ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY
From the air we breathe to the ground we walk on, a healthy and sustainable environment is an important part of quality of life. A healthy environment is reflective of a healthy community.
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary: A living classroom
Environmental sustainability
Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary: A living classroom
Just six kilometres from downtown Victoria, Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary has been connecting community and ecology since 1975. This vibrant urban wetland and Garry Oak ecosystem recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, a testament to decades of environmental stewardship and education.
Swan Lake is a place of learning and connection. With programming that weaves together Indigenous knowledge, intergenerational learning, and a variety of neurological and cultural perspectives, the sanctuary creates space for people of all ages to deepen their relationship with the natural world. Staff and volunteers work to ensure that Swan Lake is a revered and protected space for the wildlife who inhabit the trees and waters—and for the people who seek peace here.
Under the leadership of Executive Director Cara Gibson, the sanctuary continues to evolve in how it approaches conservation and education. “No one person is the knower,” says Cara. “I love the many lenses people bring to understanding the world around them. Looking at life from many different perspectives is so much richer.”
With a dedicated team and a flourishing network of community support, Swan Lake remains a vital green space for environmental education, ecological restoration, and quiet moments in nature…right in the heart of the city.
Photo by: Jo-Ann Richards, Works Photography
Vital signs citizen survey grade
BLast year's grade was B
Environmental sustainability
Vital signs citizen survey grade
BSustainable Development Goals
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
Solid waste disposal rate (kilograms per person)
338CRD 2024
382CRD 2023
250CRD TARGET BY 2031
479BC 2022
350BC LONG TERM TARGET
SOURCE: CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT
SOUTHERN RESIDENT KILLER WHALES
The Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) that frequent the Salish Sea are an extended family comprised of three pods: J, K, and L. As of July 1, 2024, the SRKW population was an estimated 73 individuals, down from 75 reported in the 2023 census due to the deaths of two adult males, one in K pod and one in L pod, and of a male calf in J pod—the only whale born within the census period.
TOTAL POPULATION73
LPOD33
JPOD 25
KPOD15
Note: These counts do not include calves born to J and L pod after the census date.
SOURCE: CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH
THEN & NOW
The SRKW population grew during the late 1970s, 1980s, and mid-1990s, peaking at 98 individuals, and then declined in the late 1990s. By 2001, there were 78 whales left, and while the population rose to 89 in 2006, the numbers have been dropping precipitously ever since.
SOURCE: CENTER FOR WHALE RESEARCH
Under current conditions, SRKW have a high probability of extinction. In March 2025, an independent panel of international killer whale, salmon, and conservation scientists met in Vancouver, BC, to develop recommendations for the survival and recovery of this critically endangered population.
The panel used an ecosystem-level approach to assess the effectiveness and limitations of existing threat-reduction strategies and to propose new or revised measures for urgent action.
The 26 recommendations aim to prevent extinction and rebuild a resilient SRKW population. They prioritize science-based solutions to address prey (Chinook salmon) limitation, human-caused undersea noise, and exposure to high levels of contaminants. Most recommendations can be implemented without further study.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT SCIENCE PANEL ON SRKW RECOVERY (2025)
GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
Estimated annual GHG emissions in capital region, 2022
1.86 MILLION TONNES OF CARBON DIOXIDE EQUIVALENT (tCO2e)
4.2% TOTAL PER CAPITA EMISSIONS
On an absolute basis, this is a 7% decline from the 2007 base year emissions and a decline of 25% on a per capita basis. In 2022, on-road transportation accounted for 42% of GHG emissions, the largest share of total emissions in the region, followed by commercial and institutional buildings at 19% and residential buildings at 15%.
SOURCE: CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT
RESIDENTIAL WATER USE
Average residential water use in capital region, 2023
231 L DAILY PER PERSON
up from 224 in 2022
The region’s per capita water use rates have stabilized in the last decade around the Canadian average following a sizable reduction between 1995 to 2010 due to greater conservation efforts and the introduction of efficient plumbing fixtures and appliances.
SOURCE: CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT
THEN & NOW
From our first Vital Signs report (2006): In 2004, the average water consumption per capita for residential use in the capital region was 312 litres/day, considerably less than the BC average of 425 litres/day.
SOURCE: CAPITAL REGIONAL DISTRICT
In 2021, the average daily residential water use in Canada was 223 litres per capita, a decline of 11% from 251 litres in 2011. In BC, the average daily residential water use per capita in 2021 was 286 litres, a decline of 8% from 312 litres in 2011.
SOURCE: STATISTICS CANADA
COMMUNITY IN FOCUS
Supporting Safe Agriculture in Canada
Located on the traditional territory of the W̱SÁNEĆ peoples, the Centre for Plant Health in North Saanich, is Canada’s only post-entry quarantine, diagnostic, and research facility dedicated to the protection of fruit-bearing trees, grapevines, and small fruit.
Run by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, the Centre ensures the safe introduction of foreign plant material to Canada, provides export certification, and eliminates viruses from valuable plant varieties.
After a major renewal completed in 2024, the Centre is now home to a world-class plant health diagnostic and research facility. Scientists use techniques like antibody testing, DNA detection tools, and disease testing in controlled settings to advance plant science. The Centre actively engages in scientific collaborations to protect plant resources and support innovation in Canada’s agricultural and agri-food sector.
SOURCE: GOVERNMENT OF CANADA
Economy