# Victoria



## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

Thinking of moving there - would like to hear opinions, & ask some questions - any Victorians out there?
At some point we can take this offline, if you want.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

My father and stepmother lived in the suburbs for ~23 years from the early 80's to 2002-3 or so. They loved it, the quieter pace, being close to the ocean, the mild winters. What they didn't like was the higher cost of living and the increasing difficulties/cost of getting off the island, as the ferries got busier and the cost went up, not just for them to come off but for others to go visit. They started to feel isolated. 

I got to go visit them a lot, man it is beautiful almost anywhere outside of the city proper.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

We lived there from 1985-90 while my wife and I did graduate degrees. One of the most civilized places on earth. Part of what makes it so civilized is the high proportion of retirees, who don't piss off their balcony, who clean the lint trap in the apartment laundry room, who don't get drunk and smash beer bottles on the sidewalk, and who keep their property tidy.

I did my doctorate in aging and adult development there, and one of the regular stories I'd hear from the research volunteers I'd speak to was "After digging my car out of a snowbank to get to the airport, we flew from [insert Canadian city here] to visit some friends here, and they were cutting the grass for the second time that year and trimming the rosebushes. And I thought 'Am I crazy?'. My wife and I went house-hunting here, put our home back in [city] up for sale, and have been here ever since. We figured that, since we were going to have to fly to see the kids and grand-kids anyway, may as well live somewhere nice."

I echo Keto's comments about cost of living, and getting off and on the island. People look at the map and think "Well it's not THAT far to the mainland". They neglect to consider that a standard ferry trip between Vancouver Island and the mainland involves a 3hr commitment (30min to ferry, arrive 30min before departure to assure place, 30min from ferry terminal to destination, 90min trip), but more importantly 3hrs that commence and end at a time not of your choosing. The good news is that, if you have to be marooned anywhere by inconvenient travel, it's one of the nicest places anywhere to be marooned.

Lots of entertainment, great food, and culture. A number of the city's eateries have been profiled on_ You Gotta Eat Here._ As a Torontonian, I'm confident you've never seen bald eagles over the DVP, seen salmon spawning by driving the distance from Scarborough to Markham, or appreciated just how big and beautiful banana slugs on a forest path can be. We did have to keep the kids indoors at the university daycare occasionally, when there were cougar sitings.

A great city for antiques. And a fabulous city for vintage autos. You will not believe how many mint condition Studebakers, Vauxhall Vivas, and Morris Minors are driving around town. And because there are so many, there are mechanics who know them inside out. No salt on the roads, so the cars last longer.

Hopefully, it is changing, but my sense while there was that the city was not _prejudiced_, but it simply wasn't all that cool to be anything other than white-bread Canadian. There IS a "Chinatown", but there is no other ethnic section anywhere in the city, apart from maybe an even WASPier part of Oak Bay.

Capitol Iron ( http://www.capitaliron.net/ ) is a simply wonderful store to shop in, and there is no shortage of terrific bakeries and micro-breweries in town.

Blackberries - the kind you pay $4 for a little stinking pint out in Ontario - are essentially a weed in Victoria. They...are...e_verywhere._ My son and I used to pick a couple pints every day when I'd pick him up from daycare...and that was just from the bushes growing beside the daycare.

Finally, there is this: http://flowercount.com/

Yep, some of the best days of my life spent there. I highly recommend it. Very high quality of life. Just come with a thick wallet and secure employment.


----------



## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

That was one of my main 'choices' other than coming 'back east' when I left Calgary. There are times that I wish I would have gone there. All of the research I did at the time ~ 2006 was positive. That is pretty general and not based on actually living there but I was looking hard at Victoria.

If I had to do it over again, I would take a week vacation and go there. That way I could get a feel for it with my feet in the place. Actually having my own visions instead of trying to picture things likely would have been much more constructive for me at the time.


----------



## GaryRanson (Oct 4, 2009)

J-75, living in Victoria since 1994 (moved from Vancouver). Ask away.


----------



## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

To my experience, Victoria is the best city in the country. Good culture and tons to do and see mixed with the best climate Canada has to offer. When i one day make it back west, that's where i'd like to settle down.

It's been a decade since i've been there, so i can't comment on housing prices or employment, but all my memories of Victoria are good ones. You will not be disappointed.


----------



## Steadfastly (Nov 14, 2008)

mike_oxbig said:


> To my experience, Victoria is the best city in the country. Good culture and tons to do and see mixed _*with the best climate Canada has to offer.*_ When i one day make it back west, that's where i'd like to settle down.
> 
> It's been a decade since i've been there, so i can't comment on housing prices or employment, but all my memories of Victoria are good ones. You will not be disappointed.


Not true about the climate. The skiing is absolutely terrible there!:smile-new:


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Some folks are put off by the greyness of winter. We had maybe a total of 3 weeks of snow on the ground distributed over the 5 years we were there. Apart from that, winters tend to be overcast and damp rather than bright and sunny.

Almost forgot, NO MOSQUITOES. Many dwellings have no screens because there are no mosquitoes. The absence of mosquitoes is a result of the ocean breeze disturbing pools of water that need to be still and stagnant for the eggs to hatch. On the other hand, the deck spiders are big enough to walk off with your kids, so _Velcro their feet_! Springtime in Beacon Hill park, when the baby goats are available for the children to play with, is magical.


----------



## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

That little island across from me use to be where we ( my wife and I ) thought we might retire to but alas the costs are just not worth it to us anymore. Real Estate is at an all time high if you plan to live in Victoria and the cost to travel back and forth to the mainland runs close to $200.00 round trip for car and 2 passengers.
Don't get me wrong its beautiful there and a lot of the old folks who use to inhabit there are long gone now and the lack of snow makes it ideal for me but if you don't mind outside of the city reasonable housing costs further out.
We use to go a lot but well things change, still if you can afford it. ship


----------



## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

Steadfastly said:


> Not true about the climate. The skiing is absolutely terrible there!:smile-new:


haha well i don't think there is any skiing there to be fair. a few hours south lies mount washington which was getting more snowfall than whistler when i lived on the island. it would snow on the mountain and rain in the city. that suits me just fine.


----------



## Stratin2traynor (Sep 27, 2006)

Funny. I've spent a lot of time in both Victoria and Ottawa and I prefer Ottawa. Although, Victoria is pretty nice. The Island does have a lot to offer. Not a bad place to live at all. But....make sure you have change for parking meters because their parking nazi's are well trained and very motivated. 



mike_oxbig said:


> To my experience, Victoria is the best city in the country. Good culture and tons to do and see mixed with the best climate Canada has to offer. When i one day make it back west, that's where i'd like to settle down.
> 
> It's been a decade since i've been there, so i can't comment on housing prices or employment, but all my memories of Victoria are good ones. You will not be disappointed.


----------



## keto (May 23, 2006)

mhammer said:


> Some folks are put off by the greyness of winter. We had maybe a total of 3 weeks of snow on the ground distributed over the 5 years we were there. Apart from that, winters tend to be overcast and damp rather than bright and sunny.
> 
> Almost forgot, NO MOSQUITOES. Many dwellings have no screens because there are no mosquitoes. The absence of mosquitoes is a result of the ocean breeze disturbing pools of water that need to be still and stagnant for the eggs to hatch. On the other hand, the deck spiders are big enough to walk off with your kids, so _Velcro their feet_! Springtime in Beacon Hill park, when the baby goats are available for the children to play with, is magical.


The occasional snow - when it does, you do NOT want to be out on the roads. I'd go visit, they'd have a little snow, to me it was no big deal being from Edmonton & Winnipeg, but there'd be cars in every ditch, lots of fender benders, and just general idiocy and lack of skills on the road. Very slow to get around even if it looked like no big deal in terms of accumulation or icy hazard spots. No clue how to deal with the conditions, whether it just be lost skills from former mainlanders or never had'em from the natives.


----------



## smorgdonkey (Jun 23, 2008)

keto said:


> The occasional snow - when it does, you do NOT want to be out on the roads. I'd go visit, they'd have a little snow, to me it was no big deal being from Edmonton & Winnipeg, but there'd be cars in every ditch, lots of fender benders, and just general idiocy and lack of skills on the road. Very slow to get around even if it looked like no big deal in terms of accumulation or icy hazard spots. No clue how to deal with the conditions, whether it just be lost skills from former mainlanders or never had'em from the natives.


HA! That was every October in Calgary when I was there...come to think of it...it's every December now that I am in Halifax.


----------



## Mr Yerp (Feb 24, 2006)

I lived here in Vic from '80 to 84, and now we have been back for almost 3 years. While it's not the big city (i Was born and raised in Toronto, then fled to Van as a youngster, like so many did back then) it definitely has it's charms. Traffic is pretty easy to deal with, and nothing is very far away. Have to agree that they freak out at the slightest snowfall. It's really nice to have such temperate weather compared to the other side of the Rockies. Last weekend my family and I went to Ucluelet/Tofino for the weekend, a 4 hour drive. It's just spectacular there, so much wildlife, trails, surfing etc. Closer to home there are lots beaches and a few lakes too. 
It is indeed a very pricey city, real estate is through the roof, no pun intended. 
I joined a band shortly after moving here, did a few gigs around the island, but then the band folded. Now, I'm going to hit the few jams around town and see what's up. Like a lot of places, the bar scene isn't what it used to be for gigging. 
Feel free to PM me with any particular questions, and I'll help as best I can.
Here's a pic I took on the weekend near Ucluelet....


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

I love it over there. 

I remember walking up some hill one day and smelling the lilac in the strong but warm breeze. It was everywhere. It wouldnt stop. It was heaven. 

Now, if you'll excuse me...I'm going to go build a snowman and then drive over it with my truck.


----------



## Moosehead (Jan 6, 2011)

I love BC in general but I have fond memories of trips to the island. Camped out pretty much everywhere I went, Green pointe campground near Tofino is highly recommended. Pacific rim national rainforest was amazing. Didnt spend too much time in Victoria but when I return (i WILL be back) its on my list of places to possibly settle.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Favorite Victoria story:

Two weeks after moving there, I take my wife for a spin around the city and we end up at a place called Arbutus Cove, a lovely little beach which is a 15-minute walk from U Vic but feels like its in the middle of nowhere (at least it did at the time; housing may have gone up and ruined that feel). I'm kidding around and feigning grumpiness on the beach "Where are the damn whales! I came here to see whales, so where the hell are they?". All of a sudden a pilot whale jumps out of the water about 200m from shore. I'm impressed.

Fast forward about 3 years and a buddy comes out from Ottawa for a conference. By this point, every single visitor we host gets the same tour around the city, culminating in a quick trip to Arbutus Cove and a drive up Mt. Tolmie. So we're at the beach, and I'm recounting the story of how the pilot whale leapt out as if on command, pointing to the spot where it happened, when all of a sudden this big frigging grey whale leaps out of the water at the same spot and starts breaching for 20min. Our jaws fell far enough that they were hard to gather up afterwards.

Try doing that in Etobicoke.


----------



## 10409 (Dec 11, 2011)

Stratin2traynor said:


> Funny. I've spent a lot of time in both Victoria and Ottawa and I prefer Ottawa. Although, Victoria is pretty nice. The Island does have a lot to offer. Not a bad place to live at all. But....make sure you have change for parking meters because their parking nazi's are well trained and very motivated.


I don't mind ottawa. It's a nice city. if ottawa was on the ocean i'd probably be singing a different tune. but I can not deal with the temperature fluctuations. -40 in the winter and +50 in the summer pushes both my limits. There's nothing quite like living right beside the ocean...it almost never gets too hot or too cold. Anywhere you can play golf in February is my kinda town.


----------



## Adcandour (Apr 21, 2013)

mhammer said:


> Favorite Victoria story:
> 
> Two weeks after moving there, I take my wife for a spin around the city and we end up at a place called Arbutus Cove, a lovely little beach which is a 15-minute walk from U Vic but feels like its in the middle of nowhere (at least it did at the time; housing may have gone up and ruined that feel). I'm kidding around and feigning grumpiness on the beach "Where are the damn whales! I came here to see whales, so where the hell are they?". All of a sudden a pilot whale jumps out of the water about 200m from shore. I'm impressed.
> 
> ...


If you don't mind the drive, there are plenty of whales at Wasaga Beach. They jump right out of the water for a six-pack - it's magical.


----------



## ondadl (Dec 13, 2012)

I've been here nearly a year now, and live close behind the governemnt buildings.

Coming from Toronto, as you are, this city really bores me. It's actually pretty void of culture. As well, it seems clear that much investment was injected into the city in the 90s, and they haven't done much since. The restaurant scene is very poor, and you are paying tourist trap prices year round.

The cost of living is also a lot more, and rent/food prices are crazy. You'll pay at Sobey's what you would at Pusateri in Toronto. I am not exagerating...did the comparison last week, being back in Yorkville for a while. 

There's the beautiful ocean and wonderful parks, but really not much more.

If you're into music, most North American tours will not stop here. The bigger bands won't fill an Arena, and the smaller ones won't pay to get onto the island.

I think it depends how old you are, what you are hoping to do with your free time, and what you appreciate about living in Toronto.

Maybe you can tell us?


----------



## shoretyus (Jan 6, 2007)

adcandour said:


> If you don't mind the drive, there are plenty of whales at Wasaga Beach. They jump right out of the water for a six-pack - it's magical.


All over the Georgian Bay area really. They seem to be attracted to powerboats and can be seen bobbing around near them


----------



## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

I'm retiring, and I'm sick of cold, snow shovelling, potholes, high property taxes. I like the availability of good and various foods, live music venues, a secure living environment, and some shopping conveniences.



ondadl said:


> I've been here nearly a year now, and live close behind the governemnt buildings.
> 
> Coming from Toronto, as you are, this city really bores me. It's actually pretty void of culture. As well, it seems clear that much investment was injected into the city in the 90s, and they haven't done much since. The restaurant scene is very poor, and you are paying tourist trap prices year round.
> 
> ...


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Retirees in Victoria are a pretty hip lot, as opposed to a broken-hip lot. As mentioned earlier, I moved there to do my doctorate in aging and adult development, and I have to say that finding a time slot for these folks to come by the lab was tough slogging. 

"Can you come by Tuesday afternoon?"
"Tuesday, eh? let me check my calendar here. Book club until 10:00, then I'm off horseback riding until noon, meeting a friend for lunch, and a lecture I wanted to catch at 1:30. If you can fit me in between 3:30 and 5:00 I suppose that'd be fine. If not we'll have to arrange for next week, because Wednesday I'm heading up island to a friend's fishing lodge."

My dissertation supervisor had relocated from central Pennsylvania, and his research volunteers from there were still being tracked. The contrast in depression-scale scores between the Pennsylvanians and the Victorians was quite marked, with the Victorians scoring much happier. I find as well that folks who relocate to an island tend to be risk-takers, and not quite so obsessed by the status quo. Some may consider them slightly off-kilter, I suppose, but they are a rather select group of retirees. They are certainly healthier than many, and the weather helps a lot.

If a person wants the hustle and bustle of condo living near Bloor and Yonge, or near the Toronto waterfront, you won't find it in Victoria. If what you like is the walkability of quiet life around St. Clair, but with better growing conditions, you will.


----------



## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

What's the crime scene like? Are there a lot of robberies?


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Couldn't tell you, but I don't recall there being anything more than other areas. I had a guitar stolen from my apartment locker bay. And I do recall that the year we moved, there was a rash of fires being set in subsidized housing projects under construction. I guess it depends on your neighbourhood. Some neighbourhoods are going to be more susceptible to robberies than others. Certainly with all those retirees, neighbourhood watch programs will be in abundance. And if one lives outside the city core, then one faces the same likelihood of crime as any rural resident.

But no, I don't think the crime rate is any worse than, say, Waterloo, or Kingston.


----------



## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

Crime in Vic is probably no worse than here....it's livable. I'll probably retire to the Island one day....somewhere up the Malahat. Vic is probably the same as when I lived there in the early 70's....newly wed and nearly dead; or is it the other way around. That being said, there is a lot of culture there. You want to see a big name band, or a hockey game or football, you go to the mainland. Unless things have changed tho, blues festivals as well as jazz and folk festivals pop up all over the place. And you don't have to drive to far to be picking blackberries and watching eagles. Or watching goats climb on the roofs of buildings. About the only thing that some see as a problem is that the ferries are not 24/7.....no problem for me 'cause I'm not in that big of a rush anymore. As far as compareing the cost of living in TO to Vic, that's of no importance. You won't be living in Toronto.


----------



## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Hell, you _have_ to drive far to NOT be picking blackberries! They're the local weed.:smiley-faces-75:


----------



## Electraglide (Jan 24, 2010)

mhammer said:


> Hell, you _have_ to drive far to NOT be picking blackberries! They're the local weed.:smiley-faces-75:


Not quite, but rank about 3rd.


----------



## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Gone to Victoria weather is warm and staying in the harbour. Ship


----------



## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Just got back and had a great time cost for the ferries $88.50 each way and booked through expedia for a 4star 109/ night food ( resturants ) was at least 10% more then Vancouver gas price was cheaper 142 compared to 150/litre. Also looked at housing and for a new constructed apartment in in Victoria 700sq/ft was on average 375,000.00 in Sannich it was a lot cheaper $250,000.00 - $300,000.00 and the food prices ( groceries ) were at least 15% higher again. Housing ( homes depending on were ) was between 625,000.00 to say around 850,000.00 and you really were getting more of a fixer that we saw anyway. So as it stands now we cannot afford to retire there unless we win the lottery. ship


----------



## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

What about apartment rent pricing?


----------



## fredyfreeloader (Dec 11, 2010)

Steadfastly said:


> Not true about the climate. The skiing is absolutely terrible there!:smile-new:


Just strap your ski's to a pair of roller skates. skiing all year round.

:smiley-faces-75: :acigar:


----------



## Mr Yerp (Feb 24, 2006)

House prices are up there for sure, but in November we sold our last place (neighbors from hell spurred us on) and bought our present one for a bit over 600,000. It's on a dead end street a few minutes from downtown, with a park across the street (with mated eagles no less) and a decent view of the water. Very comfortable home, that requires nothing on the inside (totally updated in all respects) but the tiered garden in the front was let go to waste a bit. Luckily my gal loves to garden. Apparently I do too. 
Hmmmm, what else. Saw Joe Walsh here last summer, ZZ Top were here not long ago, so were Hedley, Tegan and Sara, Steve Miller, Bad Company, John Cleese. Brad Paisley is coming, so are Alan Jackson, Heart and John Fogerty. My daughter JUST told me that Steve Earle is coming. I think I'm in for that! I don't think that any monster shows, like Lady Gaga etc. will cross over, but that's ok by me. I just recently joined a band that works 1-3 times a month (it varies for sure) and pays quite well. As far as dining is concerned, there are enough choices for us. Good Thai food in a few parts of town, decent fish n' chips, and we don't go more uppity than Milestones or Cactus Club. Life is good in Vic. for me...


----------



## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

A real estate agent is telling me to not waste my time with Colwood, Highlands, North Saanich, and Central Saanich. She says that I should stick to East Saanich or Oak Bay. What's wrong with the others? What is she not telling me?


----------



## vadsy (Dec 2, 2010)

I don't know about the others but I had parents live in Oak bay and Broadmead which is east Saanich, for years and both are some of my favourite places in Canada. They moved from Oak Bay where they were very close to the ocean to Broadmead where they found a slightly secluded place on a bog, nature preserve right in the middle of the populace. Love it!


----------



## Robert1950 (Jan 21, 2006)

...and there is this: http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/b-c-s-slow-earthquakes-fuelled-by-fluid-1.2679669


----------



## J-75 (Jul 29, 2010)

Well, I checked it out - not for me - kinda quiet - most houses have bedrock where the basements should be.
Better for tourists than me (as a resident). The local L&M is impressive, much larger that I expected.
Came back and bought in Niagara - thanks for all your contributions - case closed.


----------



## Mr Boggie (Dec 4, 2012)

My sister in law lives in Oak Bay, its fairly richie rich - she's not, and rents. It can be done. Nice beaches, great food and vibe. Just can be more on the senior side, but its not like they are at the pub or skate shop. Lots of everything but the salty sea air is just killer.


----------

