| Town of Sidney | |
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| — Town — | |
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| Coordinates: 48°39′2″N 123°23′55″W / 48.65056°N 123.39861°W | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  British Columbia |
| Region | Vancouver Island |
| Regional district | Capital Regional District |
| Incorporated | 1952 |
| Government | |
| - Governing body | Sidney Town Council |
| - Mayor | Larry Cross |
| Area | |
| - Total | 5.04 km2 (1.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Population (2006) | |
| - Total | 11,315 |
| Time zone | PST (UTC-8) |
| Highways | 17 |
| Waterways | Strait of Juan de Fuca |
| Website | Town of Sidney |
Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is one of the 13 Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,300. Sidney is located just east of Victoria International Airport, and a few kilometers south of BC Ferries' Swartz Bay terminal. The town is also the only Canadian port-of-call in the Washington State Ferry system, with ferries running from Sidney to Anacortes, Washington. Sidney is located along Highway 17, which bisects the town from north to south. It is generally considered part of the Victoria metropolitan area.
The town west of Highway 17 (also called the Pat Bay Highway) has a mixture of single-family residences and light industry. Single-family units are also present east of the highway, but the eastern sector also has many condominium-type buildings, plus most of the service and retail outlets. The island-studded Haro Strait forms Sidney's eastern boundary. There is a large boating and marine industry in the area, ranging from marinas to boatbuilders and marine suppliers.
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Population
According to Statistics Canada, Sidney had a population of 10,929 in 2001 -- a gain of 2.1% from 1996. Sidney is well-known for having an abundance of Senior Citizens, producing a median age of 50.7 in 2001 as compared with the British Columbia median age of 38.4. The population density per square kilometer was 2,167. Elder neglect is a prime concern of many organizations in Sidney[1], because the senior care facilities are so convenient.
Labour Force
Sidney is mainly an industrial town, with most people working in the construction, manufacturing, and warehousing fields (26%). Retail accounts for approximately 10% of the employment. Healthcare and social assistance employs 13%. There are over 4,000 people employed in Sidney, with an unemployment rate of 6.1%. It should also be taken into consideration that some of this labour force commutes from neighbouring municipalities, such as Saanich or Victoria. The median income is $24,638. The median income for a household in the town is $56,115.
Government
The Town of Sidney is a municipality governed by an elected Council. The elected Council consists of one Mayor and six Councilors. Mayor Larry Cross, Councilor Jeannette Hughes, Councilor Mervyn Lougher-Goodey, Councilor Marilyn Loveless, Councilor Cliff McNeil-Smith, Councilor Kenny Podmore, Councilor Steve Price.
Sister City
On June 30, 2008 the Sidney Sister Cities Association, and the town of Sidney, BC declared the twinning of Sidney and Niimi, Japan. This becoming the town of Sidney's Third sister city, following Cairns, Queensland, Australia and Anacortes, Washington.
Attractions
During the summer, Sidney hosts a very popular market on Thursday evenings on the main street (Beacon). "Sidney days" is another popular event that occurs at the beginning of July. To celebrate, Sidney has a parade, a small fair and fireworks in the evening. In the winter, Sidney has a holiday parade as well as a lighted sailpast boat parade. Sidney is also home to many places to dine including Greek, Thai, Chinese and west-coast restaurants. Sidney is officially Canada's only booktown, with 12 bookstores. It also has almost as many cafes to sit and read in.
Physiography
Almost all of the land within Sidney's boundary is either flat or very gently sloping, providing a topography which is favourable for the town's elderly people. Most soils are clayey, and poorly drained in their natural state. In some parts of town, this clay is overlain by deposits of sand and gravel which are well drained.
Climate
Sidney enjoys a cool Mediterranean climate with year-round mild temperatures and moderate rainfall. Most years see very little snow. Daily temperatures seldom climb above 31°C, or dip below -7°C. In the mildest winters, minimum temperatures stay above -3°C. Damaging winds are less frequent than in most other maritime areas of Canada.
Today's weather: [1]
Fauna
Among the birds most often seen in Sidney are the northwestern crow, common starling, house sparrow, American robin and several species of gull. Bald eagle and common raven can be seen all year, and turkey vulture is frequently sighted in summer. Wild mammals include the mink, otter, raccoon, black-tailed deer, and deer mouse. In recent years, the introduced cottontail rabbit and gray squirrel have become abundant. Another non-native mammal whose presence has become more evident (by its smell) is the skunk.
Flora
Sidney's most common native tree is Douglas-fir. Western red cedar and grand fir are the other plentiful native conifers. Small numbers of western hemlock, lodgepole pine, Sitka spruce and Pacific yew also occur. The arbutus is a common broadleaf evergreen. Deciduous trees include the black cottonwood, bigleaf maple, Douglas maple, red alder, Garry oak, Pacific dogwood, bitter cherry, Pacific crab apple, cascara, quaking aspen, hawthorn and several species of willow.
Many non-native plants also occur. Roadsides are dominated by Eurasian species such as Scotch broom, Himalayan blackberry, chicory, Queen Anne's Lace, and red clover. Long-established exotic trees include London plane, horsechestnut, flowering cherry, flowering plum, Norway maple, sycamore maple, Japanese maple, catalpa and tulip tree. In recent years the American sweetgum, Freeman maple and Chinese windmill palm have become very popular.
Gallery of Sidney
 Advisory sign posted during nesting season of Northwestern Crow, with Sidney Town Hall in background. |
 Northwestern Crow on Sidney Town Hall lawn. |
 Freeman Maple at Mary Winspear Centre. |
 London Plane at Mary Winspear Centre. |
 Norway Maple at Sidney Town Hall; a commemorative tree planted in 1967. |
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 Condominium under construction in Sidney, March 2008. |
 The Sidney Summer Market is held on Beacon Ave. late every Thursday over the summer. |
References
External links
- Town of Sidney - Official website
- Sidney & North Saanich
- Mayor's message
- Mayor's inaugural address
- WSF Sidney B.C. terminal info
- Population Fact Sheets
- Parkland Secondary homepage
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