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 , image = Saanich Inlet from Gowlland Tod Provincial Park, Vancouver Island, Canada 13.jpg , image_size = 260px , caption = Saanich Inlet from Gowlland Tod Provincial Park , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Northwest o ...

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 In urban planning, a core city, principal city metropolitan core, or central city, is the largest or most important city or cities of a metropolitan area. A core city is surrounded by smaller satellite cities, towns, and suburbs. A 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 View Royal is a town in Greater Victoria and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District of British Columbia, Canada. View Royal has a population of 10,858 residents. With over of parkland, View Royal includes Thetis, McKenzie, Pike ...

. ; 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 Central Saanich is a district municipality in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada , and a member municipality of the Capital Regional District. It is located on the Saanich Peninsula, in the far south-east of Vancouver Island. The distri ...

, 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 Cadboro Bay is a bay near the southern tip of Vancouver Island and its adjacent neighbourhood in the municipalities of Saanich and Oak Bay in Greater Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Cadboro Bay was the site of Sungayka, a village of the Song ...

'' *** 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) *

** 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 *

** Brentwood Bay ** Island View **

Saanichton Saanichton, British Columbia is a village, in the municipality of Central Saanich, located between Victoria and the BC Ferry Terminal, west of the Pat Bay Highway (Hwy 17), at the junction of Mount Newton Cross Road and East Saanich Road. Saani ...

* North Saanich ** Cloake Hill ** Dean Park ** Deep Cove ** Lands End **

Patricia Bay Patricia Bay ("Pat Bay" to locals) is a body of salt water that extends east from Saanich Inlet and forms part of the shoreline of North Saanich, British Columbia. It lies due west of Victoria International Airport. A municipal park covers most of ...

("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 East Sooke is an unincorporated community south and east of Sooke, British Columbia, Canada. It consists of over 500 houses (and one volunteer fire department) along with the headquarters of the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue (RCMSAR) ...

** 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 #

17,385 #

15,086 # Sidney 12,318 # North Saanich 12,235 #

11,575 # Juan de Fuca (Part 1) 5,132 #

5,067 #

2,482 #

New Songhees 1A Indian Reserve New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

1,839 # East Saanich 2 Indian Reserve 1,790 # South Saanich 1 Indian Reserve 712 #

Cole Bay 3 Indian Reserve Cole may refer to: Plants * Cole crops of the genus ''Brassica'', especially cabbage, kale, or rape (rapeseed). People * Cole (given name), people with the given name Cole * Cole (surname), people with the surname Cole Companies *Cole Motor ...

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 European, or Europeans, or Europeneans, may refer to: In general * ''European'', an adjective referring to something of, from, or related to Europe ** Ethnic groups in Europe ** Demographics of Europe ** European cuisine, the cuisines of Europe ...

descent. A substantial community of those of

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...

descent has existed in Greater Victoria since the

Fraser Gold Rush The Fraser Canyon Gold Rush, (also Fraser Gold Rush and Fraser River Gold Rush) began in 1858 after gold was discovered on the Thompson River in British Columbia at its confluence with the Nicoamen River a few miles upstream from the Thompson's c ...

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 German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

- 50,440 # French - 38,775 #

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

- 19,410 #

- 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 Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

- 14,140 #

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

- 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 American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

- 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

'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

prospector Prospector may refer to: Space exploration * Prospector (spacecraft), a planned lunar probe, canceled in 1962 * '' Lunar Prospector'', a NASA spacecraft Trains * Prospector (train), a passenger train operated by the Denver & Rio Grande Western ...

s, 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 University Canada West (UCW) is a private, for-profit university in British Columbia, Canada. It was founded in 2005 by David F. Strong, the former president of the University of Victoria. UCW was purchased in 2008 by the Eminata Group and in ...

(Victoria campus closed 2011) * Vancouver Island School of Art (Victoria) * Victoria College of Art (Victoria)

Hospitals

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

Military installations

(Department of National Defence (Canada), Department of National Defence) *CFB Esquimalt HMC Dockyard (Esquimalt) *CFB 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 (Victoria) *Clover Point (Victoria) *Dallas Road Waterfront Pathway (Victoria) *Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park (Saanich) *Francis/King Regional Park (Saanich) *Galloping Goose Regional Trail (from Victoria west through Sooke) *John Dean Provincial Park, ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Provincial Park (North Saanich and Central Saanich) *Mount Douglas (Greater Victoria), Mount Douglas Park (Saanich) *Moss Rock Park (Victoria) *Ogden Point (Victoria) *Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt **East Sooke Regional Park (Juan de Fuca EA) **Goldstream Provincial Park (Langford) **Gowlland Tod Provincial Park (Highlands, and Juan de Fuca EA) **Mount Work Regional Park (Saanich, Highlands, and Juan de Fuca EA) **Sooke Potholes Regional Park, Sooke Potholes Provincial Park and Sooke River Provincial Park (Sooke) *Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary, 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 (Saanich)

Scientific facilities

*Dominion Astrophysical Observatory/National Research Council of Canada (Saanich)
Gonzales Observatory for Atmospheric Biogeochemistry Research
(Oak Bay)

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (North Saanich) *Geological Survey of Canada, GSC Pacific/Natural Resources Canada (Sidney)
Sidney Laboratory (Centre for Plant Health)
Canadian Food Inspection Agency (North Saanich)

Sites of interest

Historical

*Craigdarroch Castle (Victoria) *Craigflower Manor and Craigflower Schoolhouse (Saanich) *The Fairmont Empress, Empress Hotel (Victoria) *Fort Rodd Hill National Historic Site, Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse National Historic Site, Fisgard Lighthouse / Parks Canada (Colwood) *Hatley Park (Colwood) *Ross Bay Cemetery (Victoria) *Harling Point Chinese Cemetery (Oak Bay) *Veteran's Cemetery (Esquimalt) *Chinatown, Victoria, Chinatown (Victoria) *Fleming Beach, historical defence bunkers (Esquimalt) *Emily Carr House (Victoria) *Victoria High School (British Columbia), Victoria High School (Victoria) *

(Saanich) *Beacon Hill Park (Victoria) *Helmcken House (Victoria) *Victoria Police Department Station Museum (150 years of policing artifacts) (Victoria) *Butchart Gardens (Central Saanich)

Political

*Government House (British Columbia), Government House (Victoria) *British Columbia Parliament Buildings, Parliament Buildings (Victoria) *Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria City Hall (Victoria)

Cultural

*Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Victoria) *British Columbia Aviation Museum ( Sidney) *CFB Esquimalt Military Museum (

) * Chinatown (Victoria) *Maltwood Art Gallery UVic University Centre ( Saanich) *Royal British Columbia Museum & IMAX National Geographic Theatre (Victoria) *Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre ( Sidney) *Thunderbird Park (Victoria, British Columbia), 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 (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 (Saanich) *Victoria City Rowing Club (Saanich) * Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre (Victoria) *George Pearkes Recreation Centre (Saanich) *Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre (Colwood) *Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre arena (Victoria) *Royal Victoria Yacht Club (Oak Bay) *Saanich Commonwealth Place (swimming pool and library-Greater Victoria Public Library) (Saanich) *Victoria Curling Club (Victoria) *Western Speedway (motor racing) (Langford) *Bear Mountain Arena (Colwood) *Royal Athletic Park (Victoria) *Centennial Stadium (track & field) (Saanich,

) *Esquimalt Recreation Centre (Esquimalt) *Panorama Recreation Centre (North Saanich) *Oak Bay Recreation Centre (Oak Bay) *Eagle Ridge Community Centre (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 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) (Victoria) *Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway terminus (Victoria) *Victoria Harbour (British Columbia), Victoria Harbour (Victoria) ** Victoria Inner Harbour Airport *Swartz Bay, British Columbia, Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal (BC Ferries to Tsawwassen ferry terminal, Tsawwassen, near

) (North Saanich) *

(North Saanich) ** Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome *Washington State Ferries (Sidney, to the San Juan Islands and Anacortes) *Downtown Victoria, Helijet helicopter service to Downtown Vancouver, (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'', regional newspaper *''Monday Magazine'', entertainment weekly publication *''The Nexus'',

student newspaper *The Martlet, The ''Martlet'',

student newspaper *Black Press community newspapers *
LookOut
', newspaper of CFB Esquimalt Royal Canadian Navy, Navy Military base, 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 (AM), CKMO 900 kHz *CFAX 1070 kHz

FM Radio

*CBUX-FM, CBUX, Espace musique - 88.9 *CBCV-FM, CBCV, CBC Radio One - 90.5 MHz *CJZN-FM, CJZN 91.3 MHz - "The Zone @ 91-3" *CBU-FM, CBU, CBC Radio 2 - 92.1 MHz *CIOC-FM, CIOC 98.5 MHz - "The Ocean" *CKKQ-FM, CKKQ 100.3 MHz - "100.3 The Q!" *CFUV-FM, CFUV 101.9 MHz - CFUV, University of Victoria *CHTT-FM, CHTT 103.1 MHz - "Kiss FM" *CHBE-FM, CHBE 107.3 MHz - "Virgin Radio" *CILS-FM, CILS 107.9 MHz - "Francophonics"

Television

*Channel 6: CHEK-TV, CHEK (Independent station (North America), Independent) *Cable 4: Shaw TV, SHAW (Shaw TV) *Channel 53, Cable 12: CIVI-TV, CIVI (CTV 2)

:Organizations based in Victoria, British Columbia, 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 *Greater Victoria Public Library
Island Sexual HealthPeers Victoria Resources Society
*University of Victoria Students' Society, University of Victoria Students' Society (UVSS)
Victoria Pride Society

References

{{Census metropolitan areas by size Greater Victoria, Southern Vancouver Island, Southern Vancouver Island Capital Regional District, Capital Regional District Metropolitan areas of British Columbia, Victoria Populated coastal places in Canada