After nine weeks, Butterfly Gardens in Central Saanich reopened Dec. 7 and its general manager is happy that people have found their way back to the tourist attraction.
David Roberts says Butterfly Gardens shut its doors to replace it aging roof. Glass panels were replaced with poly-carbonate inserts. The project had two main benefits for the facility — making the roof lighter and allowing them to get rid of wood beams that affected visitor sight lines, and better insulating the roof which will reduce their heating costs.
Roberts said he was a little nervous that it might take some time for visitors to return after the nine-week closure. But, thanks to Facebook fans helping spread the word, people came back on their reopening weekend and visits have been steady since.
Butterfly World is home to hundreds of butterfly varieties (they bring in 700 pupa each week from Costa Rica and the Philippines), rescued or donated tropical birds and fish and they have a giant tortoise habitat.
In addition to their collection of exotic flowers, meat-eating plants and tropical food trees, Roberts said Butterfly Gardens also has a Colombia Corner — where they accept donations for their long-term project of helping people in Colombia create a butterfly farm to help add to the local facility’s collection.