Victoria is the most beautiful city in Canada
Situated on the south tip of Vancouver Island off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada. Victoria BC is a city of over 350,000 with a breathtaking inner harbour area.
The Inner Harbour lies at the core of downtown Victoria BC. On the walkway around the harbour, joggers run, parents wheel strollers, jugglers and drummers entertain, and visitors eat fish and chips as they watch the passing parade.
On the water, sailboats tie up at the wharves, kayakers and canoeists poke into coves and marinas, and floatplanes come and go as ducks bob in their wake and harbour seals poke whiskered snouts above the waves.
You can walk from Bastion Square through old alleyways to Market Square, with its buildings arranged around a plaza, to Chinatown.
Souvenir and specialty shops, restaurants that cater to families and sophisticates, pubs, lounges, coffee bars and antique and secondhand shops are all within walking distance in downtown.
Downtown contains the largest concentration of local attractions and the Tourist Information Centre.
Region:
Victoria BC is part of the Capital Regional District that covers 24,000 square kilometres of Vancouver Island from Sooke to Galiano Island.
Population:
Vancouver Island has a population of over 650,000 people. Approximately 360,000 make their home in Victoria BC. This is an increase from 148,000 in 1961 and is expected to approach 390,000 by the year 2017.
Heritage:
Much of Victoria’s famous charm and character come from its unique collection of remarkably preserved heritage buildings dating back to the earliest days of settlement in British Columbia.
Established in 1842 as a Hudson’s Bay Trading Post, Victoria was the largest centre for trade and commerce along the West Coast.
It was a grand city with beautiful mansions, elegant hotels and high living for those who made their fortunes in gold, fish, lumber and coal.
Today, Victoria’s downtown centre remains the vibrant core of the community. It contains many preserved and restored historical building and is the main business centre with major department stores, quality shops and a variety of services.
Over 40,000 retail businesses and 25,000 offices serving both Government and Private industry are housed in the downtown Victoria BC area.