Category: Victoria

Victoria Public Markets

Victoria, British Columbia, is a wonderful place to visit because it boasts the mildest climate in Canada.  Therefore, visitors can enjoy many different outdoor attractions and shopping opportunities.  One of my favourites is checking out the public markets.  There are several different markets open between the months of April and October. Public markets are appealing because they offer a wide range of different items, sold directly by the artisan or grower, which makes it much more personal.  Markets may sell a variety of local produce, meat, seafood, cheese, bread, bakery items, along with artwork, handicrafts and jewellery.  Even when I […]

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Victoria in a Hurry

The editors of this website asked local businesses for the essential recommendations for Victoria. We asked them: “If you imagine that someone has come to you and they are on a totally tight time line, and asked you these questions, what would you tell them?” 1. Where should I eat that I should not miss in Victoria? Answer:Pagliacci’s 1011 Broad Street Victoria, BC V8W 2A1 (250) 386-1662 2. If I only have time for one outdoor activity, what should I see or do in Victoria? Answer:Butchart Gardens 800 Benvenuto Ave Victoria, BC V8M 1J8 (250) 652-4422 3. Is there a […]

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Victoria British Columbia: One of Canada’s Most Walkable Cities

Living in Vancouver for many years, my family and I have visited Victoria several times.  We do not own a vehicle so when family members come to visit we often rent a car to make the trip over to Vancouver Island.  But we’ve also gone as foot passengers, from downtown Vancouver to downtown Victoria.  It’s actually quite easy for those that prefer not to drive. Victoria, BC is the fittest city in the country, according to Statistics Canada.  Victorians make more than 120,000 trips a day by foot.  City planners are working to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and hope to […]

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Live Music in Victoria BC

After spending four years going to school at the University of Victoria, I would like to share with you a little bit of “city information” regarding the live music scene in Victoria. I’d like to talk mostly about classical, but also about jazz and pop. While I was attending UVic, I was pursuing a degree in Classical Voice Performance. Every Friday, the Phillip T. Young Recital hall hosts a “Friday noon-hour concert series” featuring younger and older Undergraduate or Masters students alike. The recital starts at twelve noon, and is by donation. Many instruments are featured like violin, cello, string […]

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Ghostly Encounters in Victoria BC

After compiling a couple of articles concerning Victoria B.C. and things to do, museums, shopping and dining, I thought it would also be interesting and entertaining to address Victoria’s ghostly nature. Victoria is the second most haunted city in North America, New Orleans being the first. As I was on one of Victoria’s “Ghostly Walk” Tours (leaves from the tourism building across from Empress Hotel), I learned that Victoria’s Inner Harbour, back in the 18th, early 19th Century, was the site of a huge First Nations burial ground, along with long-drowned totem poles built for elders who had passed on. […]

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Museums of Victoria

Upon glancing through “Victoria: Secrets of the City,” a funky,  well-written, succinct manual on modern-day Victoria, B.C., many memories came flooding back into my mind from my time in Victoria, from 2001 to 2005. I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Music at UVic and I thoroughly enjoyed both the University itself, and Victoria as a city. My four years attending UVic ignited a life-long love affair with the city, and, even  after living “on the mainland” (Vancouver) for many years now, much of my heart still belongs to the island, and I’d like to share with you some of the […]

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Sooke and area Activities

Coastal Sooke, just 35 minutes from Victoria, is a tranquil refuge from the bustle of city life. The area enjoys a relaxed casual lifestyle in a rural setting but still affords many of the amenities of city life. Sooke offers some of the mildest climate in Western Canada, with warm and dry summer months and wet and mild winter months. Sooke, the gateway to the West Coast Road, winds 74 km along the coast to Port Renfrew and the starting point for the world-famous West Coast Trail. This is one of the South Island’s most spectacular drives – it winds […]

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RBCM in Victoria Hosts “Treasures: The World’s Cultures from The British Museum”

We looked at the parking meter in the lot behind Victoria‘s Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM). We figured two hours would be enough time. Ha! I have watched the RBCM grow since it moved out of the Legislature building across the street to its new quarters in the 1960s. I even work there briefly in the early 70s. So I knew of its renown throughout both Canada and the world for its permanent displays in the Natural History and Human History Galleries. This renown has enhanced its ability to attract world class traveling displays like the Egyptian treasures and the […]

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Playing Tourist

Some days it’s fun to play tourist in your own town.  On a recent trip to Victoria from the mainland, I had the pleasure of taking a trip on one of the new ferries – the Coastal Celebration.  The trip started in Tsawwassen with a breakfast at the Tsawwassen Quay.  We enjoyed crepes – yes really!  One of us had a ham & egg crepe and the others had fruit crepes – very yummy.  We then grabbed our Starbucks addictions and headed back to the car to wait for the loading call. Once on board with a lovely window seat […]

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Victoria BC Bed and Breakfasts – Something for Everyone.

Victoria BC has a diverse range of appealing attractions and activities so it naturally draws a wide range of visitors who stay at equally diverse bed and breakfasts. There’s something for everyone to do and somewhere for everyone to stay. This tiny part of BC on southern Vancouver Island offers a microcosm of the province including ocean beaches, pretty lakes, rainforest parks and mountain vistas. There are first rate attractions too such as the Butchart Gardens, the Royal BC Museum, Craigdarroch Castle and the Inner Harbour. Visitors enjoy enthralling activities such as whale-watching, kayaking, sailing, fishing, golf, biking and hiking. […]

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