|
The beautiful city of Victoria is on the southern tip
of Vancouver Island, in British Columbia, Canada. The
island itself is 450 kilometres (270 miles) in length
with an area of 3,175,000 hectares (approx. 6,985,000
acres) and a population of approximately 650,000 people.
The area is astoundingly abundant with an array of natural
beauty. Close your eyes and imagine this scene! An island
surrounded by smaller islands, cool dark blue water,
fortress-like mountains sloping down to wide sandy beaches
that go on forever . . . deep silent mountain lakes,
rushing rapids and waterfalls . . . forests where centuries-old
timbers tower hundreds of feet above your head and ferns
and moss carpet the ground you walk on . . . alpine
meadows strewn with a sunny kaleidoscope of wild flowers
. . .
From tiny waterfront villages where the main road is
a boardwalk above the water, to logging towns and fishing
villages where the mighty Coho is king . . .
|
|
|
Click on the map for larger image
|
To a city like Victoria, recently designated as "one
of the great cities of the Western world" where charm
and tradition and sophistication await you . . .
This is Vancouver Island. Inhabited by friendly people
and brimming with growing economic opportunities. By
now, you have a picture of Vancouver Island and the
city of Victoria in your mind. It is however, incomplete.
There is still so much more.
"Perfect life/work balance - British Columbia
is not only acknowledged as the best place to live
in the world, but the premiere destination to do business,
according to surveys from KPMG and The Economist." - Leading
Edge British Columbia
^Top
First of all, how do you get here? There are many ways
to travel to Victoria. It is possible to arrive via
the Victoria International Airport, harbour seaplanes
or even by Helijet helicopter service. You may be interested
in taking a ferry to Victoria via Vancouver,
Canada or Seattle, United States.
^Top
The moderate climate of Victoria, the mildest in the
country, is the result of prevailing westerly winds
blowing from the Pacific Ocean. The Olympic Mountains
in the U.S.A. also affect our climate by providing shelter.
This type of climate allows people to
take part in an incredible amount of recreational activities
all year round.
^Top
These recreational activities are also supported by
the area's park-to-people ratio of one acre of parkland
for every twenty of its residents. This makes Victoria
an ideal location for those who have a passion for outdoor
activities such as hiking, camping, climbing, or walking.
The Galloping Goose and Peninsula Trails are very popular
amongst the locals and are used for a variety of activities
including running, walking, cycling, rollerblading and
horseback riding. These trails are over 1oo km long
and connect throughout the Victoria, Sidney, and Sooke
areas.
Our world renowned harbours and waterways are home to
over 20,000 pleasure crafts and are highly valued by
the scuba divers, sport & commercial fishermen,
sailors, and tourists who wish to seek out its marine
life. Activities such as skiing or snowboarding are
available at Mount Washington, which is only a three-hour
drive towards the north end of the island.
^Top
World-class sporting facilities provided for the athletes
competing in the 1994 Commonwealth Games have continued
to support the thriving amateur & professional athletic
community. Many world class athletes train and are coached
here in Victoria.
^Top
 A
large number of Canada's leading artists and performers
reside in Victoria providing entertainment enthusiasts
with a variety of festivals and productions to choose
from. The Royal Victoria Theatre and McPherson Playhouse
are the main venues which host performances ranging
from famous musicians, comedians, the Victoria Symphony,
the Victoria Pacific Opera to symposiums on health.
The Victoria Symphony also offers the worlds only (as
far as we know) Symphony Splash, a concert on the water
in Victoria's Beautiful inner harbour.
^Top
The downtown centre of Victoria is the major area of
business and the core of its community. It's architecturally
preserved and restored historical buildings & homes
date back to 1843, when it was established as a Hudson's
Bay trading post. The charm and character of this grand
city makes it a beautiful and relatively inexpensive
location site for the film industry, a rapidly growing
area that is boosting the economy.
^Top
Presently, the bulk of the economy in Victoria is
based on tourism, public administration, defense and
retail,
however, it is beginning to shift towards a service-oriented
and knowledge based industry. There are approximately
16,000 small family businesses (93% of Victoria's employers)
employing a staff of eleven or less.
^Top
This world-class tourist destination, entertained an
estimated 3.5 million tourists in 1997. The favourable
exchange rate of the Canadian dollar has been appealing
to many countries. It is expected that employment in
the area of tourism will increase in the new millennium.
^Top
In British Columbia, advanced technology is growing
at approximately 18% per annum, 35% of the people with
post-secondary education have studied or trained in
the field of Engineering and Technical Trade. Revenues
from this area are about 400 million dollars per year
and there are over 400 technological service and manufacturing
companies that employ over 4,000 individuals.
^Top
The city of Victoria contains many, well respected
post-secondary institutions that educate and train
43%
of our working population as well as give support to
research and development of the area. One notable
institution
is the University Of Victoria that is consistently
ranked as one of the top three universities in Canada.
This
institution enrolls over 15,000 students and offers
under-graduate and post graduate degrees in a variety
of disciplines
such as law, arts & sciences, public administration,
nursing, education, business and engineering.
Four school boards govern public and elementary facilities.
There are several private schools that attract students
from around the world. They offer very high standards,
discipline, and athletic activities.
To gather more information about Victoria, you may
want to access the sites through our links
to other Victoria information
^Top
|
Victoria
on Vancouver Island
