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

British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains, the province has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that ...

, 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 ...

. It is usually defined as the thirteen

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

of the

Capital Regional District The Capital Regional District (CRD) is a local government administrative district encompassing the southern tip of Vancouver Island and the southern Gulf Islands in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The CRD is one of several regional d ...

(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, 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) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...

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, British Columbia, North Saa ...

, and

BC Ferries British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former provincial Crown corporations of Canada, Crown corporation, now operating as an independently managed, State-owned enterprise, publicly owned Canadian c ...

Swartz Bay ferry terminal, are outside the City of Victoria 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, 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, British Columbia, Victoria, to the south by the Strait of Jua ...

and Oak Bay, 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 Africa * Highlands, Johannesburg, South Africa * Highlands, Harare, Zimbab ...

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 We ...

, 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 t ...

, which lie generally west of Esquimalt Harbour and Portage Inlet. *

Saanich Peninsula Saanich Peninsula () 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 exact southern ...

** 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. It is the ...

, 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) * 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 Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a list of regions of Canada, Canadian region that includes the four western provinces and t ...

; 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. * Victoria ** ''Burnside-Gorge'' *** ''Rock Bay'' ** ''

Downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

'' ***

Chinatown Chinatown ( zh, t=唐人街) is the catch-all name for an ethnic enclave of Chinese people located outside Greater China, most often in an urban setting. Areas known as "Chinatown" exist throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, O ...

** '' Fairfield-Gonzales'' *** Cook Street Village *** Humboldt Valley *** ''Gonzales'' ** '' Fernwood'' ** ''Harris Green'' ** ''Hillside-Quadra'' ***''Blanshard'' ***''Quadra Village'' *** Mayfair ** ''

James Bay James Bay (, ; ) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. It borders the provinces of Quebec and Ontario, and is politically part of Nunavut. Its largest island is Akimiski Island. Numerous waterways of the ...

'' ** ''Jubilee'' *** ''North Jubilee'' *** ''South Jubilee'' ** ''North Park'' ** ''Oaklands'' ** '' Rockland'' ** '' Victoria West'' * 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 ...

'' *** Queenswood *** Ten Mile Point ** ''Carey'' *** Glanford *** Marigold ** ''Cordova Bay'' ** '' Gordon Head'' *** Arbutus *** Mount 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'' *** Mount Tolmie ** ''Tillicum'' *** The Gorge * Oak Bay ** Gonzales (Foul Bay) ** Uplands ** Willows Beach ** 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 ** 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 * 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 British Columbia Ferry Services Inc., Trade name, operating as BC Ferries (BCF), is a former pr ...

** 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 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canada, Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, whic ...

. 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 12th largest population centre in Canada. The combined population of the cities, municipalities, unincorporated areas and

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

reserves in the region are as follows: # Saanich 117,735 # Victoria 91,867 # Langford 46,584 # Colwood 18,961 # Oak Bay 17,990 #

17,533 #

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 1,839 # East Saanich 2 1,790 # South Saanich 1 712 # Cole Bay 3 266 # T'Sou-ke 230 # Becher Bay 1 221 # Esquimalt 1 120 # Union Bay 4 109

Ethnicity

In comparison to the

Lower Mainland The Lower Mainland is a geographic and cultural region of the mainland coast of British Columbia that generally comprises the regional districts of Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Home to approximately 3.05million people as of the 2021 ...

(

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 cit ...

and environs), the region does not have a great deal of racial diversity. Most of the population is of Euro-Canadian descent. A substantial community of those of Chinese descent has existed in Greater Victoria since the Fraser Canyon 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

( 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, are: # English - 140,510 #

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

- 98,475 #

Canadians Canadians () are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of their being ''C ...

- 86,000 # Irish - 73,170 #

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

- 50,440 # French - 38,775 # Ukrainian - 19,410 # Chinese - 17,825 # Dutch - 17,790 #

- 15,430 # Welsh - 14,140 # Polish - 13,610 # Norwegian - 12,130 #

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

- 11,665 # Swedish - 9,380 # Indian - 9,180 #

Russian Russian(s) may refer to: *Russians (), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *A citizen of Russia *Russian language, the most widely spoken of the Slavic languages *''The Russians'', a b ...

- 8,565 # American - 8,485 #

Métis The Métis ( , , , ) are a mixed-race Indigenous people whose historical homelands include Canada's three Prairie Provinces extending into parts of Ontario, British Columbia, the Northwest Territories and the northwest United States. They ha ...

- 7,135 # Filipino - 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: Oak Bay's Tea Party,

's Buccaneer Days, Sidney's Sidney Days,

's Sooke Days, Western Communities' 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'' 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 in Downtown Victoria in mid to late September. The Victoria Tall Ships Festival showcase sailing vessels and the sailing life. 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 BC 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 ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...

meeting,

2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was the 16th edition of the FIFA U-20 World Cup (formerly called the FIFA World Youth Championship), hosted by Canada from 30 June to 22 July 2007. Argentina defeated the Czech Republic in the title game by the scor ...

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

), 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 Yacht Race. An example of this economic opportunity also lies in Victoria's geography. The April 19, 2008 the Victoria ''

Times Colonist The ''Times Colonist'' is an English-language daily newspaper in Victoria, British Columbia British Columbia is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Situated in the Pacific Northwest between the Pacific ...

'' 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 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 ra ...

s, today's modern merchants supply outdoor recreation seekers before they head to other parts of Vancouver Island for surfing, kayaking, hiking, camping, swimming, cycling or whatever activities they seek. In June 2010, the

Royal Canadian Navy The Royal Canadian Navy (RCN; , ''MRC'') is the Navy, naval force of Canada. The navy is one of three environmental commands within the Canadian Armed Forces. As of February 2024, the RCN operates 12 s, 12 s, 4 s, 4 s, 8 s, and several auxiliary ...

celebrated its 100th anniversary with a fleet review in the waters off of Greater Victoria, by Canada's former Governor General

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

. The review was attended by warships from Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United States along with

United States Coast Guard The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, law enforcement military branch, service branch of the armed forces of the United States. It is one of the country's eight Uniformed services ...

and the

Canadian Coast Guard The Canadian Coast Guard (CCG; ) is the coast guard of Canada. Formed in 1962, the coast guard is tasked with marine search and rescue (SAR), communication, navigation, and transportation issues in Canadian waters, such as navigation aids and i ...

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

2010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for List of men's national association football teams, men's national Association football, football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010. ...

activities in local bars. The 2010 Olympic Torch Relay started in Greater Victoria and proceeded to other communities across Canada. The conclusion of the torch relay began the

2010 Winter Olympics The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XXI Olympic Winter Games () and also known as Vancouver 2010 (), were an international winter multi-sport event held from February 12 to 28, 2010 in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with ...

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 full-time equivalent enrollment of 4,946 students in 2022/23. Camosun College also provides co ...

(Saanich and Oak Bay) * Pearson College UWC (Metchosin) *

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, Canada. The university is located at Hatley Park National Historic Site on Vancouver Island and is the succ ...

(Colwood) *

(Saanich and Oak Bay) * University Canada West (Victoria campus closed 2011) *

Vancouver Island School of Art The Vancouver Island School of Art (VISA) is a private, non-profit post-secondary art school founded in 2004 and located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. It is accredited by the Private Training Institutions Branch (PTIB) of the British Co ...

(Victoria) * Victoria College of Art (Victoria) * Schools of

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

** Oshio College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine ** Royal Pacific Institute ** Pacific Rim College (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 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

) * 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) * ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱/John Dean Provincial Park (North Saanich and Central Saanich) * Mount Douglas Park (Saanich) * Moss Rock Park (Victoria) * Ogden Point (Victoria) * Rithet's Bog (Saanich) *

Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt The Sea to Sea Green Blue Belt is a 62 kilometre (39 mi) long greenbelt surrounding the Greater Victoria metropolitan area in Canada. The greenbelt includes green space, forests, farms, and wetlands stretching from Sooke, British Columbia, Sooke t ...

** East Sooke Regional Park (Juan de Fuca EA) **

Goldstream Provincial Park Goldstream Provincial Park is a provincial park in British Columbia, Canada. It is known for the annual fall salmon runs in the Goldstream River, and the large numbers of bald eagles that congregate to feed at that time. The total size of the p ...

(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 Ga ...

(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 Co ...

, Sooke Potholes Provincial Park 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 Mountain biking (MTB) is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability ...

, tours and

hiking A hike is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century. Long hikes as part of a religious pilgrimage have existed for a much longer time. "Hi ...

) (Saanich) * Mount Tolmie (Saanich)

Scientific facilities

Dominion Astrophysical Observatory The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, located on Observatory Hill (Saanich), Observatory Hill, in Saanich, British Columbia, was completed in 1918 by the Canadian Government, Canadian government. The Dominion architect responsible for the bui ...

National Research Council Canada The National Research Council Canada (NRC; ) is the primary national agency of the Government of Canada dedicated to science and technology research and development. It is the largest federal research and development organization in Canada. Th ...

(Saanich) * Gonzales Observatory for Atmospheric Biogeochemistry Research (Oak Bay) * Institute of Ocean Sciences /

Fisheries and Oceans Canada Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO; ) 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 scientific interests in oceans and inland ...

(North Saanich) *

Geological Survey of Canada The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC; , CGC) is a Canadian federal government agency responsible for performing geological surveys of the country developing Canada's natural resources and protecting the environment. A branch of the Earth Science ...

, GSC Pacific /

Natural Resources Canada Natural Resources Canada (NRCan; ; )Natural Resources Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Department of Natural Resources (). is the department of the Government of Canada responsible for natural r ...

(Sidney) * Sidney Laboratory (Centre for Plant Health) /

Canadian Food Inspection Agency The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA; ) 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 Canada's people, environment and economy. The age ...

(North Saanich)

Sites of interest

Historical

Craigdarroch Castle Craigdarroch Castle in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, is a historic, Victorian-era Scottish baronial mansion. It was designated a National Historic Sites of Canada, National Historic Site of Canada due to its ...

(Victoria) * Craigflower Manor and Schoolhouse (Saanich) * The Empress (Victoria) * Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse /

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

(Colwood) * Hatley Park, Greater Victoria (Colwood) * Ross Bay Cemetery (Victoria) * Chinese Cemetery at Harling Point (Oak Bay) * Veteran's Cemetery (Esquimalt) *

(Victoria) * Fleming Beach, historical defence bunkers (Esquimalt) *

Emily Carr House Emily Carr House (also known as Carr House) is a National Historic Site located in Victoria, British Columbia. It was the childhood home of Canadian painter Emily Carr, and had a lasting impression on her paintings and writings. Early histo ...

(Victoria) * 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 Government House is the name of many of the official residences of governors-general, governors and lieutenant-governors in the Commonwealth and British Overseas Territories. The name is also used in some other countries. Government Houses in th ...

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

Cultural

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

(Victoria) * Maltwood Art Gallery (

, University Centre, Saanich) * Royal British Columbia Museum & IMAX National Geographic Theatre (Victoria) * Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea (Sidney) * Thunderbird Park (Victoria)

Sports facilities

*Notable Venues **

Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre 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 Vi ...

Victoria Royals The Victoria Royals are a Canadian major junior ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. The Royals play in the B.C. Division of the Western Conference in the Western Hockey League (WHL). The team began play during the 2011–12 WHL ...

Royal Athletic Park Royal Athletic Park (also known as Wilson's Group Stadium at 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 Canadi ...

- Victoria HarbourCats, Touchdown Pacific **

The Q Centre The Q Centre (formerly Bear Mountain Arena) is in Colwood, British Columbia, Colwood, British Columbia, Canada. In 2014, the arena was named "The Q Centre" after local radio station CKKQ-FM. The arena opened in February 2004, has 2,300 seats and ...

Victoria Shamrocks The Victoria Shamrocks are a Senior A box lacrosse team, based in Victoria, British Columbia. The team competes in the 7-team Western Lacrosse Association (WLA). The Shamrocks entered the former Inter-City Lacrosse League, which is now the WLA, ...

Victoria Grizzlies The Victoria Grizzlies are a junior ice hockey team based in Victoria, British Columbia. They are members of the Island Division of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL). They play their home games at The Q Centre. The franchise was founded in ...

Centennial Stadium Centennial Stadium is a 5000-seat 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 c ...

Vikes,

Starlight Stadium Starlight Stadium (formerly Westhills Stadium) is a 6,000-seat multi-purpose stadium in Langford, British Columbia, Canada. It is used by Pacific FC of the Canadian Premier League for soccer, by Rugby Canada for various events, and by the Wes ...

Pacific FC Pacific Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Greater Victoria, British Columbia. The club competes in the Canadian Premier League, playing home matches at Starlight Stadium located in Langford. History On May 5, 20 ...

Rugby Canada Rugby Canada is the national Sport governing body, governing body for the sport of rugby union in Canada. Rugby Canada was incorporated in 1974, and stems from the Canadian Rugby Football Union, a body established in 1884 that now governs amate ...

, Westshore Rebels ** CARSA Gymnasium -

Vikes basketball ** Saanich Commonwealth Place-

* Golf ** Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa (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 Major general#Canada, Major-General George Randolph Pearkes (28 February 1888 – 30 May 1984) was a Canadian politician and soldier. He was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy awarded to ...

Recreation Centre (Saanich) ** Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre (Colwood) ** Royal Victoria Yacht Club (Oak Bay) ** Saanich Commonwealth Place (swimming pool and library- Greater Victoria Public Library) (Saanich) ** Victoria Curling Club (Victoria) **

Western Speedway Westshore Motorsports Park (formerly “Western Speedway”) was a race track located just outside Victoria, British Columbia on southern Vancouver Island. It was a 4/10-mile (643 meter) paved oval track founded in 1954 and was western Canada’s ...

(motor racing) (Langford) ** Esquimalt Recreation Centre (Esquimalt) ** Panorama Recreation Centre (North Saanich) ** Oak Bay Recreation Centre (Oak Bay) **

Eagle Ridge Community Centre Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus '' Aquila''. Mos ...

(Langford) ** City Centre Park (Langford)

Transportation and ports

*Highways Greater Victoria is served by three provincial highways ** Highway 17, connects Greater Victoria to

and

service to Vancouver. A four lane highway with mix of

freeway A controlled-access highway is a type of highway that has been designed for high-speed vehicular traffic, with all traffic flow—ingress and egress—regulated. Common English terms are freeway, motorway, and expressway. Other similar terms ...

, expressway and

arterial An artery () is a blood vessel in humans and most other animals that takes oxygenated blood away from the heart in the systemic circulation to one or more parts of the body. Exceptions that carry deoxygenated blood are the pulmonary arteries in ...

standards. ** Highway 1 (

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...

), connects the core eastern municipalities to the western municipalities as a freeway with seven interchanges. ** Highway 14, connects Greater Victoria to Sooke, mostly a two lane highway. *Ports **

Puget Sound Navigation Company The Puget Sound Navigation Company (PSNC) was founded by Charles E. Peabody in 1898. Today the company operates an international passenger and vehicle ferry service between Port Angeles, Washington, United States and Victoria, British Columbia, Ca ...

(to

Port Angeles, Washington Port Angeles ( ) is a city and county seat of Clallam County, Washington, Clallam County, Washington (state), Washington, United States. The population was 19,960 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the most populous city in t ...

) (Victoria) **

Island Rail Corridor The Island Corridor, previously the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway (E&N Railway), is a railway operation on Vancouver Island. It is owned by the Island Corridor Foundation, a registered charity. The railway line is in length from Victoria, Brit ...

terminus (Victoria) **

Victoria Harbour Victoria Harbour is a natural landform harbor, harbour in Hong Kong separating Hong Kong Island in the south from the Kowloon Peninsula to the north. It acts as both a major trading hub and tourist attraction of Hong Kong in general. Lying in ...

(Victoria) *** Victoria Inner Harbour Airport ** Swartz Bay ferry terminal (

to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal, near

) (North Saanich) **

(North Saanich) *** Victoria Airport Water Aerodrome **

Washington State Ferries Washington State Ferries (WSF) is a public ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington (state), Washington. It is a division of the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and operates 10 routes serving 20 terminals within Puget ...

(Sidney, to the

San Juan Islands The San Juan Islands is 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, Washington Anacortes ( ) is a city in Skagit County, Washington, United States. The name "Anacortes" is an adaptation of the name of Anne Curtis Bowman, who was the wife of early Fidalgo Island settler Amos Bowman.Downtown Victoria, Victoria Harbour (Camel Point) Heliport at Ogden Point with Helijet helicopter service to

Downtown Vancouver Downtown Vancouver is the central business district and the city centre list of neighbourhoods in Vancouver, neighbourhood of Vancouver, Canada, on the northwestern shore of the Burrard Peninsula in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. ...

, (Victoria) ** Victoria Harbour (Shoal Point) Heliport at

's Middle Harbour

Media outlets

Print

Black Press Black Press Group Ltd. (BPG) is a Canadian commercial printer and newspaper publisher founded in 1975 by David Holmes Black. Based in Surrey, British Columbia, it was previously owned by the publisher of ''Toronto Star'' ( Torstar, 19.35%) and B ...

** ''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 *Other ** '' Monday Magazine'', entertainment weekly publication ** ''

'', regional newspaper ** ''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 poli ...

** The ''Martlet'',

student newspaper ** ''LookOut'', newspaper of CFB Esquimalt ** ''Victoria Marketplace'', monthly business profiles ** ''Douglas Magazine'', Victoria based business magazine

Social media communities

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

Facebook Facebook is a social media and social networking service owned by the American technology conglomerate Meta Platforms, Meta. Created in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with four other Harvard College students and roommates, Eduardo Saverin, Andre ...

community

AM Radio

* CKMO 900 kHz * CFAX 1070 kHz

FM Radio

* CBUX,

Ici Musique Ici Musique (stylized 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, altho ...

- 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 o ...

- 90.5 MHz * CJZN 91.3 MHz - "The Zone @ 91-3" * CBU,

CBC Music CBC Music (formerly known as CBC FM, CBC Stereo and CBC Radio 2) is a Canadian FM radio network operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It used to concentrate on classical and jazz. In 2007 and 2008, the network transitioned towards a ...

- 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 is a branding of radio stations broadcast in Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Italy, Romania, Turkey, Lebanon, the United Arab Emirates and Oman. As of April 2024, there were over 40 stations globally. The stations ...

" * 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 Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

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

CTV 2 CTV 2 is a Television in Canada, Canadian English language, English-language television system owned by the Bell Media subsidiary of BCE Inc. The system consists of four terrestrial owned-and-operated station, owned-and-operated television stat ...

)

Regional organizations

Organizations based in Victoria, British Columbia An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences) is an entity—such as a company, or corporation or an institution (formal organization), or an association—comprising one or more people and having a part ...

** AVI Health and Community Services (AVI) ** Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce ** Greater Victoria Film Commission ** Art Gallery of Greater Victoria ** Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition ** Greater Victoria Public Library ** Respecting Aboriginal Values & Environmental Needs ** Island Sexual Health ** Peers Victoria Resources Society ** University of Victoria Students' Society (UVSS) **Victoria Pride Society

Notes

References

{{Census metropolitan areas by size Southern Vancouver Island

Victoria Populated coastal places in Canada