It’s Time to Love Our Cities Again — Greater Victoria edition
Cities have been given a bad rap lately. From rising unaffordability to the deadly toxic drug crisis, to heated and divided political discourse, there’s a lot to be concerned about.
But I argue that we cannot lose sight of what makes our cities great — for our own mental health and also to convey hope to those around us that we can solve these challenges together.
It’s also helpful to ground ourselves by defining what a city is in the first place: a place full of strangers, and full of people from all walks of life, all backgrounds and cultures, a place ripe with new opportunities, new connections, and new experiences. Cities are where serendipity can greet you around any corner.
Cities have their challenges; but if we’re going to solve them together, it’s important to focus on where we’re going and what we want more of throughout our cities and their neighbourhoods. So let’s reflect on the reasons why we love where we live — with emphasis on the things that are perhaps less obvious or easily taken for granted.
I’ll go first!
A quick explainer: here’s a list of some often hidden, sometimes hard-to-explain reasons why Greater Victoria, Canada is an amazing city (if you want the “touristy” reasons, go over here). I came up with the first 14 of these in about 20 minutes because I was invited to join the MicChek Podcast with Joe Perkins (episode #160: “Victoria is not scuzzy”). The rest were replies from friends when I asked their opinion about this (again over 20 minutes or so, showing how easy it can be to appreciate your place if you only take a few minutes to try!). Then I added a few more to those, because why not?
(Often Hidden) Reasons why I love Greater Victoria — in no particular order:
The Victoria Hand Project
Winner of the 2017 Google Impact Challenge, Victoria Hand Project, out of UVic, empowers prosthetic care professionals and clinics in the world’s most under-resourced economies and healthcare systems. They provide Victoria Hand prosthetic arms to amputees in-need, giving them hope and opportunities to live more productive, fulfilling, and happier lives.
Camosun Innovation Labs & Digitizing the Witness Blanket
After a national tour bringing awareness to the Canadian tragedy of Residential Schools, creators of the Witness Blanket partnered with local prototyping labs at Camosun College to create a digital version that will live on so that every Canadian can have a chance to reflect on this troubled history and the harsh legacy of colonialism.
The Moose Hide Campaign started here — and grew nationwide
The Moose Hide Campaign is an Indigenous-led grassroots movement of men, boys and all Canadians — standing up to end violence against women and children. The pins have been adopted by Canadians from the Prime Minister and celebrities to everyone in between :) Their campaign team is based out of the Songhees Wellness Centre.
The new Tsawout First Nation Big House — An anonymous donor helped them rebuild after a tragic fire
Here’s a story from CHEK news on the reopening of their new Big House. So joyful! Thank-you to the anonymous donor and other sponsors who helped them. This is what community is all about!
Greater Victoria: Foodie Heaven
Is there a small city that punches higher above its weight in the foodie heaven department? Possibly. But either way, you could try a different high-quality, locally-owned restaurant or cafe every month and it would be several years before you had to repeat yourself (here’s a list from Noms Magazine to get you started!).
Health & Vitality: Are we Canada’s healthiest city?
Our metropolitan area consistently makes healthiest cities lists because of how active we are. In fact, we spend more per capita on sports and recreation than any city in Canada. Numbeo puts Victoria as the second highest quality of life in Canada (behind only Quebec City) and #23 in the world. This is probably why Greater Victorians live longer than the average Canadian too!
Local author section at [Insert any local book store]
How cool is it that we have so many local authors, creators, musicians, artists and creatives in general? A good indicator for this is the local author section in the local bookstores (also see this Globe & Mail article I found on Sidney, Canada’s bookstore Capital!). Check out any art gallery or record shop (yes, we have those too!) and you’ll find creations from talented artists from across the region. Two collaborators and I made this “ode to art” last year about the immense value that the arts brings to our cities — it’s more than you think!
Little Free Libraries! 650 of ‘em! — Probably the Highest Per Capita on Earth
Speaking of books, you’ve probably seen one of these little cuties in your neighbourhood — and probably more than just one — that’s because we now have 650 of them across Greater Victoria. In 2017, when I first met Teale Phelps-Bondaroff, the recently elected Councillor in the District of Saanich (who you may have seen delivering books by bike to these adorable neighbourhood treasure boxes), he said his goal was to get 200 of these built by 2020. Well he’s achieved that and more! Plus, as Teale says, these are more about connecting neighbours than just free books.
The World’s Largest Underwater Ocean Observatory
I tell a lot of people about ONC over the course of a year and I’m always surprised how few have heard of it. Ocean Networks Canada, the organization behind the Venus and Neptune ocean observatories (and now so many more), is a hidden gem in the region. Boasting nearly 900 kms long, their underwater cabled network off the west coast of Vancouver Island is one of the largest ocean data projects on earth — and that’s just one of their many projects all across Canada and the arctic. So many smart people here in Greater Victoria making the world a better place.
KWENCH — A hub for co-working and connection!
I will be so bold as to say that KWENCH in Victoria’s emerging Arts and Innovation District is the coolest, most chill co-working facility you’ll find anywhere. With yoga rooms, a library / meditation area, and an art studio, KWENCH describe themselves more as a culture club than a co-working facility. The vibes in there are next-level and I’m so thankful that visionary leaders like Tessa McLoughlin move here and make amazing things happen!
Friends of Dorothy and a Culture of Inclusivity
A few months ago I was in a focus group exploring what it means to live in Victoria region. What makes it unique or special. One person, who recently moved here and is part of the LGTBQ+ community, spoke about a welcoming culture here where they found connections almost immediately. Friends of Dorothy, which opened during the pandemic, is used as a proxy here for the places that promote acceptance and connection. Our region is not perfect in this regard, but knowing these places exist should warm our hearts.
Placemaking — The Coolest Verb You’ve Never Heard Before
From street configurations to plaza dynamics to community engagement activities, placemaking is concerned with not only the spaces in our cities but the human interactions that make cities great. The Greater Victoria Placemaking Network (GVPN) partners with organizations and businesses to conduct urban exploration events, organize educational and engagement activities, and provide at-cost consulting services. They have numerous projects all around the region that enrich neighbourhoods. But it’s not just them, anyone can organize placemaking activities in their own ‘hood. Give it a try!
StarFish Medical — A Pandemic Superstar!
Greater Victoria is home to many world-class, innovative companies, but one of our shining stars is StarFish Medical, Canada’s largest medical device design, development and contract manufacturing company. When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in 2020, StarFish jumped into action to bring a made-in-Canada respirator to market as quickly as possible. Founder & CEO Scott Phillips stated their goal was to deliver a fully featured ICU ventilator that could save patients’ lives, be manufactured in Canada in the shortest time possible, and not disrupt the supply chain for existing ventilators. Amazing local success story with big impact!
Restaurants Collaborating to Survive in Unprecedented Times
I had the pleasure of co-chairing the Restaurant, Retail and Services committee of the Rising Economy Taskforce during the COVID-19 pandemic recovery process. My co-chair was Calen McNeil, founder of Big Wheel Burger. His restaurants not only survived through a hard time (and expanded to Nanaimo too!), but he initiated a group of other restauranteurs to share ideas and explore the best ways forward. More restaurants is good for the scene, so by collaborating they increased their collective chance of survival. I think that’s awesome. P.s. Through his foundation, Calen also raised money during the worst of the pandemic to provide food at no cost to at-risk populations in our community (restaurant and hospitality workers, front end care workers and food banks and shelters).
Local Coffee Culture!
I don’t have the stats to prove this, but Greater Victoria may have the most local, independant coffee shops anywhere in North America. There are too many to even list in this post, but some local favourites include: Parsonage Cafe & Fernwood Coffee, Habit Coffee, Discovery Coffee, Bean Around the World, Caffe Fantastico, 2% Jazz, Hey Happy, 10 Acres Cafe (Sidney), Pilgrim Coffeehouse (Colwood), Politano Cafe (Brentwood Bay), and that might be just the tip of the iceberg on this topic!
Cargo Bikes & Local Bike Culture!
The growth of cycling during the pandemic was a welcomed worldwide phenomenon, but one trend within this that we’ve noticed here in Greater Victoria is the increased adoption of cargo bikes. Cargo bikes are a game-changer because for many families they replace the need for a second vehicle (and for some they eliminate car dependancy completely!). Plus, there is nothing cuter than a parent taking their child to school in a cargo bike! The safer we can make their journey, the better. (Bonus: I also love the growth of eBikes in general, especially because it makes cycling more accessible. Imagine being able to ride a bike safely around your neighbourhood into your 80’s and 90's? Enabling happier/healthier aging is chill as hell)
Public Washrooms in Public Places!
This is one that I hadn’t considered before but was brought up by someone. Once I reflected on it I realized how amazing it must be for the many people out there who have anxiety about going to public spaces without knowing where the washroom facilities are. Plus it’s a bonus for parents of small children. There are many examples from across the region, from facilities along the Lochside Trail and in Beacon Hill Park, to the facilities that make our lakes and beaches more accessible to more people — like at Matheson Lake, Elk/Beaver Lake, Willows Beach, Gyro Park, or Thetis Lake as shown.
Local Businesses That Care
I’m sure we all have examples of a local business that went above and beyond to help their community or that enhance their neighbourhoods in positive ways. I heard examples like a call for supplies to support a refugee family (to which local businesses responded in spades) and countless others. People commented that moving here from other large cities like Vancouver, that they find people genuinely more friendly and seemingly more happy. A couple of people mentioned Hide + Seek Coffee as particularily community-minded. Check them out (& read this piece about them in Oak Bay News as a teaser).
Speaking of Local Business — How about the range of unique offerings?
Greater Victoria is a region of neighbourhoods, and every single one has unique or special local businesses that people love. Some of my fave’s not yet mentioned in this post include: North Park Bikes (the most unpretentious of bike shops), Vinyl Envy (in the era of digital, I value a record store that doubles as a music venue!), Crust Bakery (the long line-ups say it all), and The Root Cellar (a grocery store that loves local farmers and on busy days even has local musicians playing to infuse some chill into the shopping experience), but the list goes on and on.
Galloping Goose, E&N, Lochside Trails & MORE
When I first moved here and started cycling, I could not believe how awesome the Galloping Goose and Lochside Trails were. Now over a decade later after riding them from end to end to end countless times, I’m still in awe. And I’m not the only one. Check out Langford Councillor Colby Harder’s appreciation post about our local trail system. Go add your favourite pic or clip of the trail to her post by clicking here.
Speaking of trails: Access to nature here is second to none
I cannot think of another city of 400,000 where you can be immersed in nature within such a short proximity of wherever you are in the region. From municipal and provincial parks, to oceanside beaches, to lakes or farms or hiking trails, you can leave the office or your house for an escape pretty much anytime, even if it’s just over your lunch hour or on a weekday evening. And if you want a weekend excursion, we have plenty of those too, from skiing to surfing!
The Many “Cut-Throughs” — Hidden Gems of Urban Spaces
Fan Tan Alley and Trounce Alley are the city’s most famous examples of these cut-throughs and alley-ways that have immense meaning and place qualities. When I asked some local passionate urbanist peeps about what makes Victoria special, these cut-throughs came up, but they brought up examples from all over the place: From the walk-way between Brown’s Florest on Fort Street (to the library), to the same type of pathway on Oak Bay Avenue that cuts through to their library branch, to the pathway on Henderson road (going north from Haultain toward Carnarvon Park in Oak Bay) to the little path through the Spirit Garden in Saanich between Newton and Kings.
Architecture!
Looking at nice buildings is the easiest way to appreciate urbanism (for those who don’t read books about the topic for fun like I do). Victoria does not disappoint in this area, especially for a small city outside of Europe. I mentioned this photo above while on the MicChek Podcast (see Episode #160 “Victoria is not scuzzy”); if you want to start a journey of appreciating local architecture, lower Johnston (‘LoJo’) in Victoria is a good place to start!
Local Independent Media
Speaking of local podcasts, how about the quality of local media we have here in Greater Victoria? From CHEK TV (started in 1956, and in 2009 they became the first and only employee-owned TV station in North America), to Page One Publishing (Douglas Magazine, YAM Magazine, etc.), the Martlet (UVic’s independent student newspaper since 1948), Capital Daily (the newest entry to the scene offering in-depth, investigative journalism as well as daily and special coverage through newsletters), and I’m sure I missed several.
Cultural Richness
I know Greater Victoria isn’t the most culturally diverse city in Canada (we have some work to do!), but the diversity of cultures that are here have brought us so much — from festivals (Dragonboat Festival, 2022 South Island Powwow, etc.), to culinary experiences, to streetscape (e.g. North America’s second oldest Chinatown), to world-renowned, culturally-significant apparel. I feel so strongly about the many things that cultural diversity brings to any city, that I put together this lengthy piece on this last year.
That’s all for now…
I think you get the point. There’s a lot to love about this region. So next time I see or hear someone complaining, I might just email them this list as a friendly reminder.
