts of Saanich.-History:...
(SD61) call Gordon Head home. The community’s recreation centre is centrally located and features a pool, sauna and steamroom, whirlpool, weightroom, dance/fitness studio, and nearby skateboard/rollerblade park. Gordon Head has three shopping areas within its bounds: Torquay Village and University Heights Shopping Centre (which includes a movie theatre) are located on opposite sides of Shelbourne Street, and Tuscany Village is situated on the corner of Shelbourne and McKenzie.
The neighbourhood shares its name with the small strip of land that juts out into Haro Strait, not far from Vantreight Park and Ferndale Forest Park, in the community’s north-east corner.