Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

, Canada, on the southern tip of

Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

. It is usually defined as the thirteen

municipalities A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

of the Capital Regional District (CRD) on Vancouver Island as well as some adjacent areas and nearby islands. The Capital Regional District administers some aspects of public administration for the whole metro region; other aspects are administered by the individual member municipalities of Greater Victoria. Roughly, Greater Victoria consists of all land and nearby islands east of a line drawn from the southern end of Finlayson Arm to the eastern shore of

Sooke Harbour Sooke is a district municipality on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada, by road from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Sooke, the westernmost of Greater Victoria's Western Communities, is to the north and west of the Sooke Ba ...

, along with some lands on the northern shore of Sooke Harbour. Many places, buildings, and institutions associated with Victoria such as the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary insti ...

Victoria International Airport Victoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is north northwest of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula, with the bulk of the airport (including the passenger terminal) in North Saanich, and a small portion of the ...

, and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, are outside the

City of Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

itself, which has an area of just on the southern tip of Greater Victoria. Victoria is the locality indicated in the mailing addresses of several CRD municipalities and localities adjacent to Victoria. The central city of Victoria lends its name and cultural influence to many places and organizations in the metro region.

Municipalities

There are 13 cities, towns, and district municipalities in Greater Victoria. ;"Core" municipalities * The City of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, the adjacent District Municipalities of Saanich,

Esquimalt The Township of Esquimalt is a municipality at the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. It is bordered to the east by the provincial capital, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, to the west by Esquim ...

and

Oak Bay Oak Bay is a municipality incorporated in 1906 that is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is one of thirteen member municipalities of the Capital Regional District, and is bordered ...

, and the town of View Royal. ; West Shore * The cities of Colwood and Langford and the District Municipalities of

Highlands Highland is a broad term for areas of higher elevation, such as a mountain range or mountainous plateau. Highland, Highlands, or The Highlands, may also refer to: Places Albania * Dukagjin Highlands Armenia * Armenian Highlands Australia *Sou ...

Metchosin The District of Metchosin is a municipality and community in Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. It is a coastal community adjacent to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Metchosin is part of the Western ...

, and

Sooke Sooke is a district municipality on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, Canada, by road from Victoria, the capital of British Columbia. Sooke, the westernmost of Greater Victoria's Western Communities, is to the north and west of the Sooke ...

, which lie generally west of

Esquimalt Harbour Esquimalt Harbour is a natural harbour in Greater Victoria on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The entrance to Esquimalt Harbour is from the south off the Strait of Juan de Fuca through a narrow channel known as ...

and

Portage Inlet Victoria Harbour is a harbour, seaport, and seaplane airport in the Canadian city of Victoria, British Columbia. It serves as a cruise ship and ferry destination for tourists and visitors to the city and Vancouver Island. It is both a port of en ...

. ;

Saanich Peninsula Saanich Peninsula ( str, W̱SÁNEĆ) is located north of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is bounded by Saanich Inlet on the west, Satellite Channel on the north, the small Colburne Passage on the northeast, and Haro Strait on the east. The ...

* The District Municipalities of Central Saanich, North Saanich, parts of Saanich, and the town of Sidney, which lie to the north of Victoria. This breakdown is roughly mirrored by the three school districts in Greater Victoria. * Greater Victoria School District #61 - (the core municipalities) * Sooke School District #62 - (the

Western Communities The Western Communities, also called the West Shore (e.g.West Shore RCMP or Westshore (e.gWestshore Town Centre, is the suburban municipalities of Colwood, Langford, Metchosin and The Highlands, Langford and unincorporated districts west of Es ...

) * Saanich School District #63 - (the

) Greater Victoria is the southernmost urban area in

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada� ...

; it is located south of the 49th parallel.

Neighbourhoods

This list is similar to, but not identical with, that used by the Greater Victoria real estate sales industry. Neighbourhoods with official status are italicized. Others may have no official definition, hence other lists of neighbourhoods in the Victoria area may differ. Other sources may give different boundaries as well. *

** ''Burnside-Gorge'' *** ''Rock Bay'' ** '' Downtown'' *** Chinatown ** '' Fairfield-Gonzales'' *** Cook Street Village *** Humboldt Valley *** ''Gonzales'' ** '' Fernwood'' ** ''Harris Green'' ** ''Hillside-Quadra'' ***''Blanshard'' ***''Quadra Village'' *** Mayfair ** ''

James Bay James Bay (french: Baie James; cr, ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, Wînipekw, dirty water) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean, of which James Bay is the southernmost pa ...

'' ** ''Jubilee'' *** ''North Jubilee'' *** ''South Jubilee'' ** ''North Park'' ** ''Oaklands'' ** '' Rockland'' ** ''

Victoria West Victoria West is a town in the central Karoo region of South Africa's Northern Cape province. It is situated on the main N12 route, at an elevation of . It is the seat of the Ubuntu Local Municipality within the Pixley ka Seme District Municipa ...

'' * Saanich ** ''Blenkinsop'' ** '' Cadboro Bay'' *** Queenswood *** Ten Mile Point ** ''Carey'' *** Glanford *** Marigold ** ''Cordova Bay'' ** ''

Gordon Head Gordon Head is a seaside neighbourhood in the municipality of Saanich in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Gordon Head lies north of McKenzie Avenue and east of the Blenkinsop Valley. The University of Victoria is located partly within G ...

'' *** Arbutus *** Mt. Douglas ** ''North Quadra'' ** ''Quadra'' *** Cedar Hill *** Lake Hill *** Maplewood ** ''Royal Oak'' *** Broadmead-Sunnymead ** ''Rural Saanich'' *** Beaver Lake *** Elk Lake *** Interurban *** Prospect Lake *** Strawberry Vale *** West Burnside ** ''Saanich Core'' ** ''Shelbourne'' *** Mt. Tolmie ** ''Tillicum'' *** The Gorge *

** Gonzales (Foul Bay) ** Uplands **

Willows Beach Willows Beach, Victoria is a beachfront in the Municipality of Oak Bay, in Victoria, British Columbia. Along Willows Beach is Willows Park, where a tea-room is run by the Kiwanis Club in spring and summer. It takes its name from the Willows Fairgr ...

** Windsor Park ** South Oak Bay ** North Oak Bay ** Estevan *

** Craigflower ** Colville Road ** Gorge Vale ** Parklands ** Rockheights ** Saxe Point ** Songhees ** West Bay ** Work Point ( DND) * View Royal ** Shoreline * Colwood ** Belmont Park ** Colwood Corners **

Hatley Park Hatley Park National Historic Site is located in Colwood, British Columbia, in Greater Victoria. It is the site of Hatley Castle, a Classified Federal Heritage Building. Since 1995, the mansion and estate have been used for the public Royal R ...

** Mill Hill ** Royal Roads ** Royal Bay ** Triangle Mountain * Langford ** North *** Bear Mountain *** Florence Lake *** Millstream *** Thetis Heights ** South *** Glen Lake *** Goldstream Meadows *** Luxton *** Ravenwood *** Westhills *

** Durrance Lake ** Thetis Lake ** Willis Point *

** Happy Valley ** Matheson Lake ** Rocky Point ** William Head * Central Saanich ** Brentwood Bay ** Island View ** Saanichton * North Saanich ** Cloake Hill ** Dean Park ** Deep Cove ** Lands End ** Patricia Bay ("Pat Bay") **

Swartz Bay Swartz Bay, located on the north end of the Saanich Peninsula on Vancouver Island, is primarily known for being the location of one of BC Ferries' main terminals, the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal. Swartz Bay was named after John Aaron Swart, purchas ...

** Ardmore * Sidney *

** Broom Hill ** East Sooke ** Otter Point ** Kemp Lake ** Sooke Town Centre ** Sunriver ** Saseenos ** Whiffin Spit

Climate

Demographics

The Greater Victoria region has a combined population of 397,237 according to the 2021 Canadian census. The region comprises two of the fifteen most populous municipalities in British Columbia (Saanich, at number seven, and Victoria at number thirteen). The Canadian Census ranks Greater Victoria as the 15th largest metropolitan area in Canada, by

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

. The combined population of the cities, municipalities, unincorporated areas and Indian Reserves in the region are as follows: # Saanich 117,735 #

91,867 # Langford 46,584 # Colwood 18,961 #

17,990 #

17,533 # Central Saanich 17,385 #

15,086 # Sidney 12,318 # North Saanich 12,235 # View Royal 11,575 # Juan de Fuca (Part 1) 5,132 #

5,067 #

2,482 # New Songhees 1A Indian Reserve 1,839 # East Saanich 2 Indian Reserve 1,790 # South Saanich 1 Indian Reserve 712 # Cole Bay 3 Indian Reserve 266 # T'Sou-ke Indian Reserve 230 #

Becher Bay 1 Indian Reserve Becher is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Henry Becher, (fl. 1561), English translator and vicar of Mayfield * Michael Becher, (1704–1758), Bristol-born English slave trader and merchant * Andrew Cracroft Becher, CBE (1858 ...

221 # Esquimalt Indian Reserve 120 # Union Bay 4 Indian Reserve 109

Ethnicity

In comparison to the Lower Mainland (

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

and environs), the region does not have a great deal of racial diversity. Most of the population is of European descent. A substantial community of those of Chinese descent has existed in Greater Victoria since the Fraser Gold Rush of 1858–60, which saw the first significant influx, arriving first via San Francisco then directly from China. There is also a substantial

First Nations First Nations or first peoples may refer to: * Indigenous peoples, for ethnic groups who are the earliest known inhabitants of an area. Indigenous groups *First Nations is commonly used to describe some Indigenous groups including: **First Natio ...

(indigenous) population whose ancestors have lived in the area for thousands of years. Numerous First Nations reserves, forming distinct communities, exist in the region — primarily on the Saanich Peninsula, in Esquimalt, and in the Western Communities — although the majority of the First Nations population live off-reserve. The largest ethnic groups in Greater Victoria, according to the 2016 census,Census Profile, 2016 Census: Victoria (Census metropolitan area), British Columbia and British Columbia (Province)
Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2017-12-30. are: #

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

- 140,510 # Scottish - 98,475 #Canadian - 86,000 #

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

- 73,170 # German - 50,440 # French - 38,775 # Ukrainian - 19,410 # Chinese - 17,825 #

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

- 17,790 #

- 15,430 # Welsh - 14,140 # Polish - 13,610 #

Norwegian Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to: *Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe * Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway * Demographics of Norway *The Norwegian language, including ...

- 12,130 #

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

- 11,665 #

Swedish Swedish or ' may refer to: Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically: * Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland ** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...

- 9,380 #

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

- 9,180 #

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

- 8,565 # American - 8,485 #

Metis Metis or Métis may refer to: Ethnic groups * Métis, recognized Indigenous communities in Canada and America whose distinct culture and language emerged after early intermarriage between First Nations peoples and early European settlers, prima ...

- 7,135 #

Filipino Filipino may refer to: * Something from or related to the Philippines ** Filipino language, standardized variety of 'Tagalog', the national language and one of the official languages of the Philippines. ** Filipinos, people who are citizens of th ...

- 6,650 The same information, although grouped more geographically, is below. The largest sub-grouping is included.

Culture

Many Victoria Region municipalities have their own fairs:

's Tea Party,

's Buccaneer Days, Sidney's Sidney Days,

's Sooke Days,

' Luxton Rodeo, and Central Saanich's Saanich Fair. The Saanich Fair is the oldest and largest of all the Greater Victoria local fair venues; it is considered a ''

de facto ''De facto'' ( ; , "in fact") describes practices that exist in reality, whether or not they are officially recognized by laws or other formal norms. It is commonly used to refer to what happens in practice, in contrast with ''de jure'' ("by la ...

'' regional fair because of its greater size, content, and famous reputation. The Saanich Fair has the largest number of attendees of all the Victoria area fairs. There is a wide variety of entertainment and recreational facilities and activities. The mild coastal climate ensures less extreme weather changes. Outdoor and indoor recreational areas are abundant throughout the region. The Rifflandia Music Festival takes place downtown in mid to late September. The Victoria Tall Ships Festival showcase sailing vessels and the sailing lif

The Victoria Symphony performs over 100 concerts a year, including the renowned Symphony Splash, an annual free concert in the Inner Harbour on the August Sunday preceding B.C Day. The orchestra is on a barge playing to an audience of over 40,000. The Electronic Music Festival also takes place at Centennial Square, where DJs can show off their music mixing skills. These regional positive qualities, along with new transportation links, international high-profile events (2007

NATO The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...

meeting, 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup,

1994 Commonwealth Games The 1994 Commonwealth Games (French: ''XVéme Jeux du Commonwealth'') were held in Victoria, British Columbia, from 18 to 28 August 1994. Ten types of sports were featured at the Victoria Games: athletics, aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling ...

), could have helped produce a socio-economic effect in terms of: attractiveness as a place of residency, low unemployment, high real estate development potential for profit, increasing immigration of new people(s), and expanding opportunities for business or economic development. High-profile international attention performs its duty as a marketing, public relations, and sales catalyst for further activity. Boaters from around the world gather annually in the waters off of Vancouver Island for the

Swiftsure International Yacht Race The Swiftsure International Yacht Race is the premier long distance Yacht racing, sailing race in the Pacific Northwest and British Columbia area. Starting and ending in Victoria, BC, Canada, the Swiftsure is international because the midpoint mar ...

. An example of this economic opportunity also lies in Victoria's

geography Geography (from Greek: , ''geographia''. Combination of Greek words ‘Geo’ (The Earth) and ‘Graphien’ (to describe), literally "earth description") is a field of science devoted to the study of the lands, features, inhabitants, an ...

. The April 19, 2008 ''

Victoria Times Colonist The ''Times Colonist'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the Sept. 2, 1980 merger of the ''Victoria Daily Times'', established in 1884, and the ''British Colonist'' (later the ''Daily C ...

'' newspaper printed a section, sponsored by the Downtown Victoria Business Association, focusing on the area's downtown selection of goods and service providers. As it was in the early days with merchants supplying and outfitting

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile me ...

rush prospectors, today's modern merchants supply outdoor recreation seekers before they head to other parts of Vancouver Island for surfing, kayaking,

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

camping Camping is an outdoor activity involving overnight stays away from home, either without shelter or using basic shelter such as a tent, or a recreational vehicle. Typically, participants leave developed areas to spend time outdoors in more na ...

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from t ...

or whatever activities they seek. In June 2010, the

Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; french: Marine royale canadienne, ''MRC'') is the naval force of Canada. The RCN is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of 2021, the RCN operates 12 frigates, four attack submar ...

celebrated its 100th anniversary with a

Fleet Review A fleet review or naval review is an event where a gathering of ships from a particular navy is paraded and reviewed by an incumbent head of state and/or other official civilian and military dignitaries. A number of national navies continue to ...

in the waters off of Greater Victoria, by Canada's former Governor General

Michaëlle Jean Michaëlle Jean (; born September 6, 1957) is a Canadian stateswoman and former journalist who served from 2005 to 2010 as governor general of Canada, the 27th since Canadian Confederation. She is the first Haitian Canadian and black person ...

. The review was attended by warships from

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

New Zealand New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island count ...

, Australia, Japan, the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

along with US and Canadian

Coast Guard A coast guard or coastguard is a maritime security organization of a particular country. The term embraces wide range of responsibilities in different countries, from being a heavily armed military force with customs and security duties to ...

vessels. These celebration activities coincided with the Esquimalt Buccaneer Days Fair and the

2010 FIFA World Cup , image = 2010 FIFA World Cup.svg , size = 200px , caption = ''Ke Nako. (Tswana and Sotho for "It's time") Celebrate Africa's Humanity'It's time. Celebrate Africa's Humanity'' (English)''Dis tyd. Vier Afrika se mensd ...

activities in local bars. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay started in Greater Victoria and proceeded to other communities across

. The conclusion of the torch relay began the

2010 Winter Olympics )'' , nations = 82 , athletes = 2,626 , events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = February 12, 2010 , closing = February 28, 2010 , opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean , cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gret ...

Vancouver BC Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the city, up from 631,486 in 2016. The ...

Notable places

Educational institutions

Camosun College Camosun College is a public college located in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The college has two campuses, Lansdowne and Interurban, with a total enrollment of around 14,000 students (including Professional Studies and Industry Training) ...

(Saanich and Oak Bay) * Lester B. Pearson College (Metchosin)
Oshio CollegeRoyal Pacific Institute

(Victoria) *

Royal Roads University Royal Roads University (also referred to as RRU or Royal Roads) is a public university with its main campus in Colwood, British Columbia. It is located at Hatley Park National Historic Site on Vancouver Island. Following the decommissioning of R ...

(Colwood) *

(Saanich and Oak Bay) * University Canada West (Victoria campus closed 2011) * Vancouver Island School of Art (Victoria) *

Victoria College of Art Victoria College of Art (VCA) is a private, non-profit art college located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1974 as the Northwest Coast Institute of Arts, the college offers Diploma programs in Fine Arts, Applied Arts Illustrati ...

(Victoria)

Hospitals

* Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria and Saanich) * Saanich Peninsula Hospital (Central Saanich/Saanich Peninsula) * Victoria General Hospital (View Royal)

Military installations

( Department of National Defence) *

CFB Esquimalt Canadian Forces Base Esquimalt (CFB Esquimalt) is Canada's Pacific Coast naval base and home port to Maritime Forces Pacific and Joint Task Force Pacific Headquarters. , 4,411 military personnel and 2,762 civilians work at CFB Esquim ...

HMC Dockyard (Esquimalt) *

Naden (Esquimalt) * (Victoria) *Bay Street Armoury (Victoria) *Lieutenant General E.C. Ashton Armoury (Saanich) *

Air Force Squadron detachment (North Saanich)

Parks and natural features

Beacon Hill Park Beacon Hill Park is a 75 ha (200 acre) park located along the shore of Juan de Fuca Strait in Victoria, British Columbia. The park is popular both with tourists and locals, and contains a number of amenities including woodland and shoreline trail ...

(Victoria) *Clover Point (Victoria) *Dallas Road Waterfront Pathway (Victoria) *

Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park The Elk/Beaver Regional Park is a park in Saanich, British Columbia, containing Elk Lake and Beaver Lake. Elk/Beaver Lake was known as the "Freshwater Playground of Victoria" in its heyday, the 1930s and 1940s. However, with the completion o ...

(Saanich) * Francis/King Regional Park (Saanich) *

Galloping Goose Regional Trail The Galloping Goose Regional Trail is a rail trail between Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and the ghost town of Leechtown, north of Sooke, where it meets the old Sooke Flowline. Maintained by the Capital Regional District (CRD), the tra ...

(from Victoria west through Sooke) * ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Provincial Park (North Saanich and Central Saanich) * Mount Douglas Park (Saanich) *Moss Rock Park (Victoria) *

Ogden Point Ogden Point is a deep water port facility located in the southwestern corner of the city of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Its advantageous geographic location on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, close to m ...

(Victoria) * Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt ** East Sooke Regional Park (Juan de Fuca EA) ** Goldstream Provincial Park (Langford) **

Gowlland Tod Provincial Park Gowlland Tod Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. The park protects 1,219 hectares (3,012 acres) of mixed forest of Douglas-fir, Arbutus, western redcedar, western hemlock, shore pine, grand fir, red alder, and Garr ...

(Highlands, and Juan de Fuca EA) ** Mount Work Regional Park (Saanich, Highlands, and Juan de Fuca EA) **

Sooke Potholes Regional Park Sooke Potholes Regional Park is a 63.5-hectare (157-acre) nature park along the Sooke River, near Sooke, British Columbia. It is known for its rocky pools and canyon-like features and is a popular destination for hiking and swimming. The Land C ...

Sooke Potholes Provincial Park Sooke Potholes Provincial Park is a 7.28 hectare provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is adjacent to the Sooke River and Sooke Potholes Regional Park, near Victoria, B.C. Intended primarily to provide access to the Sooke River and th ...

and Sooke River Provincial Park (Sooke) * Swan Lake/Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary (Saanich) * Thetis Lake Regional Park (View Royal, Langford, and Highlands) * Uplands Park (Oak Bay) **Cattle Point (Uplands Park, Oak Bay) * Saxe Point Park/ Fleming Beach, former military defence gun bunkers/observation (Esquimalt) * Hartland landfill ( mountain biking, tours &

) (Saanich) *

Mount Tolmie Mount Tolmie, elevation , is a hill and surrounding neighbourhood in Saanich, Greater Victoria, British Columbia. It is located on the ancestral lands of the Saanich and Songhees people. The majority of the mountain forms Mount Tolmie Park, a ...

(Saanich)

Scientific facilities

Dominion Astrophysical Observatory The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, located on Observatory Hill, in Saanich, British Columbia, was completed in 1918 by the Canadian government. The Dominion architect responsible for the building was Edgar Lewis Horwood. The main instrument ...

National Research Council of Canada The National Research Council Canada (NRC; french: Conseil national de recherches Canada) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research & development. It is the largest federal research ...

(Saanich)
Gonzales Observatory for Atmospheric Biogeochemistry Research
(Oak Bay)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; french: Pêches et Océans Canada, MPO), is a department of the Government of Canada that is responsible for developing and implementing policies and programs in support of Canada's economic, ecological and sci ...

(North Saanich) *

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; french: Commission géologique du Canada (CGC)) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country, developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the e ...

, GSC Pacific/

Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; french: Ressources naturelles Canada; french: RNCan, label=none)Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the dep ...

(Sidney)
Sidney Laboratory (Centre for Plant Health)

Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA; french: Agence canadienne d'inspection des aliments) is a regulatory agency that is dedicated to the safeguarding of food, plants, and animals (FPA) in Canada, thus enhancing the health and well-being of ...

(North Saanich)

Sites of interest

Historical

Craigdarroch Castle Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish Baronial mansion. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada due to its landmark status in Victoria. History It was constructed in the ...

(Victoria) * Craigflower Manor and Craigflower Schoolhouse (Saanich) * Empress Hotel (Victoria) * Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse / Parks Canada (Colwood) *

(Colwood) * Ross Bay Cemetery (Victoria) * Harling Point Chinese Cemetery (Oak Bay) * Veteran's Cemetery (Esquimalt) * Chinatown (Victoria) *Fleming Beach, historical defence bunkers (Esquimalt) * Emily Carr House (Victoria) * Victoria High School (Victoria) *

(Saanich) *

(Victoria) * Helmcken House (Victoria) *

Victoria Police Department The Victoria Police Department (VicPD) is the municipal police force for the City of Victoria and the Township of Esquimalt, British Columbia, Canada. It is the oldest municipal police department in Canada west of the Great Lakes, the first Can ...

Station Museum (150 years of policing artifacts) (Victoria) *

Butchart Gardens The Butchart Gardens is a group of floral display gardens in Brentwood Bay, British Columbia, Canada, located near Victoria on Vancouver Island. The gardens receive over a million visitors each year. The gardens have been designated a National ...

( Central Saanich)

Political

Government House Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and the remaining colonies of the British Empire. The name is also used in some other countries. Gover ...

(Victoria) * Parliament Buildings (Victoria) * Victoria City Hall (Victoria)

Cultural

Art Gallery of Greater Victoria The Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) is an art museum located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Situated in Rockland, Victoria, the museum occupies a building complex; made up of the Spencer Mansion, and the Exhibition Galleries. The ...

(Victoria) *

British Columbia Aviation Museum The British Columbia Aviation Museum is located in Sidney, British Columbia, Canada. It is on the grounds of the Victoria International Airport Victoria International Airport serves Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is north northwest o ...

( Sidney) *

Military Museum (

) * Chinatown (Victoria) * Maltwood Art Gallery

UVic The University of Victoria (UVic or Victoria) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The university traces its roots to Victoria College, the first post-secondary instit ...

University Centre ( Saanich) *

Royal British Columbia Museum Founded in 1886, the Royal British Columbia Museum (sometimes referred to as Royal BC Museum) consists of The Province of British Columbia's natural and human history museum as well as the British Columbia Provincial Archives. The museum is loca ...

& IMAX National Geographic Theatre (Victoria) *

Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre The Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea (formerly Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre) is a not-for-profit aquarium and cultural learning centre that focuses on the ecosystem of the Salish Sea and is located in the Sidney Pier Building on the waterfront in ...

( Sidney) * Thunderbird Park (Victoria, British Columbia)

Sports facilities

Golf * Bear Mountain Golf and Country Club (Langford) * Cedar Hill Golf Course (Saanich) * Gorge Vale Golf Club (Esquimalt) * Olympic View Golf Club (Langford and Colwood) * Royal Colwood Golf and Country Club (Colwood) * Royal Oak Golf Club (Saanich) * Uplands Golf Club (Oak Bay) *

Victoria Golf Club The Victoria Golf Club is a golf course located in the city of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Canada, which is part of metropolitan Victoria. It was established in 1893, and is now the oldest golf club in Canada still located on its original site; a ...

(Oak Bay) * Highland Pacific Golf (Saanich) * Prospect Lake Golf Course (Saanich) * Cordova Bay Golf Course (Saanich) Other * Gordon Head Recreation Centre (Saanich) *

Cedar Hill Recreation Centre Cedar may refer to: Trees and plants *''Cedrus'', common English name cedar, an Old-World genus of coniferous trees in the plant family Pinaceae *Cedar (plant), a list of trees and plants known as cedar Places United States * Cedar, Arizona * ...

(Saanich) *

Victoria City Rowing Club The Victoria City Rowing Club is a non-profit rowing club located at Elk Lake in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. VCRC offers a variety of recreational and seasonal rowing programs and services including programs for beginners, corporate ret ...

(Saanich) * Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre (Victoria) * George Pearkes Recreation Centre (Saanich) * Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre (Colwood) *

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre The Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre (SOFMC) is an indoor arena located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, and is the largest arena in British Columbia outside of Vancouver. It is primarily used for ice hockey, previously the home arena of the ...

arena (Victoria) *

Royal Victoria Yacht Club The Royal Victoria Yacht Club is located along the shores of Cadboro Bay in The Uplands a neighborhood of Oak Bay, adjacent to the city of Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Austr ...

(Oak Bay) *

Saanich Commonwealth Place Saanich Commonwealth Place is a recreation center located west of the Patricia Bay Highway and north of Royal Oak Drive in Saanich, British Columbia in Canada. It was originally constructed in 1993 for the August 1994 Commonwealth Games, and is ...

(swimming pool and library- Greater Victoria Public Library) (Saanich) *

Victoria Curling Club The Victoria Curling Club was founded as the club signed a lease for land with the City of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada in 1950. However, construction did not commence until 1952 as material shortages from the Korean War had caused delays. ...

(Victoria) * Western Speedway (motor racing) (Langford) * Bear Mountain Arena (Colwood) *

Royal Athletic Park Royal Athletic Park is a stadium in Victoria, British Columbia and is used for baseball, soccer, softball and football, but also hosts special events, such as the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival and previously the Rifflandia Music Festival ...

(Victoria) *

Centennial Stadium Centennial Stadium is a stadium located on the campus of the University of Victoria in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. The facility was built as a 1967 Canadian Centennial project to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Canadian confederati ...

(track & field) (Saanich,

) * Esquimalt Recreation Centre (Esquimalt) *

Panorama Recreation Centre A panorama (formed from Greek πᾶν "all" + ὅραμα "view") is any wide-angle view or representation of a physical space, whether in painting, drawing, photography, film, seismic images, or 3D modeling. The word was originally coined in ...

(North Saanich) * Oak Bay Recreation Centre (Oak Bay) *

Eagle Ridge Community Centre Eagle is the common name for many large Bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Ou ...

(Langford) * City Centre Park (Langford)

Transportation and ports

Highways Greater Victoria is served by 3 provincial highways Highway 17 Connects Greater Victoria to Victoria International Airport and

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, publicly owned Canadian company. BC Ferries provides all major passenger and vehicle ferr ...

service to Vancouver. A four lane highway with mix of freeway, expressway and arterial standards. Highway 1 (Trans Canada Highway) Connects the core eastern municipalities to the western municipalities as a 12km freeway with 7 interchanges. Highway 14 Connects Greater Victoria to Sooke, mostly a two lane highway. Ports * Black Ball Ferries (to

Port Angeles, Washington Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, United States. With a population of 19,960 as of the 2020 census, it is the largest city in the county. The population was estimated at 20,134 in 2021. The city's har ...

) (Victoria) *

Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway The Island Rail Corridor, previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N Railway), is a railway operation on Vancouver Island and is the only remaining railway on Vancouver Island after the closure of the Englewood Railway in November 2017. T ...

terminus (Victoria) *

Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. The harbour's deep, sheltered waters and strategic location on South China Sea were instrumental in ...

(Victoria) ** Victoria Inner Harbour Airport * Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal (

to Tsawwassen, near

) (North Saanich) *

(North Saanich) ** Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome *

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a government agency that operates automobile and passenger ferry service in the U.S. state of Washington as part of the Washington State Department of Transportation. It runs ten routes serving 20 terminals loc ...

(Sidney, to the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands are an archipelago in the Pacific Northwest of the United States between the U.S. state of Washington and Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The San Juan Islands are part of Washington state, and form the core of ...

and Anacortes) *

Downtown Victoria Downtown Victoria is a neighbourhood of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada that serves as the city centre and the central business district for the City of Victoria, and the Greater Victoria regions. Characteristics The downtown area is an ex ...

Helijet Helijet International is a helicopter airline and charter service based in Richmond, British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mou ...

helicopter service to

Downtown Vancouver Downtown Vancouver is the central business district and the city centre neighbourhood of Vancouver, Canada, on the northwestern shore of the Burrard Peninsula in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. It occupies most of the north shor ...

, (Victoria)

Media outlets

Print

Victoria News
local media
Saanich News
local media
Goldstream News Gazette
local media
Peninsula News Review
local media
Sooke News Mirror
local media
Oak Bay News
local media *''

Times Colonist The ''Times Colonist'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was formed by the Sept. 2, 1980 merger of the ''Victoria Daily Times'', established in 1884, and the ''British Colonist'' (later the ''Daily C ...

'', regional newspaper *'' Monday Magazine'', entertainment weekly publication *''The Nexus'',

student

newspaper A newspaper is a Periodical literature, periodical publication containing written News, information about current events and is often typed in black ink with a white or gray background. Newspapers can cover a wide variety of fields such as p ...

* The ''Martlet'',

student newspaper *

Black Press Black Press Group Ltd. is a Canadian publisher of prominent daily newspapers in Hawaii and Alaska and numerous non-daily newspapers in Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, and (via Sound Publishing) the U.S. state of Washington. Black Press M ...

community newspapers *
LookOut
', newspaper of

Navy A navy, naval force, or maritime force is the branch of a nation's armed forces principally designated for naval and amphibious warfare; namely, lake-borne, riverine, littoral, or ocean-borne combat operations and related functions. It in ...

Base *''Victoria Marketplace'', monthly business profiles *
Douglas Magazine
', Victoria based business magazine

Social Media Communities

*
Victoria Buzz
'
Victoria News
local media
Saanich News
local media
Goldstream News Gazette
local media
Peninsula News Review
local media
Sooke News Mirror
local media
Oak Bay News
local media

AM Radio

* CKMO 900 kHz *

CFAX CFAX (1070 AM) is a news/ talk radio station in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It was independently run until September 30, 2004, when it was taken over by Canadian media company CHUM Limited. Its sister station is CHBE-FM, which began bro ...

1070 kHz

FM Radio

* CBUX,

Espace musique Ici Musique (stylized as ICI Musique) is the French-language music radio service of Canada's national public broadcaster, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (''Société Radio-Canada''). It is the French equivalent of the English CBC Music, al ...

- 88.9 * CBCV,

CBC Radio One CBC Radio One is the English-language news and information radio network of the publicly owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial-free and offers local and national programming. It is available on AM and FM to 98 percent of C ...

- 90.5 MHz * CJZN 91.3 MHz - "The Zone @ 91-3" * CBU, CBC Radio 2 - 92.1 MHz * CIOC 98.5 MHz - "The Ocean" * CKKQ 100.3 MHz - "100.3 The Q!" * CFUV 101.9 MHz - CFUV, University of Victoria * CHTT 103.1 MHz - "Kiss FM" * CHBE 107.3 MHz - "

Virgin Radio Virgin Radio launched in the United Kingdom in 1993. In 2008, Virgin Radio UK was sold to TIML, a subsidiary of The Times of India group, and the name was changed to Absolute Radio; the Virgin Radio name was not included in the sale. In 2001, ...

" * CILS 107.9 MHz - "Francophonics"

Television

*Channel 6: CHEK (

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independ ...

) *Cable 4: SHAW (Shaw TV) *Channel 53, Cable 12: CIVI (

CTV 2 CTV 2 is a Canadian English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated television stations (O&Os) in Ontario, one in British Columbia and two regional cab ...

)

Regional organisations

AVI Health and Community Services (AVI)
*Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce * Greater Victoria Film Commission * Greater Victoria Art Gallery *

Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition ttps://capitalbike.ca/about-us/ capitalbike.ca The Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition (GVCC) was a cycling advocacy group based in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. In 2021 the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition merged with the Greater Victori ...

* Greater Victoria Public Library
Island Sexual HealthPeers Victoria Resources Society
* University of Victoria Students' Society (UVSS)
Victoria Pride Society

References

{{Census metropolitan areas by size

Southern Vancouver Island Vancouver Island is an island in the northeastern Pacific Ocean and part of the Canadian province of British Columbia. The island is in length, in width at its widest point, and in total area, while are of land. The island is the largest by ...

Capital Regional District

Populated coastal places in Canada