GREATER VICTORIA, BRITISH COLUMBIA

'Greater Victoria' (also known as the 'Greater Victoria Region') is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It is not a political entity but rather a group of thirteen different municipalities of the Capital Regional District (CRD). The only portions of the CRD not included in the designation are the Gulf Islands and those portions of the Juan de Fuca Electoral Area west of Sooke.
Many places, buildings, and institutions associated with Victoria (the University of Victoria, Victoria International Airport, or the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, for example), actually exist outside the City of Victoria. The confusion is enhanced by the fact that Victoria is the locality indicated in the mailing addresses of places in several CRD municipalities and localities outside Victoria. This is probably reflective of many people's changing views of the whole region being Victoria, not just the central city, and indeed there have been recurrent debates on amalgamating at least some of the municipalities.
Many Victoria Region municipalities have their own fairs: Western Communities' Luxton Rodeo, Oak Bay's Tea Party, Esquimalt's Buccaneer Days, and Central Saanich's Saanichton Fair. However, due to the larger event size, available entertainment variety, numbers of exhibits, and fame, the Saanichton Fair acts as a de facto regional fair for all of Victoria. It could be compared to a regional fair such as Vancouver BC Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) Fair.

Contents

Municipalities in Greater Victoria

Demographics

Neighbourhoods of Greater Victoria

Notable places and features of Greater Victoria

Educational institutions

Hospitals

Military installations

Parks and natural features

Scientific facilities

Sites of interest

Historical

Political

Cultural

Other

Sports facilities

Transportation and ports

Media outlets

Print

AM Radio

FM Radio

Television

Famous Victorians

Municipalities in Greater Victoria

These are broken down into:

★ 'The "core" municipalities': The City of Victoria and the District Municipalities of Saanich, Esquimalt, and Oak Bay, which are immediately adjacent to it;

★ 'The Western Communities': The Cities of Colwood and Langford, The Town of View Royal, and the District Municipalities of Highlands, Metchosin, and Sooke, which lie generally west of Esquimalt Harbour and Portage Inlet; and

★ 'The Saanich Peninsula': The District Municipalities of Central Saanich, North 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 Saanich Peninsula)
Greater Victoria is the southernmost urban area in Western Canada, as it is located below the 49th parallel.

Demographics

'Population' The Greater Victoria region has a combined population of 330,088, according to the 2006 Canadian census [1]. The region comprises two of the fifteen most populous municipalities in British Columbia (Saanich, at number seven, and Victoria at number thirteen). The population of the municipalities and unincorporated districts are as follows: # Saanich 108,265 # Victoria 78,057 # Langford 22,489 # Oak Bay 17,908 # Esquimalt 16,840 # Central Saanich 15,745 # Colwood 14,687 # Sidney 11,315 # North Saanich 10,823 # Sooke 9,704 # View Royal 8,768 # Metchosin 4,795 # First Nations Reserves (part) 4,562 # Juan de Fuca Electoral Area (part) of the CRD 3,801 # Highlands 1,674

'Largest Ethnic groups' In comparison to the Lower Mainland (Vancouver and environs), the region does not enjoy a great deal of ethnic diversity. Most of the population remains of European descent. A substantial community of those of Chinese descent has existed in Greater Victoria since the latter nineteenth century, the first significant influx coming with the building of the transcontinental railway in the 1880s. There is also a substantial First Nations (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 2001 census, are: #English - 131,670 #Canadian - 90,780 (those mostly of British/French origin whose ancestors have lived in Canada for many generations) #Scottish - 79,275 #Irish - 56,655 #German - 34,345 #French - 29,440 #Dutch - 13,805 #Ukrainian - 12,770 #Chinese - 11,720 #Aboriginal - 10,230

Neighbourhoods of Greater Victoria

★ Victoria ★ ★ Chinatown ★ ★ Cook Street Village ★ ★ Downtown ★ ★ East Burnside-Gorge ★ ★ Fairfield ★ ★ Fernwood ★ ★ Harris Green ★ ★ Hillside-Quadra ★ ★ Humboldt Valley ★ ★ James Bay ★ ★ Jubilee ★ ★ North Park ★ ★ Rock Bay ★ ★ Rockland ★ ★ Victoria West

★ Saanich ★ ★ Arbutus ★ ★ Beaver Lake ★ ★ Broadmead ★ ★ Cadboro Bay ★ ★ Cedar Hill ★ ★ Cordova Bay ★ ★ Elk Lake ★ ★ Glanford ★ ★ Gordon Head ★ ★ The Gorge ★ ★ Interurban ★ ★ Lake Hill ★ ★ Marigold ★ ★ Mayfair ★ ★ Mt. Douglas ★ ★ Mt. Tolmie ★ ★ Prospect Lake ★ ★ Queenswood ★ ★ Royal Oak ★ ★ Strawberry Vale ★ ★ Ten Mile Point ★ ★ Tillicum ★ ★ West Burnside ★ ★ West Saanich

★ Oak Bay ★ ★ Gonzales ★ ★ Uplands ★ ★ Willows Beach ★ ★ Windsor Park ★ ★ South Oak Bay ★ Esquimalt ★ ★ Craigflower ★ ★ Gorge Vale ★ ★ Rockheights ★ ★ Songhees ★ ★ Work Point ★ View Royal ★ ★ Shoreline ★ Colwood ★ ★ Belmont Park ★ ★ Colwood Corners ★ ★ Hatley Park ★ ★ Mill Hill ★ ★ Royal Roads

★ Langford ★ ★ Bear Mountain ★ ★ Florence Lake ★ ★ Glen Lake ★ ★ Goldstream ★ ★ Luxton ★ ★ Millstream ★ ★ Ravenwood ★ Highlands ★ ★ Durrance Lake ★ ★ Thetis Lake ★ ★ Willis Point ★ Metchosin ★ ★ 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 ★ ★ Ardmore ★ Sidney ★ Sooke ★ ★ Broom Hill ★ ★ East Sooke ★ ★ Otter Point ★ ★ Kemp Lake ★ ★ Saseenos ★ ★ Whiffen Spit

Notable places and features of Greater Victoria

Educational institutions

★ Camosun College (Saanich, Oak Bay and Victoria)

★ Lester B. Pearson College (Metchosin)

★ Royal Roads University (Colwood)

★ University of Victoria (Saanich and Oak Bay)

★ University Canada West (Victoria)

Hospitals

★ Royal Jubilee Hospital (Victoria and Saanich)

★ Sannich Peninsula Hospital (Central Saanich/Saanich Peninsula)

★ Victoria General Hospital (View Royal)

Military installations

★ Bay Street Armory (Victoria)

★ CFB Esquimalt Dockyard (Esquimalt)

★ CFB Esquimalt Naden (Esquimalt)

★ Victoria International Airport Air Force Squadron detachment, (North Saanich)

Parks and natural features

★ Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park (Saanich)

★ East Sooke Regional Park (Juan de Fuca EA)

★ Goldstream Provincial Park (Langford)

★ Beacon Hill Park (Victoria)

★ Francis/King Regional Park (Saanich)

★ Galloping Goose Regional Trail (from Victoria west through Sooke)

★ John Dean Provincial Park (North Saanich and Central Saanich)

★ Gowlland Tod Provincial Park (Highlands, and Juan de Fuca EA)

★ Mount Douglas Park (Saanich)

★ 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/Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary (Saanich)

★ Thetis Lake Regional Park (View Royal, Langford, and Highlands)

★ Uplands Park (Oak Bay)

★ Saxe Point Park/Fleming Beach, former military defence gun bunkers/observation (Esquimalt)

Scientific facilities

★ Dominion Astrophysical Observatory/National Research Council of Canada (Saanich)

★ Gonzales Hill Observatory (Oak Bay)

★ Institute of Ocean Sciences/Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada (North Saanich)

Sites of interest

Historical

★ Craigdarroch Castle (Victoria)

★ Craigflower Manor and Craigflower Schoolhouse (Saanich)

★ Empress Hotel (Victoria)

★ Fort Rodd Hill and Fisgard Lighthouse (Colwood)

★ Hatley Park (Colwood)

★ Ross Bay Cemetery (Victoria)

★ Harling Point Chinese Cemetery (Oak Bay)

★ Veteran's Cemetery (Esquimalt)

★ Chinatown (Victoria)

★ Craigdarroch Castle (Victoria)

★ Fleming Beach, historical defence bunkers (Esquimalt)

★ Emily Carr House (Victoria)

★ Victoria High School (Victoria)

★ Camosun College (Saanich)

★ Beacon Hill Park (Victoria)

★ Government House (Victoria)

★ Legislature of British Columbia (Victoria)

★ Helmcken House (Victoria)

Political

★ Government House (Victoria)

★ Parliament Buildings (Victoria)

★ Victoria City Hall (Victoria)

Cultural

★ Chinatown (Victoria)

★ Royal British Columbia Museum (Victoria)

★ Thunderbird Park (Victoria)

★ Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (Victoria)

★ CFB Esquimalt Military Museum (Esquimalt)

★ Maltwood Art Gallery UVic University Centre (Saanich)

Other

★ Butchart Gardens (Central Saanich)

Sports facilities

'Golf (18 holes)'

★ 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)
'Other'

★ Crystal Pool (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 Pool (Saanich)

★ Sandowne Park (horse racing) (North Saanich)

★ Victoria Curling Club (Victoria)

★ Western Speedway (motor racing) (Langford)

★ Bear Mountain Arena (Colwood)

★ Royal Athletic Park (Victoria)

★ Centennial Stadium (Saanich, Uvic)

Transportation and ports

★ Black Ball Ferries (to Port Angeles, Washington) (Victoria)

★ Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway terminus (Victoria)

★ Port of Victoria (Victoria)

★ Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal (BC Ferries) (North Saanich)

★ Victoria International Airport (North Saanich)

★ Washington State Ferries (Sidney)

Media outlets

Print

★ Victoria Times-Colonist, regional newspaper

★ Monday Magazine, entertainment weekly publication

★ The Nexus, Camosun College student newspaper

★ The Martlet, University of Victoria student newspaper

★ News Group/Black Press community newspapers

★ LookOut, newspaper of CFB Esquimalt Navy Base

AM Radio

★ CKMO 900 kHz

★ CFAX 1070 kHz

FM Radio

★ CBUX, Espace musique - 88.9

★ CBCV, CBC Radio One - 90.5 MHz

★ CJZN 91.3 MHz - "The Zone @ 91-3"

★ CBU, CBC Radio Two - 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 - "JACK FM"

★ CHBE 107.3 MHz - "Kool FM"

Television

★ Channel 6: CHEK (CH)

★ Channel 11: SHAW (Shaw TV)

★ Channel 53, Cable 12: CIVI (A-Channel)

Famous Victorians

★ Steve Nash

★ Nelly Furtado

★ Silken Laumann

★ David Foster

★ Geoff Courtnall

★ Russ Courtnall

★ Emily Carr

★ Roland Green