If you live near Feltham Road, you likely already know your street is one of the busiest in Saanich for trick-or-treating.
Now, you can count it as fact, thanks to the Census Mapper’s Halloween trick-or-treater projections.
The people behind the online app Census Mapper designed the program to calculate a rough estimate of how many trick-or-treat aged children live in micro-neighbourhoods across Canada. It’s based on the 2011 census data.
So, with three nights until the official treat giving of Halloween on Monday, there is still time to re-assess just how much candy you’ll need for your neighbourhood, compared to others. Conversely, it can be used to seek out the busiest trick-or-treat neighbourhoods.
The app generates two scenarios. The first is the Trick-or-Treat Onslaught, a map to gauge the number of children of prime trick-or-treating age in a neighbourhood.
There’s also the Trick-Or-Treat Density Estimator, which shows the density of dwellings in nearby neighbourhoods. The app suggests the estimator could be used to find the areas likely to get the most trick-or-treater foot traffic.
While the data isn’t specific enough to know how many bags of candy bars you’ll need if in fact you do live in a dense area, it’s certainly worth a visit.
In Saanich, Gordon Head, Strawberry Vale, Glanford, west of Wilkinson, south of Mann Avenue, all stand out as hot spots.
Of course, there are plenty of other prime haunts around town.
In East Saanich, the Caddy Bay Halloween celebration starts early. Bring your little ghosts and goblins and hit up the merchants of Cadboro Bay Village for treats between 3 and 5 p.m. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
In Royal Oak, the Broadmead Village shopping centre is kicking off Halloween by welcoming trick-or-treaters between 3 and 5:30 p.m.
If you’re looking to stay in your neighbourhood, consider a bonfire.
Permits are available for $10, and can be picked up by noon on Monday (Halloween). The fires themselves are permitted only between 5 and 10 p.m.
“Bonfires and fireworks are only allowed on Oct. 31,” said Deputy Fire Chief Frank Macdonald. “Our goal is to keep everyone safe and ensure no one is injured and no property is damaged. We want everyone to enjoy this time of celebration.”
If you are burning a fire, be sure to keep it below one metre in diameter to avoid a visit from a Saanich Fire Department officer.
If you had intended to use fireworks, the opportunity for a permit has passed.
Fireworks can only be set off on Monday between 5 and 10 p.m. The fine for discharging fireworks without a permit is $200.
