Victoria, BC

Victoria was founded in 1843, making it the Pacific Northwest’s oldest settlement. Named after Queen Victoria, it has always retained a very British feel, with the downtown center feeling almost like a living museum. It is located on the Southern tip of Vancouver Island, about 100-km as the bird flies from both Vancouver and Seattle. There are many amazing hikes that can be done in a few hours, all within the vicinity of downtown, which make this one of my favourite places in the world to visit.

Over the last decade, it has evolved into more than just a college/tourist town, drawing much of its new population from the mainland, escaping a rising cost of living. This younger crowd has breathed some new life into the city. Many of my good friends have been a part of this exodus from Vancouver, so taking a weekend trip to Victoria has become an annual tradition. I will always take a trip to the Island once or twice a year, so I have had many opportunities to explore the city and it’s surrounding areas. Yesterday I explored some of my most memorable pictures from Vancouver Island and today we will focus on Greater Victoria.

Victoria always seems so far away from Vancouver. The ferry crossing takes less than 2-hours, but when you account for total travel time – driving and waiting for the ferry, or the Skytrain/express bus combination to get there – it does take a few hours to travel across the Georgia Straight. But that is part of the appeal; it feels as if it is a little bit removed from the pace of the rest of Canada, which is why it has always had such a laid-back vibe.

Victoria is home to just under 400,000 people, so it retains both a big city and small town feel simultaneous. It is home to the British Columbia Legislature – the Provincial Government – and a large University, so it always has a bit of a buzz. Known as the “Garden City”, Victoria has many famous gardens, including the world-famous Butchart Gardens, but what I really like to do when I’m here is go for a hike.

Just outside of the city there are many great hiking areas – Goldstream, Sooke and Mount Douglas are some of our most frequented. There are many beautiful coastal hikes that will take your breath away. These have always been my best memories and yielded my best pictures. So without further delay, here is my collection of photography from Victoria.