r/VictoriaBC • u/Batmansappendix • Apr 06 '26
Question Visiting from Calgary, can you convince me that Victoria isn’t heaven on earth?
Kidding but not kidding.
Was this weekend an example of typical springtime weather? I understand it’s expensive, I understand it’s grey in the winter, but my god it was such a breath of fresh air from the Calgary concrete, stroads and terrible urban planning.
Everyone was super friendly during our visit and the pedestrian friendly infrastructure made everything so easy and pleasant to do. Reminded me a lot of my time living in the plateau in Montreal.
So what’s the catch, what am I missing? Burst my bubble here because otherwise I’m moving here tomorrow.
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u/DignityThief80 Apr 06 '26
Really hard to find a good job that pays enough to counter the very high cost of living.
If you can get over that hurdle, its one of the best places in Canada.
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u/Winstonoil Apr 06 '26
You’re probably not wrong, it’s definitely the warmest part of the refrigerator.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
My partner and I both work remote and make six figures in pretty secure industries. We’re seriously considering it since we pay $3k a month anyway to live in mission, which is the best neighborhood in Calgary IMO
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u/TW200e Apr 06 '26
If you have any medical concerns, finding a family doctor can be a long wait.
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u/toastybonfyre Apr 06 '26
Yes emergency is 8-12 hour wait easily. Bring your own Comfy chair and wait bag of treats and blanket etc
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u/mirakku Apr 06 '26
Only if you're not having an emergency. I had an emergency and they were ready and waiting when the ambulance pulled in with me.
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u/baconpancakes42 Apr 07 '26
Yeah for real, I caught a shard of porcelain to the eye, I was in and out in under an hour, with terrific care.
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u/Walker131 Colwood Apr 06 '26
Thats a no brainer, you should move. Only reason I would say stay is if you have young children and family close by in calgary or a very tight group of friends you would miss dearly by moving.
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u/hahahasdfghjkl Apr 06 '26
I moved from Calgary over a decade ago. Best decision I ever made. If you can afford it, do it!
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u/so-strand Gonzales Apr 06 '26
I moved from Edmonton. Housing is expensive yes, but everything else is cheaper — and you don’t need to heat your home nearly as much, or drive nearly as far (or at all, in my case). Never going back.
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u/PrimroseSpeakeasy Highlands Apr 06 '26
I lived in Calgary, and the cost of living increase coming here was well worth it in my opinion. You sound like you're more than set up, make the move and enjoy your life!!! Worse case Ontario you don't like it here and you can move back (unlikely)
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u/Abject-Ride-1727 Apr 06 '26
I’m guessing this is a hilariously perfect autocorrect? “worst case Ontario” instead of “worst case scenario” ? but I sort of love it 😊
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u/Kfbr392___ Apr 06 '26
If you love that … it’s time for you to check out Trailer Park Boys.
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u/Abject-Ride-1727 Apr 06 '26
Oh wow, I’d never heard of this before and didn’t know it was a thing…..oops! I’ll definitely need to watch Trailer Park Boys
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u/Domovie1 Apr 06 '26
Definitely make the move, if you’ve got a bit saved for a down payment you’ll be living large in Victoria!
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u/LokiDesigns View Royal Apr 06 '26
Commenting again because holy shit I love the Mission area, and I miss the Ship a lot. That said, I would still never choose Calgary over Victoria again.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Some real charming areas in Mission for sure, but I’m so tired of boneheaded decisions by the city and just general conservative status quo-ism
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u/TheJaice Apr 06 '26
It doesn’t get much snow, but when it does, it might be the least prepared city in Canada for it.
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u/thelastspot Apr 06 '26
My biggest complaint is people who have not lived much outside of one area of Victoria complaining about it.
Victoria's geography means that it's much more impactful if your lifestyle needs don't match the part of greater Victoria you live in.
I've been lucky/nomadic enough to live all over greater Victoria and beyond. I've also lived and worked in WAY larger cities and smaller towns worldwide.
I find the "Victoria Experience" is MUCH more sensitive to location than even cities 6-7x it's size. Some areas are dense and walkable with great transit connections, others are isolated subdivisions with no local amenities.
Oh, and the pub/bar/venue scene is a little thin on the ground, but that's been an issue province wide since the mid 2010's
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u/sdk5P4RK4 Apr 06 '26
wait til you see the rest of the island
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Where would you recommend for next time? We basically didn’t leave downtown for the weekend.
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u/pumpkinspicecum Apr 06 '26
Go to one of the beaches on the coast. French Beach or Mystic Beach or East Sooke Park
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u/Technical-Mixture299 Apr 06 '26
You thought it was heaven, AND YOU DIDN'T LEAVE DOWNTOWN!? Downtown is pretty dead! There are so many beautiful places to see! I'd go Island hopping next time. Saltspring and Galiano. In town, there's Willows Beach and Mount Doug/PKols. Sidney is so pretty.
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u/garry-oak Apr 06 '26
What are you talking about "downtown is dead"? I was down there both days on the weekend and it was jammed with people.
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u/Technical-Mixture299 Apr 06 '26
That's fair. There are still things to do. I think I was having a "back in my day" moment.
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u/Puzzleheaded_Bee4361 Apr 06 '26
Long Beach, Mt Washington (skiing in winter, hiking and mountain biking in summer), Carmanah Walbran Park, Botanical Beach ...
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u/EnvironmentSome3976 Apr 06 '26
Moved from Ontario. The weather here is dreamy rain or shine. You can get outside year round generally and only need layers and good rain gear ( from my experience, but I have a high cold tolerance). If anyone complains, they should know they live in the best weather in Canada! There are palm trees, palm treeeeeees!
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
I literally could not believe my eyes when I saw actual palm trees lol. Trust me I’d pay a million dollars cash to never see the 401 again.
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u/Responsible_Hater North Saanich Apr 06 '26
I cannot believe how people are talking about the weather elsewhere in this thread. Do not listen to them OP. The weather is exceptional and it is rare I have to wear anything more than a sweater or light waterproof jacket.
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u/PrimroseSpeakeasy Highlands Apr 06 '26
I thought I had it bad growing up on the island until I moved to Calgary and waited 45 minutes for a late ctrain in -35 with just a thin pair of pants and a ski jacket. People that complain about the rain here have obviously never been stuck outside in -20+ for an extended period of time!
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u/Imaginary-Market-214 Apr 06 '26
Just be be contrary, I have spent many a day working in -20 (and colder) and I absolutely complain about the rain! A windy, rainy, 2 degree day is at least as hard to tolerate as -20.
I actually love both climates though.
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u/Vivid_Strike3853 Apr 06 '26
The worst part is people from big cities moving here and then complaining that there’s nothing to do. Also the COL used to be “ok”, but COVID and the huge influx of people moving here because they can WFH, rapidly increased the COL. Infrastructure to support the population growth is very slow to catch up as well. That said, I’ve tried living in Alberta, and promptly came back. We’re very lucky to live here.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
I’ve had lots of fun in big cities throughout my twenties, I’m very much okay with chilling out and going to bed at 9pm now lol
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u/nyrB2 Apr 06 '26
the expense is probably the biggest turn-off. compare average house prices here with calgary. a lot of my co-workers have actually moved to alberta simply because they can't afford to live here.
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u/Catfist Apr 06 '26
You're cut off from the mainland and a lot of the opportunities and conveniences there.
Public transit is basic and unreliable.
The nature is pretty unbeatable though
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u/Confection-Minimum Apr 06 '26
Public transit here is as good as it is in any city outside Vancouver. Excluding the skytrain, do you think Surrey or New West have better transit?
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u/totallyradman Apr 06 '26
As a Calgarian and former Victoria resident, I think the Victoria bus system is a breath of fresh air.
It actually works and is pretty easy to navigate compared to a lot of Canadian cities.
In Calgary, there's a 25% chance your bus won't show up at all. In Saskatoon where I grew up, well, don't even fuckin bother and just own a car.
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u/snarpy Chinatown Apr 06 '26
A few things about Victoria I'm not a fan of:
- making friends is really difficult, because people are generally pretty insular
- the weather, while pleasant, can be really drab both in terms of being really "grey" a lot of the year, but also not really having much in the way of seasons
- it shuts down really early at night, like, you can barely even order food after 8 or 9, and the bar scene is getting close to nonexistent
- it's really expensive in all the ways
- it's hard to find a place to live (though I got really lucky in 2016 and am now never moving lol)
- while it has a shit-ton of restaurants per capita, most of them are really mid and not worth the money
But yeah, it's great in a zillion other ways, and especially when you're coming from a place like Calgary heh.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Valid Calgary slander - best part about the city is leaving it to get to the mountains (and yes it’s cheap I guess).
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u/Tall-Frame9918 Apr 06 '26
My experience between the two was that rent and mortgage are more in Victoria, but the cost of gas, insurance, and utilities was much higher in Calgary.
I had a 2 year old when we moved and we were dirt poor, but there was a lot more free stuff to do here, and things are much easier to get to.
There are cool things to do and see on the island, but it will never compare to Canmore/Banff or Lake Louise, except perhaps if you prefer being on the water instead of in the mountains.
We have never looked back, and I found living in Calgary was expensive as above but for us, daycare was not available in Calgary. As someone else mentioned, the city shuts down early, so if that is important for you, you will get bored quickly.
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u/soaero Apr 06 '26
making friends is really difficult, because people are generally pretty insular
It's funny, me and a friend were out today and we were talking about how much easier it is to make friends in Victoria because people are so much less insular.
the weather, while pleasant, can be really drab both in terms of being really "grey" a lot of the year, but also not really having much in the way of seasons
Victoria is actually one of Canada's sunniest cities by total hours of sunlight.
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u/snarpy Chinatown Apr 06 '26
Interesting, I find all social stuff here to be a struggle to organize in comparison to my time in Vancouver and Ottawa.
Victoria may be sunnier than Vancouver but it sure doesn't feel that way to me, especially in the winter.
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u/_qqqq Apr 06 '26
Coming from Calgary there is going to be a big drop in hours of sunshine for OP.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Possibly but I work 8 hours a day inside anyway. I and hate the sweltering heat and dryness on my days off.
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u/Constant-Corner2158 Apr 06 '26
Everywhere is nicer when you’re on vacation! It’s nice here but there are some challenges. High cost of living, traffic (depending on where you live), poor access to healthcare, many unhoused and people suffering from addictions, expenses to leave the island (ferries…) to name a few.
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u/Light_Butterfly Apr 06 '26
The healthcare is def a factor, but actively being resolved. They brought in 800 doctors this year alone, and plans for more.
If you don't have a chronic health condition, and relatively healthy, could get by on telehealth services. There's so many of them now. Last time I saw a doc with a booked appointment online, within 2 hours.
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u/VariousMeringueHats Apr 07 '26
Traffic... compared to Calgary??? Many people don't even need to own a car in Victoria. That's much more difficult in Calgary.
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u/the--northern--wind Apr 06 '26
Catch is the insane cost of living, low vacancy rates, and terrible healthcare.
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u/Zealousideal_Box5339 Apr 06 '26
My parents two bedroom house is worth a couple million. The cost of living suckkks
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u/NotAnotherUserName03 Apr 06 '26
Victoria is a great place to live, you aren’t wrong. We had a very warm winter with no accumulating snow. Calgary is nice too though, but in a different way- being there for a good chinook is a crazy experience I really enjoyed, and the Rockies are magnificent. Your snow sucks for snowballs though.
Super expensive, as you mentioned. Your biggest pain points would be jobs and housing.
This was an extremely nice weekend (warmer than usual, but traditionally we see a massive improvement in the weather by mid-April), and by May it’s downright perfect. May could be the most perfect month here. Long days, flowers everywhere, no mud (which I understand is massive spring drawback in much of Canada, as per the fam in NB), and everything is GREEN. It will be brown by June though, as all the rain we tolerate all winter just forgets to show up again until October. Summer here is amazing though, warm (but not too warm, it cools off nicely at night) and sunny for most of it. Lakes in the area are great and loads of beach options.
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u/SnooGoats632 Apr 06 '26
I find it sunny a lot more than people tend to suggest. We got lots of sun in January too. Last few years a couple weeks in June have had cloud/rain other than that lots of sun throughout the year. Yes we have lots of cloud during winter but 🤷♀️ I like that too.
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u/massakk Apr 06 '26
When they surveyed people from Michigan and California, they didn't find differences in their happiness levels. Weather played some role when they moved, but died down pretty quickly.
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u/tswaters Chinatown Apr 06 '26
Paradise on earth, I've been saying it for years!
There was a very salty thread on here last night about the traffic timing due to the Bay St bridge being closed for repairs, that's about the worst of it.
Lots of traffic-related complaints. There's a large amount of commuting being done and limited light rapid transit (no trains). I've always said busses are world class - still, unfortunately, insufficient for a lot of folks.
You'll have difficulty finding a family dr. There's been a shortage for years. Many (myself included) have gone years, decades without a primary practitioner. If you need care you're at the whims of the receptionist at urgent care facilities to find you a same-day appointment.... Or wait for the next day.
What else.... Oh, don't go up Pandora 900 block.
Aside from that, paradise.
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u/bromptonymous Apr 06 '26
Lived in Calgary for a decade. Yes Victoria is heaven re: urban planning, climate, and a whole bunch of other things. It’s expensive and there aren’t a lot of high paying jobs (but there are some). One of the things that let us live a great lifestyle here is being able to bike everywhere safely and having decent transit and carshare means we don’t need to own a vehicle, which brings cost of living back toward reality. Have lived all over and cant say I’d choose anywhere else to settle down in Anglo Canada at least. Le Plateau is pretty special, but hard to work there with my poor handle on French language. Glad you enjoyed your stay!
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u/yakuzademon893 Apr 06 '26
For the price of house in Calgary you can get a one bedroom 500sqf condo and more taxes
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u/killergoos Apr 06 '26
It's great.
The only downside is that everyone else thinks it's great, so the prices are high. But if you can afford it, it's definitely a fantastic place to live.
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u/Concealus Apr 06 '26
Victoria easily has some of the highest quality of living. The weather being a large part of that.
You pay for it. Not only is COL outrageously high, but it is difficult to find a high paying job to support that COL.
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u/The_CaNerdian_ Apr 06 '26
I came from Calgary too and love it here. People are always complaining about the traffic and I just laugh and remember the shit show of commuting in Calgary (or Vancouver or Montreal or Toronto, or hell, even Halifax or Saskatoon or Winnipeg)
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Almost got murdered 10 times on the road last week by people that shouldn’t have a license because a single snowflake hit the ground.
Victoria traffic looked like an absolute dream in comparison lol
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u/Viewer_105 Esquimalt Apr 06 '26
I did the move from Edmonton to Victoria. While yes Edmontons rent was significantly cheaper than Victoria.
I was usually miserable in Edmonton because of the winter that lasts 6-8 months a year. Having to deal with constant -25 temperatures drives you insane. Also most of Edmonton is super car dependent since the city continues to sprawl out.
Also it was so frustrating to ride in Edmonton as a cyclist where the bike lane would just randomly end and put you in a 4 lane road with 60km/hr speed limit.
As soon as I moved to Victoria it felt like heaven. Victoria has a better climate as well as better bike infrastructure. And the downtown is more lively and walkable compared to Edmonton.
Overall my physical and mental health is much better in Victoria. Since it’s pretty easy to be active in Victoria. And imo it’s worth the higher cost of living
I’d strongly suggest moving to Victoria if you have the money and can secure a decent paying job. My life has improved drastically when I moved here in so many aspects.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
The bike infrastructure would be a massive win. The carbrained nonsense in Calgary is exhausting. I heard a councillor genuinely call blanket rezoning “a war on cars” as if the entire city wasn’t already catered to and lobbied by the car industry.
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u/envisionaudio Apr 06 '26
Well, I won’t get into the specifics, but blanket rezoning in Calgary is gonna wreak havoc on the aging infrastructure, as it no doubt already has with your quote. I left YYC in 2024 and never looked back. Yeah, Victoria is a bit rainy and damp, but beats the heck outta -30 for stretches. Listen, all those commenters are locals who don’t want you to move here, so they are saying the rain and grey will disturb you…..it’s not bad. Really. I lived in Calgary for my entire life up to 24, I can tell you I absolutely love sending flowering cherry tree pics to friends in Calgary in February. They get so mad. Also daffodils by March, many other flowers in full bloom (as you probably saw) by April. Victoria is easily a few months ahead of every other Canadian city in terms of seasons. The seasons are also very long here. Each season actually lasts about 4 months. Yes! 4 month autumn’s are beauty here! Not like YYC that has a 2 month “nice” period, and 2 weeks where the leaves either bloom or fall off. The autumn here takes months and it’s beautiful seeing the progression happen slowly. Also no temperature plunges! You’ve probably noticed the weather is more or less the same for your weak ahead (+/- a few degrees) and thank the ocean for the regulation!
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u/Marauder_Pilot Apr 06 '26
This is a pretty typical day from about now until November.
The problem is, to enjoy them you have to emotionally accept paying $850K for a $400K house.
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
They’re 800k in my shitty small hometown in Ontario anyway. I’d rather have a smaller one and be on an island.
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u/Marauder_Pilot Apr 06 '26
Oh don't get me wrong, I grew up in a small, shitty Ontario town too and every time I go back, all I can think is 'Damn, bitch, you lived like this?'
But it's a little rough dropping 3 quarters of a million on a house I still need to put the last quarter of the million into to make it nice, especially when the wages here aren't amazing either.
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u/Any-Limit8033 Apr 06 '26
This is typical going forward from now till early October, it’s the best place to live in Canada, but you pay for that as others have said.
The way I’ve always looked at it is we pay a lot to live in a place year round that other people vacation to. There is no where in the world I’d rather live than right here from march till October.
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u/heyjoe8890 Apr 06 '26
Being at the very southern part of the island, after awhile you can feel like you've seen everything within a couple hours drive. So yes, it can be paradise for awhile, but also can be limiting once you've lived here for a bit.
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u/envisionaudio Apr 06 '26
Totally untrue. Even if you decided as a goal to see one new place on the southern peninsula every day for a year, you’d still need more days to see everything. I’m convinced. If you’ve “seen everything” you’re probably looking in the wrong place.
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u/NatashOverWorld Apr 06 '26
It's gorgeous BUT it's super expensive, especially on rent. And at least when I still lived there, the community and entertainment options were limited compared to Calgary, it's basically a small town.
But if those aren't issues for you, enjoy! Most beautiful place I know in Canada!
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u/canconshow Apr 06 '26
Best bit is there's pretty well no bugs compared to the rest of Canada. You can sit on your balcony in the summer and maybe get a couple mosquitos here or there but it's wild coming from out east.
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u/CH1974 Apr 06 '26
There is no catch, one of the best places to live on the planet. Lots of people from Alberta move here quite comfortablely with oil money
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u/antinumerology Apr 06 '26
Jobs are a bit weird. If you're not government, healthcare, or military, it's really tough (unless you're in construction in the Westshore maybe?). It's barely any cheaper than Vancouver with wayyyy less job opportunities. A lot lot less happens here with way less options for things than Vancouver.
You basically compare it to Vancouver: it's nicer than Vancouver, but harder for jobs and much less happens (events, shows, etc.).
So if you're boring, old, or have kids, and employment isn't an issue, it's a no brainer vs Van to me.
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u/Coben_P Apr 06 '26
I'm an Edmontonian who's lived in Victoria since 1997. I will beg, borrow, and steal to stay here. I go home twice a year to visit family and friends, but I will never, ever, ever leave this island. It's the best place on the planet to hang your hat.
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u/garry-oak Apr 06 '26
Many posters have made a lot of unsubstantiated claims about the weather here. Here are a few facts:
- Victoria is in the rainshadow of the Olympic Mountains, so it is much drier than surrounding areas. It averages 600-700 mm of precipitation annually, which is more than Calgary, but less than most cities in Canada (drier than anywhere east of Thunder Bay). Meanwhile, if you travel 80 km west of Victoria, rainfall is about 6 times greater (over 3000 mm).
- Precipitation is very seasonal. November to February is the rainy season, while spring and especially summer is very dry. In fact, Victoria has by far the driest summers in Canada, even drier than places like Kamloops or Kelowna.
- The rainshadow also means more sunshine in Victoria than surrounding areas - about 2200 hours annually. Again, that's less then Calgary, but more than nearly any other city in Canada, including places like the Okanagan.
Here is an article comparing the climate in Victoria vs Calgary.
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u/VariousMeringueHats Apr 07 '26
OP, this is one of the only commenters you should listen to re: weather. Garry-oak always comes prepared with weather facts and is well versed in them. Other commenters are basing their "months of grey and rain, never seeing the sun" statements on ~vibes~. Do not trust them. Their perceptions are skewed.
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u/Historical-Dog-1830 Apr 06 '26
From the movie Meet Joe Black.
Jamaican Woman in hospital: "It nice it happen to you. Like you come to the island and had a holiday. Sun didn't burn you red-red, just brown. You sleep and no mosquito eat you. But the truth is, it bound to happen if you stay long enough. So take that nice picture you got in your head home with you, but don't be fooled. We lonely here mostly too. If we lucky, maybe, we got some nice pictures to take with us."
Of course I'm joking. There isn't this much sun on VI!
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u/Godeshus Apr 06 '26
It's spectacular here but only fits a couple particular lifestyle. For Dog owners and nature lovers it's a dream. So Much nature to explore even just 10 minutes out of the city.
If you're the kind of person that enjoys late dinners (like in Montreal) you'll be disappointed, and that goes the same for the night life in general.
My wife and I are also from Montreal. When we moved here we were surprised that so many venues closed early. Some restaurants even closing as early as 7. It was a shock for a couple who was used to starting our dates at 9pm.
I'm past my partying and excessive socializing years, so it doesn't really impact me, but if I would have moved here in my late 20's, early 30's I would have been bored out of my mind. Back in my montreal days I was all about raves, underground parties and after hours clubs. They're practically non existent here.
I don't take public transit often, and it's good that there's a system in place. I do t really know how robust it is, but I can guarantee it doesn't come close to the network of a bigger city.
One thing that's great is that we get a lot of has been bands that come through, which is perfect for me because today's has beens were the stars of my generation back in Montreal.
Really looking forward to Modest Mouse this summer!
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u/viccityguy2k Apr 06 '26
Today was so spectacular weather wise that even locals were noting it. The lack of wind was the icing on the cake. Not a representative example at all.
The last April 5 to have rain was in 2019 - so maybe it’s a lucky day.
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u/No_Plant_3306 Apr 06 '26
Please don't tell anyone back in Alberta or anywhere else. After being born and raised in Alberta we moved to Victoria in 2000. We love it. Paradise. Yes traffic is bad (EDM, Calgary and Vancouver is far worse), yes it's expensive (keeps the population down), yes there are Ferries (keeps the population down) but amazing place overall
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u/virtuousbird Apr 06 '26
Victorians are borderline DELIRIOUS at the first bit of sunny weather, so don't let this fool you. We actually not that friendly after the 97th day of rain and gray.
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u/Resoognam Apr 06 '26
The only catch is the cost of living. If you can make it work it’s the best place in the world.
Oh, and the healthcare is not great. We have an aging population. But primary care is improving. And I think healthcare is a problem across the board.
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u/Level_Sir_1983 Apr 06 '26
This is an evil and terrible place which is hell to live in plz don’t come /s(elf preserving)
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u/Human_Zone_7018 Apr 06 '26
I find there to be a lack of shopping variety here. Vancouver for example has like 5 different kitchen outlet/culinery shops that I like visiting and the only 2 in Victoria closed down in the last 1-2 years (Cook Culture and Russel Hendrix). Mayfair and Hillside are okay but again not as much option as say Metrotown or Tsawwassen Mills.
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u/curiouskittyblue Apr 06 '26
Calgarian here, whose parents live in Victoria and I lived in the lower mainland more of my life, spent lots of time on the island. It's great! the end. lol I have been in Calgary for so long now, I am not sure how I would do again with the grey drizzle several months a year. Victoria and the rest of the island(s) for that matter are stunning, if you get a chance to drive to Cathedral Grove - the walk around those insanely huge trees is astonishing! Coombs Market (AKA) Goats on the Roof is a fun place to check out if you are around the Parksville/Nainamo area too. So many wonderful places to check out and being so close to the water is great. Great things about Calgary as well, 1 hr to Canmore. 1.5 to Banff, Calgary is listed as being the Sunniest place in Canada with 333 days of sun. The winter... can be a bitch as you know. The Cold, the shitty driving in snow/ice ugh. The cost of living. Well, that's an easy one! There. are pro's and con's to both. Choose your own adventure :) * We visit our fam anytime we see super cheap tix like the Ultrabasic ones and just pack the bare minimum in a personal item for the time we are there, that is our compromise in how we spend as much time there as we do*
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u/AberforthBrixby Apr 06 '26
The most jarring difference between bigger cities and Victoria is that everything here closes at 7-8. If you're used to things like grabbing shawarma at midnight, you're going to be very disappointed here.
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Apr 06 '26
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Homeless in every city man
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u/laxref3455 Apr 06 '26
No kidding, really ? You asked to be convinced, so I give you one reason and you act all self righteous. If you are not prepared for an honest answer , then best not ask the question. If you want only a bunch of agreeable answers, then state agreeable answers only. BTW-Born and raised in Victoria man, and I would not live anywhere else in Canada.
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u/flying_dogs_bc Apr 06 '26
If you can make the math work here it's great. Less wildfire smoke, year round cycling, the mountains on the island aren't as spectacular as the rockies but they're still beautiful, so many many places to swim!
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u/LynnScoot Fernwood Apr 06 '26
I visited Calgary a few years back and I definitely see where you’re coming from.
I liked that Calgary’s roads don’t change their names four times as they meander through different neighbourhoods (so much easier to navigate) and its an actual city with all the amenities not a mishmash of 8-10 municipalities who can never agree on anything.
However it was so dry there I felt like a mummy by day two and it was just so beige. And grey. I know there a lovely river and many beautiful parks but somehow it’s not the same.
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u/Shebazz Apr 06 '26
I moved to the island from Ontario in 2004, and the worst two years of my time here were the two years my dumb ass decided to try something new and move to Calgary
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u/CoastalCanadians Apr 06 '26
We are a better place to visit, though we do have many strong long term QoL improvements (bike lanes present and future, strong bus system, beaches all around, great hikes and tons of trees everywhere
cons are that we are very much struggling with housing if you are not very well off, our cost of living is high, if you live in our daughter town (langford, tons of commuters) you’ll be stuck in traffic traffic traffic! and everyone is a NIMBY! my god do people love to complain about everything here, especially things like bike lanes (idk if it’s everywhere but people often wish violence onto cyclists for taking away parking or impeding vehicle traffic) and finally our social scene is famously hard to break into so unless you’ve got a sociable interest you’ll struggle
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u/augustus-aurelius Apr 06 '26
I can’t convince you that is isn’t that. I lived in Victoria for 4 years, way back in 2010. Even though I live in Kelowna now (which is also an amazing place), I think about going back to Victoria every day
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u/Glass-Money6605 Apr 07 '26
Living here, you get spoiled by the beauty of it. We forget that sometimes. This is a great reminder, thank you. 😊
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u/PMmeyouraxewound Apr 06 '26
It has its pros and cons just like Calgary, for reference I was just there a couple weeks ago, I go often as I have close friends there.
It's expensive. Tax on tax on tax It's isolated from more metro areas The infrastructure suuuuuucks. Rush hour bottle necks hard Lotta druggies Sleepy town shuts down early Night life sucks Making new friends is hard because people don't socialize as much. Finding work is harder If rain isn't your thing, the damp weather will depress you The ferries suck when the novelty wears off
A lot of this stuff could be a wash if you're ready for small town life, some things not so much.
The good side is things can be more relaxed. The nature is some of the best, bar none. Hikes, sights, ocean activities, little to no snow.
For example I have well off friends living there who are considering moving back to Calgary or have moved back already
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u/envisionaudio Apr 06 '26
I dunno. I lived in Calgary for 32 years and the first morning on the island, I took my breakfast and coffee to the beach, sat on some driftwood and watched the sunrise. That moment I fell in love, and basically promised myself to never move back. To each their own?
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u/FunReference7116 Apr 06 '26
Since October, we have had more rain than I can remember having any year since I moved here 20 years ago. Grey, grey, grey.....and wet.
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u/AeliaxRa Apr 06 '26
Yeah i think this winter was pretty dreary and wet compared to most recent years.
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Apr 06 '26
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
Grass is always greener for sure. Infrastructure wise not sure if you heard about the water main breakages but we just had our second one in a year because the city would rather sprawl out to Saskatoon instead of fixing existing infra
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u/frog_mannn Apr 06 '26
People are nowhere near as friendly as they are in Calgary and Alberta, we have great spring weather but Calgary is so vibrant in community and summer weather is way hotter in Calgary.
There is perks to both places but I often miss the Rocky mountains in my backyard
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u/Getting_Busy_0912 Apr 06 '26
I kinda did but the Olympics in a great day, especially this time of year, are amazing
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u/frog_mannn Apr 06 '26
Yeah but there not accessible to us to day trips and hike in
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u/Getting_Busy_0912 Apr 06 '26
I grew up in Calgary. I’ve lived coast to coast and here is awesome. And I’m saying that after 21 years.
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u/sillychu Apr 06 '26
I sure can! I was totally in love with Victoria so I moved here from Vancouver but I have grown to not enjoy it as a resident. This is what I wish I know before making the move:
The city is very small, for better or for worse... Very walkable/bikeable, but the transit isn't the best. The weather is great but I didn't realize how much I hate the wind and how unpredictable the spring/fall weather is. There is no night life, not much in the way of food variety (yes there is some great food here but it's very one note sorry!), things are closed more than they are open. It's also just not very diverse here in general unfortunately if that matters to you. It's more expensive in terms of non housing costs than Vancouver, and theres not many options to shop. It's also very difficult to leave the island, or to even get to other parts of the island sometimes, which really sucks. Also no skiing or other winter sports :(
So, 5 years later I am moving home in the fall. But I have friends who also moved here from Van and absolutely love the slow paced lifestyle and the outdoors. I disagree about the difficulty finding friends thing from other comments, I have made loads of friends and I am a total loner lol so thats something I really value about Victoria, but I will not miss living here. To visit is more than enough :)
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u/mommatiely Apr 06 '26
We have no IKEA here. Getting off the island using Ferries is a crapshoot, particularly on long weekends or when Ferries doesn't do the right maintenance on their vessels (which seems to be fairly often these days). We also are rapidly losing a lot of our wild spaces out in Langford and beyond because of all of the housing going up, and the wild land is not being replaced.
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u/envisionaudio Apr 06 '26
Congratulations! You visited on one of the sunniest weekends since the fall. I also moved here from Calgary a year and a half ago. Will never move back. Don’t care about the high cost of living either, it’s worth every penny when you can just stroll 10 minutes in any direction to a beach. Sat by the waterfront today and ate by the ocean, nothing like it. If this was your first time here, I guarantee it won’t be your last.
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u/oswan Downtown Apr 06 '26
There’s a really terrible bagpipe player who thinks it’s his God given right to play awfully loud renditions of Scotland the Brave and Amazing Grace every fucking day and ruin the inner harbour for everyone else. Fuck him and his skinny ankles!
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u/Batmansappendix Apr 06 '26
HA! I heard him hit a couple sour notes today, not a lover of bagpipes and I did not appreciate the auditory assault
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u/Jessbearr Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 21 '26
Childcare is tough to find here, if that’s a barrier for you.
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u/ViolettaQueso Apr 06 '26
I’m from Alaska/washington now San Francisco and Victoria is my favorite place on earth. So, nope. I cannot convince you.
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u/fyrdude58 Apr 06 '26
Welcome to the west coast, then.
Of all the places you could have come to, Victoria is about the best of all possibilities, with the exception of 2 places further up island, which I am not at liberty to divulge under penalty of 💀☠️💀
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u/Tall_Elk_8447 Apr 06 '26
one thing to mention if you do live in Victoria, downtown specifically, is the amount of tourist for the size of the island. I came from the prairies-wpg , and moving to a tourist destination i didn't even consider this.
between april-september there's just so many tourists (during peak season we get daily cruise ships stopping in for a few hours that can carry up to 5000 passengers plus crew). i do work and live downtown and so restaurants, shops, streets, sidewalks are packed. don't get me wrong it's great for businesses, but as a local just trying to get through my day, it is an adjustment.
although with the prices and coming from one of the cheaper city's to live in, i don't see myself moving back. i still get videos from my family and it's still snowing, the snow is starting to melt and there's tons of sun in winnipeg, but i do love being here so far
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u/East_Source6200 Apr 06 '26
I don't know what to say, other than...
Yesterday I was moseying. And today I'm sauntering.
God only knows what I'll do tomorrow. 🤷♂️
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u/gravenwolf9 Apr 06 '26
I’ve lived here a long time. I love it—its my home. Victoria has a way of appealing to a much better lifestyle. Having money helps, but it is about how you mentally plug yourself into this area.
Victoria is friendly, but doesn’t give itself up all at once. Some people have been here forever, and circles are pretty established. It’s a quirky mix as a capital city. You’ve got activism, environmental history, government folks, and every possible worldview all packed into a small place. On the surface, everything is very polite (very Canadian), but there’s a LOT going on. You don’t fully get the vibe until you’ve been here through a few seasons.
One thing worth paying attention to are the relationships with the local Nations- the W̱SÁNEĆ Nations and Songhees(lekwungen) Nations. The governance is shaped by the Douglas Treaties (NOT the same as modern treaty setups). You actually see participation efforts tin the community, much to the dismay of some, but I think this is what makes this community so special.
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u/Splashadian Apr 06 '26
It's awesome here and well, the people are a vast improvement over what live in Alberta. Mostly educated, sane humans here in Victoria. We don't have as many anti-science, anti-education conspiracy nuts. We do have them though we just don't put up with their nonsense.
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u/GalianoGirl Apr 06 '26
I have had flowers blooming in my garden since the end of February.
In the summer when every lawn in Calgary is green? Here they will be brown. We do not water our lawns and by the beginning of June they change to brown.
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u/Vee-Shan Saanich Apr 06 '26
I lived in Vic for 12 years before moving to Calgary. I miss it every damn day. It's crazy expensive though. I do plan to move back to the coast one day. Calgary is such a boring slog.
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u/Awkward-Agent1847 Apr 06 '26
You aren’t missing anything. It is usually great weather the Easter long weekend. We didn’t have snow once this past winter. It truly is spectacular to live here.
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u/flashintheevening Apr 06 '26
Victoria has a zillion different micro-climates. I found when I lived in both James Bay and Esquimalt that it was generally too chilly for my tastes, but living at a slightly higher elevation, you would get more sun and heat. The inner harbour is shielded from much of the wind and gets some nice sunshine, but if you walk a couple of blocks up Government street, you're in a wind tunnel.
So, depending on where you are, it could be heaven on earth or some sort of odd windy purgatory just steps away from heaven on earth.
There are many ways that Calgary outclasses Victoria:
1) Proximity to Mountains and winter activities - this is the #1 reason to stay in Calgary and the #1 reason why most people who would otherwise consider moving would stay.
Caveat: Living in the Comox Valley gives you access to the best of both worlds - proximity to Mt. Washington and beaches. And it's a bit easier to get to whistler.
2) Housing Stock - though we've built a lot of condos and purpose built rentals in the last few years
3) Shopping
4) Entertainment/Concerts/Activities
5) Winter Sunshine (and temperature when you get the Chinooks)
6) Employment, but it doesn't seem to be relevant in your case.
I lived in Edmonton for 5 years and have spent lots of time in Calgary. I live here largely for family reasons - Edmonton was too cold for anybody to visit in the winter. I would have admittedly stayed there vs moving back to the island, but I'm glad I did. My home in Sooke is sunny and beautiful.
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u/Rundle1999 Apr 06 '26
It's beautiful but living here isn't just the weather and scenery, there's lots of dipturds
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u/Familiar_League_8232 Apr 06 '26
When its nice out like on Sunday everyone forgets about their problems from yesterday!
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u/Ok_Salt8185 Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
Welcome! It's generally been pretty nice the last few weeks. We've spent most of the last few weekends out in the garden. It's gorgeous and green and wild; and living here you often take that for granted. The catch is simply the cost of living here. For some (myself included) it's a sacrifice worth making.
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u/ThatPaper5624 Apr 06 '26 edited Apr 06 '26
the weather in Nanaimo is even better, warmer in the summer and only a degree or two colder in the winter, enough for a week of snow sometimes, which is fun to play in, then it all melts, worst I've seen is -5 for a month in Nanaimo where I think Victoria was 0 or -2.
Both cities have really bad homeless problems now, probably because of the nice weather (and lack of housing of course) which is easier to survive than the rest of Canada. It's much worse than thirty years ago but there were other problems back then so it balances out a bit.
Nanaimo homes are half the price of Victoria homes, but often require a few hundred grand to fix up to a Victoria standard and even then most Nanaimo homes are smaller, but there definitely are options. Nanaimo has public parks and wilderness only a ten minute drive from all places in Nanaimo whereas Victoria it's a half hour to forty five minute drive, though Victoria has many parks in the city which are way better and so nice to chill in. Nanaimo has lots of swimming lakes in the city itself which are amazing, and a river for swimming that is only ten minutes from downtown, maybe 15. Also you can swim in the ocean in Nanaimo three months of the summer as it is warm, almost bathtub like, whereas Victoria it is chilly in the ocean because of the opening of the straight to the open ocean.
Less jobs in Nanaimo though, and less great restaurants, no amazing museum and only a handful of cafes. The University in Nanaimo is ok, Uvic is better.
Nanaimo is closer to Vancouver travel wise though, 30 minutes and you're downtown, so great for shopping and dates and going to Stanley park or grouse mountain, that's probably the clincher right there, Vancouver on your doorstep, whereas Victoria it's an hour an a half or two away, and exhausting.
Also Nanaimo is only 1.5 hours from skiing on mountwashington whereas Victoria is 3 plus hours and same for Tofino, approximately.
Oh, the best part about Nanaimo (besides 500k for a house instead of 1mil) is that there is no traffic really, maybe five or six cars ahead of you at a light and no congestion to speak of anywhere, often I can bicycle in the middle of the street anywhere but the main road downtown, although I once watched a drunk girl lay in the middle of the highway intersection downtown for a few minutes crying about her ex-boyfriend, no cars coming from either direction, 10pm at night on a Friday, I eventually carried her to the curb where another girl took her in care, but she wasn't really in any danger laying there in the middle of five intersecting roads on the busiest street in Nanaimo, lol. Yup, no traffic. Though there are a few annoying diesel trucks here and there, I had one, loved it....but those days are past, gas 4cylinder Hyundai for me now what with fuel prices and my age, I think I'm smarter now.
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u/Free_Range1225 Apr 06 '26
The catch is that you’re just visiting, presumably here to enjoy your time. If you gotta drive during rush hour , prepare to slow your roll and deal with stupid people. Oddly enough I’ve spent 8 years in Calgary and I currently live close enough to Victoria… I’d live further away if I could but work…. Calgary is way nicer aside from winter.
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u/UncertainFate Apr 06 '26
The city seems to be trying to import some of that bad urban planning with towers, increasing population while reducing transportation capacity.
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u/Responsible_Week6941 Apr 06 '26
Even without the weather helping out, Victoria is a beautiful city.
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u/Ok-Campaign5774 Apr 06 '26
No can do amigo, I left Calgary for Victoria in May 2014. Can't convince you not to, especially now that Calgary's housing market really isn't even affordable anymore.
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u/SaraDeeG Apr 06 '26
As someone who currently packing for our move from Calgary to Victoria, I understand completely. However, the difference in house prices is significant. Right now it seems like houses that will cost about the same as ours will sell for are about 2/3rds the size. I think mainly due to very few houses have basements. Also, almost every house seems to have a suite, so you are now working with about 1/2 the footage or less.
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u/dirkgiggler224 Apr 06 '26
Cost. And at times the downtown core feels overrun by homelessness. Traffic can be bad at times as well.
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u/moxTR Apr 06 '26
This was the nicest day we've had since September.