British Columbia’s capital is a genteel and beautiful place, proud of its scenic setting, historic buildings, fine homes, and British heritage. In fact, Victoria is in many ways one of the last bastions of the British Empire, clinging fiercely to English traditions such as high tea, croquet, cricket, and rugby. Bright red double-decker buses ply the city streets.
Residents also display the English love of gardening; Victoria has been aptly nicknamed the Garden City. The city takes its gardens so seriously that every year it makes an official count of every single flower in town. The number of blooms regularly exceeds five million.
Victoria has Canada’s mildest climate, with moderate temperatures year round. The city enjoys annual averages of 2,183 hours of sunshine and less than 27 inches of rain. Victoria is frost-free for eight months of the year, and flowers bloom throughout the year. Spring often arrives as early as February.
A Brief History of Victoria
The first known European to explore what is now British Columbia was Captain James Cook in 1778. However, not until the fur trade spread westward across Canada were permanent European settlements established. In 1843, the Hudson’s Bay Company founded a fort and trading post, which eventually became the city of Victoria.
In 1858, gold was discovered on the Fraser and Thompson Rivers in mainland British Columbia, and prospectors flocked to Victoria as the only port and outfitting center. The two separate colonies of Vancouver Island and British Columbia merged in 1866, and Victoria became the joint capital. It remained the capital after British Columbia joined the Dominion of Canada as its sixth province in 1871.
With a population of 345,000 in the metropolitan area, Victoria is British Columbia’s second largest city after Vancouver. Victoria was British Columbia’s largest city for most of the 19th century, but with the construction of the Transcontinental Railway, Vancouver, its western terminus, outgrew Victoria.
Victoria in the 20th century developed primarily into a city of government and tourism, as well as a very popular place to retire. A Condé Nast Traveler survey judged Victoria one of the world’s best cities, particularly for environment and ambiance, in which it headed the list.
Things to See in Victoria
- Inner Harbour: This downtown waterfront area is vibrant with street performers, shops, and restaurants.
- B.C. Legislative Buildings: Built in 1897 in the Gothic style, the buildings are illuminated at night with 3,333 light bulbs. The central dome is crowned with a statue of Captain George Vancouver.
- Empress Hotel: One of Canadian Pacific’s grand railway hotels, the Empress was completed in 1908. It is famous for its traditional English teas.
- Royal British Columbia Museum: One of Canada’s best museums, it has award-winning exhibits on all aspects of natural and cultural history of British Columbia from prehistoric times to the present.
- Thunderbird Park: Just behind the Royal B.C. Museum is Victoria’s most important collection of native carvings, including Haida and Tsimshian totem poles, Salish sculptures, and a reconstructed Kwakiutl longhouse.
- Old Town: Located along Wharf St and nearby streets, Old Town has cobblestones, narrow alleys, squares, and gaslights. Buildings dating from the 1860s are currently occupied by shops, cafés, and restaurants. Centennial Square is the site of Victoria’s first City Hall, while nearby Bastion Square was the location of the original Fort Victoria.
- Chinatown: Four-foot-wide Fan Tan Alley is North America’s narrowest street. The Gate of Harmonious Interest, at Fisgard and Government Streets, dates back to 1882.
- Craigdarroch Castle: This 39-room castle was completed in 1889 by British Columbia’s first millionaire, Robert Dunsmuir.
- Maritime Museum of British Columbia: This museum houses extensive displays about British Columbia’s maritime history, including models, archival photographs, and real ships.
- Butchart Gardens. Located 13 miles north of town on Brentwood Bay, these spectacular gardens were begun in 1904 on the site of an old limestone quarry. Now covering more than 50 acres, they feature several distinct sections, including the Sunken Garden, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden, and Italian Garden.
- Butterfly Gardens. A little further down the road from Butchart Gardens, this 12,000-square-foot indoor tropical garden has hundreds of free-flying butterflies in a rainforest environment.
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