Provincial capital city in British Columbia, Canada, Places adjacent to Victoria, British Columbia, Visible minorities and Indigenous population. In 2008, the Bike to Work BC Society was formed as a legal entity to run the event in other communities around BC. Victoria is the largest urban area on the island. [69] The annual economic impact of the sector is estimated at more than $4.03 billion per year. The Dolphin-Union caribou herd locally known as Island Caribou[19][20] are a migratory population of barren-ground caribou, Rangifer tarandus groenlandicus, that occupy Victoria Island in Canada's High Arctic and the nearby mainland. The city and metro region has hosted high-profile sports events including the 1994 Commonwealth Games, the 2009 Scotties Tournament of Hearts, the 2005 Ford World Men's Curling Championship tournament, and 2006 Skate Canada. Their thick dark topsoils denoted a high level of fertility which made them valuable for farming until urbanization. [95], Victoria is building a protected bike lane network. Mayfair, one of the first major shopping centres in Victoria, first opened as an outdoor strip mall on 16 October 1963 with 27 stores. Local roadways, although showing signs of increasing congestion due to increasing population, are relatively easy to travel via a variety of means. [81] Due to the proximity to Vancouver and a 6% distance location tax credit, Victoria is used as a filming location for many films, television series, and television movies. Get your bearings and find great local spots with our interactive map feature. The Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame is at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre, and features numerous displays and information on the sporting history of the city. The city's water is supplied by the Capital Regional District's Water Services Department from its Sooke Lake Reservoir. [13] These agreements contributed to a town being laid out on the site and made the capital of the colony, though controversy has followed about the ethical negotiation and upholding of rights by the colonial government. Reconnect with experiences that feed your soul. Places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences. [96] The protected lane makes for an easy cycling connection for commuters across the new (April 2018) Johnson Street bridge, to the Galloping Goose Trail and E&N rail trail. Since 2000, double-decker buses have been introduced to the fleet, and have become an icon for the city. There is little distinction between "streets" and "avenues" in Victoria as there is in other cities such as Vancouver or Edmonton where "streets" run north–south and "avenues" run east–west, and Victorians are unlikely to use the terms "north", "south", "east", or "west" when giving directions. With 2,193 hours of bright sunshine annually during the last available measurement period, Victoria was the second sunniest city in British Columbia after Cranbrook. Average precipitation amounts in the Greater Victoria area range from 608 mm (23.9 in) at the Gonzales observatory in the City of Victoria to 1,124 mm (44.3 in) in nearby Langford. Generally speaking, one can expect to reach most destinations within Greater Victoria within a time span of 20 – 30 minutes, perhaps approximately 60 minutes, dependent on traffic conditions, road construction or other reasons for blockage, where you are coming from, going to, and mode of transport. The opium trade was banned in 1908.[16]. James Cook reached the island. Victoria averages just 26 cm (10.2 in) of snow annually, about half that of Vancouver. Watts, R., 'Tsawout file claim to James Island; Assertion based on 1852 treaty signed by James Douglas', NB combined single and multiple responses – 30,945 and 44,445 respectively, NB does not total 100% because all figures are multiple responses, Newcomb, John. The event culminates with the Symphony's evening concert, with Tchaikovsky's 1812 Overture as the grand finale, complete with cannon fire from Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Gunners from HMCS QUADRA, a pealing carillon and a fireworks display to honour BC Day. Named for Queen Victoria, the city is one of the oldest in the Pacific Northwest, with British settlement beginning in 1843. Relish in the gift of being present as you relax into Victoria. [74] which is publicly open for faculty, student, and guest performances, also acts as Camosun College Music Department; the 1892 St. Andrew's Cathedral; and the 1925 Crystal Gardens, originally a saltwater swimming pool, restored as a conservatory and most recently a tourist attraction called the B.C.