About Us
The Saanichton Christmas Tree Farm was established by brother and sister, Mike and Joan Fleming, in 1981. Having been raised on a farm at Elk Lake in Saanich, the two combined their knowledge of forestry and agriculture to create a farm abundant in quality fresh produce and premium B.C. Christmas trees.
At the age of 16, Michael began selling and growing Christmas trees from his family farm in Brentwood Bay. He founded his company, called Woodstock Evergreens Inc. in 1968. He would go on to work as a full-time log scaler working in the Queen Charlotte Islands, known today as Haida Gwaii, where he would often work two-weeks on and two-weeks off. During his “off-time”, he could be found managing his Christmas Tree Farm at Shawnigan Lake. As supply and demand grew, he began to sell Christmas trees for both retail and wholesale to a variety of community groups and retailers throughout British Columbia. He served as an active member and President of the Southwest BC Christmas Tree Association throughout his lifetime. He was a vocal advocate for BC Christmas Tree Farmers and was often featured throughout local news and newspapers educating the public of the importance of supporting local farmers and buying BC Christmas Trees. In 1981, Joan decided to leave her work as a dental assistant to become a full-time farmer. After purchasing the farm on East Saanich Road, the two went to work preparing the land and planting seedlings, and the Saanichton Christmas Tree Farm was born. Since then, the farm has served several different purposes over the years and has truly never seen a dull moment. Over the past four decades, the farm has provided a unique educational experience for its visitors and continues to serve its community as a valuable resource for a variety of sustainable farming practices.
Over the years, Mike and Joan have been involved heavily in the community and are long-standing members of the North and South Saanich Agricultural Society. Since Michaels passing in 2018, Joan operates the farm and continues to produce beautiful trees in his honour. Joan is a member of the Victoria Dahlia Society and recently retired as a past Convenor of the Flower Section at the Saanich Fair which she had done for over 25 years. The farm is a long-standing proud supporter of the Central Saanich 4H Club. Each year, the farm gives back to the Province of British Columbia and the City of Victoria by donating a Christmas Tree which sits proudly in the rotunda of the BC Legislature building in Victoria.
The farm currently grows up to 15 different varieties of premium B.C. Christmas trees. Throughout the year, the farm also offers a variety of produce including fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers, and squash. Year-round, a variety of award-winning preserves including jams, jellies, chutneys and pickles are also available.
Visit us at the farm where we have a self-serve stand open Spring through Fall and Santa’s Workshop open during the Christmas season.