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Greater Victoria#Municipalities

{{for|the metropolitan area in southeastern Brazil|Greater Vitória}}

{{short description|Metropolitan area in British Columbia, Canada}}

{{Use Canadian English|date=August 2024}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2024}}

{{Infobox settlement

| official_name = Greater Victoria

| settlement_type = Census Metropolitan Area

| image_skyline = Victoria BC Downtown skyline.jpg

| image_caption = Downtown Victoria

| image_map = {{maplink|frame=yes|plain=yes|frame-align=center|frame-width=290|frame-height=240|zoom=9|frame-coord={{coord|48.4900|-123.5000}}

| type1=shape|id1=Q22363238|title1=Becher Bay 1|stroke-color1=#0003FF|stroke-width1=0.5|fill1=#0003FF|fill-opacity1=0.4

| type2=shape|id2=Q1053984|title2=Central Saanich|stroke-color2=#FF0000|stroke-width2=0.5|fill2=#FF0000|fill-opacity2=0.4

| type3=shape|id3=Q22520968|title3=Cole Bay 3|stroke-color3=#FF0000|stroke-width3=0.5|fill3=#FF0000|fill-opacity3=0.4

| type4=shape|id4=Q1113057|title4=City of Colwood|stroke-color4=#0003FF|stroke-width4=0.5|fill4=#0003FF|fill-opacity4=0.4

| type5=shape|id5=Q22353387|title5=East Saanich 2|stroke-color5=#FF0000|stroke-width5=0.5|fill5=#FF0000|fill-opacity5=0.4

| type6=shape|id6=Q14944797|title6=Esquimalt|stroke-color6=#FBBF00|stroke-width6=0.5|fill6=#FFFF00|fill-opacity6=0.4

| type8=shape|id8=Q5759321|title8=Highlands|stroke-color8=#0003FF|stroke-width8=0.5|fill8=#0003FF|fill-opacity8=0.4

| type10=shape|id10=Q115788|title10=City of Langford|stroke-color10=#0003FF|stroke-width10=0.5|fill10=#0003FF|fill-opacity10=0.4

| type11=shape|id11=Q6823363|title11=Metchosin|stroke-color11=#0003FF|stroke-width11=0.5|fill11=#0003FF|fill-opacity11=0.4

| type13=shape|id13=Q2000769|title13=North Saanich|stroke-color13=#FF0000|stroke-width13=0.5|fill13=#FF0000|fill-opacity13=0.4

| type14=shape|id14=Q7073424|title14=Oak Bay|stroke-color14=#FBBF00|stroke-width14=0.5|fill14=#FFFF00|fill-opacity14=0.4

| type15=shape|id15=Q179553|title15=District Municipality of Saanich|stroke-color15=#FF9200|stroke-width15=0.5|fill15=#FF9200|fill-opacity15=0.4

| type16=shape|id16=Q390530|title16=Town of Sidney|stroke-color16=#FF0000|stroke-width16=0.5|fill16=#FF0000|fill-opacity16=0.4

| type17=shape|id17=Q993727|title17=Sooke|stroke-color17=#0003FF|stroke-width17=0.5|fill17=#0003FF|fill-opacity17=0.4

| type18=shape|id18=Q22584748|title18=South Saanich 1|stroke-color18=#FF0000|stroke-width18=0.5|fill18=#FF0000|fill-opacity18=0.4

|type20=shape|id20=Q22386765|title20=Union Bay 4|stroke-color20=#FF0000|stroke-width20=0.5|fill20=#FF0000|fill-opacity20=0.4

| type21=shape|id21=Q2132|title21=City of Victoria|stroke-color21=#007272|stroke-width21=0.5|fill21=#007272|fill-opacity21=0.4

| type22=shape|id22=Q2484356|title22=Town of View Royal|stroke-color22=#FBBF00|stroke-width22=0.5|fill22=#FFFF00|fill-opacity22=0.4

}}

| map_alt = Map of Greater Victoria metropolitan area

| map_caption = Interactive Map of Greater Victoria, BC CMAThe Juan de Fuca (Part 1) RDA and three Indian reserves could not be presented on the interactive map due to wikidata code unavailable on OpenStreetMap application,

{{Col-begin}}

{{Col-break}}

{{leftlegend|#007272|City of Victoria}}

{{leftlegend|#FF9200|District Municipality of Saanich}}

{{leftlegend|#FFFF00|Other core areas of the Victoria CMA}}

{{leftlegend|#FF0000|Saanich Peninsula municipalities}}

{{leftlegend|#0003FF|West Shore municipalities}}

{{Col-end}}

| subdivision_type = Country

| subdivision_name = Canada

| pushpin_map=Vancouver Island#British Columbia

| coordinates={{coord |48.511|N|123.413|W|display=title, inline}}

| subdivision_type1 = Province

| subdivision_name1 = British Columbia

| area_footnotes =  (2021){{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=victoria&DGUIDlist=2021S0503935&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0|title=Census Profile, 2021 Census, Victoria [Census metropolitan area], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province]|publisher=Statistics Canada|date=2022-02-09|access-date=2022-02-11}}

| area_total_km2 = 696.15

| population_footnotes =  (2021)

| population_blank1_title = CMA

| population_blank1 = 397,237

| population_density_blank1_km2 = 571.3

| demographics_type2 = Gross Metropolitan Product

| demographics2_title1 = Victoria {{Abbr|CMA|Census metropolitan area}}

| demographics2_info1 = CA$22.5{{nbsp}}billion (2020)< {{Cite web|title=Statistics Canada. Table 36-10-0468-01 Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by census metropolitan area (CMA) (x 1,000,000)|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=3610046801&cubeTimeFrame.startYear=2019&cubeTimeFrame.endYear=2020&referencePeriods=20190101%2C20200101|website=Statistics Canada}}

| timezone1 = PST

| utc_offset1 = −08:00

| timezone1_DST = {{abbr|PDT|Pacific daylight time}}

| utc_offset1_DST = −07:00

| postal_code_type =

| postal_code =

| area_code_type =

| area_code =

| iso_code =

| website =

}}

Greater Victoria (also known as the Greater Victoria Region) is located in British Columbia, Canada, on the southern tip of Vancouver Island. It is usually defined as the thirteen municipalities of the Capital Regional District (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, Victoria International Airport, and BC Ferries Swartz Bay ferry terminal, are outside the City of Victoria itself, which has an area of just {{cvt|19.5|km2}} 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.

This breakdown is roughly mirrored by the three school districts in Greater Victoria.

Greater Victoria is the southernmost urban area in Western Canada; 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.

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Climate

{{Victoria (Gonzales Heights) weatherbox}}

{{University of Victoria weatherbox}}

{{Victoria International weatherbox}}

Demographics

File:The Granderson building facade - Langford, BC.jpg]]

The Greater Victoria region has a combined population of 397,237 according to the 2021 Canadian census.{{cite web|url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=victoria&DGUIDlist=2021S0503935&GENDERlist=1&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0|title=Census Profile, 2021 Census, Victoria [Census metropolitan area], British Columbia and British Columbia [Province]|publisher=Statistics Canada|date=2022-02-09|access-date=2022-02-11}} 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 reserves in the region are as follows:

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  1. Saanich 117,735
  2. Victoria 91,867
  3. Langford 46,584
  4. Colwood 18,961
  5. Oak Bay 17,990
  6. Esquimalt 17,533
  7. Central Saanich 17,385
  8. Sooke 15,086
  9. Sidney 12,318
  10. North Saanich 12,235
  11. View Royal 11,575
  12. Juan de Fuca (Part 1) 5,132
  13. Metchosin 5,067
  14. Highlands 2,482
  15. New Songhees 1A{{efn|Indian reserve of the Songhees First Nation}} 1,839
  16. East Saanich 2{{efn|Indian reserve of the Tsawout First Nation}} 1,790
  17. South Saanich 1{{efn|Indian reserve of the Tsartlip First Nation}} 712
  18. Cole Bay 3{{efn|Indian reserve of the Pauquachin First Nation}} 266
  19. T'Sou-ke{{efn|Indian reserve of the T'Sou-ke Nation}} 230
  20. Becher Bay 1{{efn|Indian reserve of the Scia'new First Nation}} 221
  21. Esquimalt 1{{efn|Indian reserve of the Esquimalt First Nation}} 120
  22. Union Bay 4{{efn|Indian reserve of the Tseycum First Nation}} 109

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=Ethnicity=

File:Central Branch of Greater Victoria Public Library, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 14.jpg

In comparison to the Lower Mainland (Vancouver 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 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 2016 census,[http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2016/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CMACA&Code1=935&Geo2=PR&Code2=59&Data=Count&SearchText=Victoria&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=Ethnic%20origin&TABID=1 Census Profile, 2016 Census: Victoria (Census metropolitan area), British Columbia and British Columbia (Province)]. Statistics Canada. Retrieved on 2017-12-30. are:

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  1. English - 140,510
  2. Scottish - 98,475
  3. Canadians - 86,000
  4. Irish - 73,170
  5. German - 50,440
  6. French - 38,775
  7. Ukrainian - 19,410
  8. Chinese - 17,825
  9. Dutch - 17,790
  10. First Nations - 15,430
  11. Welsh - 14,140
  12. Polish - 13,610
  13. Norwegian - 12,130
  14. Italian - 11,665
  15. Swedish - 9,380
  16. Indian - 9,180
  17. Russian - 8,565
  18. American - 8,485
  19. Métis - 7,135
  20. Filipino - 6,650

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The same information, although grouped more geographically, is below. The largest sub-grouping is included.

class="wikitable"
European origins279,965 (includes 215,945 with British Isles origins)
Other North American origins92,140 (includes 86,000 Canadian)
Asian origins46,940 (includes 17,825 Chinese)
North American Aboriginal origins21,925 (includes 15,430 First Nations)
African origins5,070 (includes 1,140 South African)
Latin, Central and South American origins4,965 (includes 1,880 Mexican)
Oceania origins2,560 (includes 1,330 Australian)
Caribbean origins2,245 (includes 980 Jamaican)

Culture

File:Centennial Square, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada 03.jpg]]

Many Victoria Region municipalities have their own fairs: Oak Bay's Tea Party, Esquimalt's Buccaneer Days, Sidney's Sidney Days, Sooke's Sooke Days, Western Communities' Luxton Rodeo, and Central Saanich'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 meeting, 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup, 1994 Commonwealth Games), 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 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 prospectors, 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 celebrated its 100th anniversary with a fleet review in the waters off of Greater Victoria, by Canada's former Governor General Michaëlle Jean. The review was attended by warships from Canada, France, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, the United States along with United States Coast Guard and the Canadian Coast Guard vessels. These celebration activities coincided with the Esquimalt Buccaneer Days Fair and the 2010 FIFA World Cup 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 in Vancouver.

File:Sunken Garden.jpg are actually located in Central Saanich]]

Notable places

=Educational institutions=

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  • Schools of alternative medicine
  • Oshio College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine{{cite web|url=https://www.acupuncture-college.ca/ |title=Oshio College of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine |access-date=August 28, 2024}}
  • Royal Pacific Institute{{cite web|url=https://royalpacificinstitute.net/ |title=Royal Pacific Institute |access-date=August 28, 2024}}
  • Pacific Rim College{{cite web|url=https://www.pacificrimcollege.com/ |title=Pacific Rim College |access-date=August 28, 2024}} (Victoria)

=Hospitals=

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=Military installations=

(Department of National Defence)

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=Parks and natural features=

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=Scientific facilities=

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=Sites of interest=

==Historical==

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==Political==

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==Cultural==

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=Sports facilities=

  • Golf

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  • Other

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=Transportation and ports=

  • Highways

Greater Victoria is served by three provincial highways

  • Ports

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Media outlets

=Print=

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  • 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

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  • Other

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  • Monday Magazine, entertainment weekly publication
  • Times Colonist, regional newspaper
  • The Nexus, Camosun College student newspaper
  • The Martlet, University of Victoria student newspaper
  • LookOut, newspaper of CFB Esquimalt{{cite web|url=http://www.lookoutnewspaper.com/ |title=LookOut |access-date=August 28, 2024}}
  • Victoria Marketplace, monthly business profiles
  • Douglas Magazine, Victoria based business magazine{{cite web|url=https://www.douglasmagazine.com/ |title=Douglas Magazine |access-date=August 28, 2024}}

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=Social media communities=

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  • Victoria News
  • Saanich News
  • Goldstream News Gazette
  • Peninsula News Review
  • Sooke News Mirror
  • Oak Bay News

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  • Victoria Buzz, Facebook community{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/VictoriaBCBuzz/ |title=Victoria Buzz |website=Facebook |access-date=August 28, 2024}}

=AM Radio=

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=FM Radio=

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=Television=

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Regional organizations

Notes

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See also

{{portal bar|Pacific Northwest|Canada}}

References

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{{VancouverIslandCommunities}}

{{CapitalRegionalDistrictBC}}

{{VictoriaNeighbourhoods}}

{{Census metropolitan areas by size}}

Southern Vancouver Island

Capital Regional District

Victoria

Category:Populated coastal places in Canada