Cheryl Young's Blog

 

Victoria is Western Canada’s oldest city.

 The City began in 1843 as a Hudson Bay Company

trading  post,  named in honour of Queen Victoria.

 

With the Fraser Valley gold rush in 1858, Victoria

grew rapidly as the main port of entry to the Colonies

of Vancouver Island and British Columbia.

 

 When the colonies combined, the City became the

colonial capital and was established as the provincial

capital when British Columbia joined the Canadian

Confederation in 1871.

For most of the nineteenth century, Victoria remained

the largest city in British Columbia and was the

 foremost in trade and commerce.

 

 However, with construction of the Transcontinental

railway, Vancouver, as its terminus, emerged as the

major west coast port and the largest city in

British Columbia.

 

In the twentieth century, Victoria evolved primarily

as a city of government,   retirement and tourism.

 

The City remains, however, Canada’s western naval

base  and home to a major fishing fleet.

 

 Ship building and repair, as well as forest products

and machine manufacturing industries, continue

as significant sources  of employment.

 

Increasingly, the city is developing as a marine, forestry

and agricultural research centre.

 The City is also noted for its fine educational

 institutions which include  the University of Victoria,

Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific  (one of only six

in the world operated by United World Colleges)

 and the recently opened Royal Roads University.

 

Today with an estimated regional population of

 326,000,  a moderate  climate and scenic setting,

Victoria has retained a very vital but  comfortable

quality of life.

 

 The City is proud of its British heritage,  its fine homes

 and neighbourhoods,  its historic and attractive

downtown,  the flowers and parks and, of course,

 the Inner Harbour with its vistas  toward the famous

Empress Hotel and the Parliament Buildings.

 

 In a survey conducted by Conde Nast Traveler

magazine, Victoria was judged  to be one of the world’s

best cities, topping the listin the category of

 environment and ambience.

 

 In a cross-Canada survey, Victoria residents registered

 the greatest satisfaction  with their city.

 

 This satisfaction and regard for the quality of life and

 environment is  perhaps the most notable feature of

 Victoria today  and the challenge in its future.

 

Victoria Today

 

The capital city of British Columbia, Victoria boasts many  historic buildings and some of the most fascinating museums in Western Canada.    The city benefits from one of Canada’s mildest climates,  which allows its residents to pursue outdoor pleasures all year-round.       Victoria enjoys some of the country’s most exhilarating    scenery: there’s an ocean, mountain vista around every   corner, while the city’s flower gardens are famous the   world over.     Whether your taste runs to golfing, hiking, biking and  fishing or  shopping, dining and theatre type, there are no end of delights for you and your family in Victoria. Established in 1843 by James Douglas as a fort for the  Hudson’s Bay Company, Victoria’s British ancestry is apparent in the double-decker buses, horse-drawn carriages, formal gardens, and tea rooms.    The city is now a cosmopolitan centre with a lively entertainment scene and a wonderful array of attractions. Victoria also has another reason to be proud: it was ranked at number 16 of 100 Top World Destinations in the 2008 TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Awards. Highlights of the city include: Inner Harbour Savour the sights of Victoria’s downtown Inner Harbour, which includes the historic Legislative Buildings, home of the provincial government; the Royal BC Museum; and Thunderbird Park, with an amazing display of 15 impressive totem poles.  End the day’s journey at the imposing, yet elegant, Fairmont Empress Hotel with a traditional high tea.   The Butchart Gardens Victoria is famed for its gardens, and none more so than Butchart.   Over 100 years old, more than one million people visit this botanical wonderland each year for the rare, dramatic and colourful displays.       Royal British Columbia Museum The fascinating history of BC is on display here with exhibits covering human and natural history from pre-Ice  Age to the present day.     Chinatown  Enter through the Gate of Harmonious Interest to North America’s secondoldest Chinatown to view such fascinating sights as the narrowest street in Canada.   Galloping Goose Trail Walk, run or bike along an old railway line past farmland, a quiet cove and hidden lake, rocky outcrops, a Douglas-fir forest, marshland and more.      carriage, double-decker bus, rickshaw, scooter, bicycle, water taxi as well as by canoe or kayak.    Whale Watching Take a boat tour to catch the thrilling sight of Orcas, pods of which make their home in these Pacific waters. Fisgard Lighthouse Visit an intriguing landmark and discover why Vancouver  Island’s west coast was called the “graveyard of the Pacific.”   Study the stars and planets through the planetarium and exhibits, at The  Top of the Universe CHERYL C YOUNG, REALTOR SAANICH PENINSULA REALTY SIDNEY BC. www.cherylyoung.ca www.facebook.com/cherylcyoung www.twitter.com/CherylCYoung >              Explore the city in a variety of unique ways: by horse-drawn