Satellite Photo
Getting Here
Vancouver Island is served by an excellent transportation network. Ferries carrying passengers, automobiles, trucks and trailers make more than 100 daily crossings to and from the mainland, linking motorists to Vancouver, Seattle, Prince Rupert and Alaska. The network also includes an international airport, helicopter and seaplane services, buses, and passenger train service.
Whether by sea, air or land, getting to Victoria and Vancouver Island rises above regular transportation and becomes a sightseeing tour through the natural beauty of the West Coast. When travelling to Victoria and Vancouver Island from mainland North America, you are accompanied by deep blue seas, rugged coastlines, lush forests, marine life and wildlife and an archipelago of mountainous islands that, in the distance, hover in misty shades of blue and purple.
Location
Victoria is located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island, which is the largest of British Columbia's 6,500 islands. It is a community of choice for its temperate climate, natural beauty, recreational sites and superior economic opportunities. For almost every citizen, native born or "immigrant," the decision to live here is consciously made.
According to the 2001 census, about 325,000 people make their home in the Greater Victoria area. The population has increased from 148,000 in 1961 and is expected to approach 400,000 by the year 2020.
Greater Victoria has attracted people from all over Canada, the United States and other countries. Many of those moving here add to the high level of artistic, technical and professional skills as well as to the entrepreneurial activity. While the region is a popular retirement centre, each year many younger people also move here, bringing education, energy, skills and funds to invest in local business.
The region's strategic location as a gateway to the Pacific Rim, its closeness to U.S. markets, and its many sea and air links have made the area a hub for business development and economic investment.
