Oak Bay is a picturesque suburban community located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island.
With a population of approximately 18,000, it forms part of the Greater Victoria urban area, and, along with 12 other municipal governments, comprises the Capital Regional District.
The municipality is bordered by the Strait of Juan de Fuca to the south, Haro Strait to the east, the District of Saanich to the north and north-west, and the City of Victoria to the south-west. Along with other adjoining bodies of water, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Haro Strait were officially renamed the Salish Sea in 2010; however the old names are also still in use.
The geographic coordinates are: 48°25′35″N 123°19′22″W. Oak Bay occupies an area of 10.53 km2 (4.07 sq. miles) and the population density is 1710.3 per km2
The Corporation of the District of Oak Bay was incorporated in 1906 in the Province of British Columbia, Canada.
The municipality operates under the provisions of the Province of British Columbia Local Government Act, which sets out all powers, duties and functions for municipal governance across the Province.
Oak Bay falls within the Provincial BC Electoral District of Oak Bay/Gordon Head, and the Federal Elections Canada District of Victoria.
Territorial Acknowledgment
We acknowledge that the land on which we gather is the traditional territory of the Coast and Straits Salish Peoples. Specifically we recognize the Lekwungen peoples known today as the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations, and that their historic connections to these lands continue to this day.
Quick facts about Oak Bay
- The population in 2021 was 17,990
- The average age of the population is 49.7
- There are a total of 8,168 private dwellings in Oak Bay
- Tod House, located at 2564 Heron Street, was built in 1850 and is the oldest home in Oak Bay.
- The average household size in 2021 was 2.3
- In 2010, the bodies of water around Oak Bay, including southern Vancouver Island and Washington State were officially renamed the Salish Sea.
- There are no gas stations in Oak Bay.
- There are more than 20 restaurants and cafes in Oak Bay.
- A popular online travel site considers Oak Bay Village to be the oldest and most interesting part of greater Victoria.
- Oak Bay is situated on traditional First Nations Lekwungen land.
- Oak Bay is home to three golf courses. In addition to two private golf courses, the public Henderson Golf Course 9 hole par 3 course been in operation since the 1970s.
- The Oak Bay Tea Party celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2022.
- Canada’s oldest Chinese cemetery is located at Harling Point, at the end of Crescent Road. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1995 and adheres to the principles of feng shui.