Only updated sporadically.
I don't know most of these businesses personally, but suggest them as standing out from the crowd
in Victoria.
Information in this list may not be up to date.
Salt Spring Islandinformation moved.
(The nature of business in Victoria is driven by government as a major employer, isolation
from the mainland (combined with the local fiefdom mentality of some governments), substantial
military presence, marine industry, tourist industry, and the high proportion of retired people
- many with English backgrounds. Many entrepreneurs are trying to fill niches, which is
encouraging in a city full of government employees.)
(I include a few interesting parks and historical sites, and some notes of assistance
to visitors. I added some businesses that I have not visited, just because they seem
to be entrepreneurs trying to fill a niche.) I will include specific problems, or
identify locations not representative of a chain, to help foster change for the better.
CONTENTS
- ACCOMODATION
- BOOKSTORES
- CLOTHING
- COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS/OFFICE
- DEPARTMENT STORES
- ENTERTAINMENT/ART
- EXCERCISE/PARKS
- FOOD
- HARDWARE/BUILDING SUPPLIES
- HAZARDS
- HISTORY
- MEDICAL
- SCENERY
- SERVICES
- TRANSPORTATION
- MISC
- AREAS
- COMMENT on LAND DEVELOPMENT
ACCOMODATION
Victoria has many old buildings, in varying conditions. Some are well kept. Motels are
a special problem, because many rooms sit empty so may get musty over the damp winter.
Advertising may use terms like "deluxe" which does not mean a large room or new building,
only certain furniture (perhaps stuffed into a small room to qualify it as "deluxe"
- the Travellers Inn chain seems to do that). I am leery of the stars rating system.
Also beware that some motels are using US dollar amounts on their signs and neglecting
to make it clear (many do and some also provide the Canadian dollar amount) - the Fountain Inn is one whose signs are potentially misleading in various ways.
There is a trend of established motels associating with a chain, which improves their
overall occupany rate. Association gives the customer greater assurance of reasonable
facilities (depending on how consistent the chain is, of course).
Some motels are being renovated into rental studio suites, as new motel rooms come on the market.
The hotel/motel business in Victoria is seasonal - summer of course being very high
demand, thus limited vacancies and much higher prices. In winter prices are as low
as half of summer prices, and some motels offer their units as bachelor/studio
apartments in the winter.
Camping/RV locations of note:
- the large Goldstream provincial park has reservations and n/c showers, though price
seems high. Camp sites include open, shrub-protected (including 67 & 107), large, dual, and tent-platform geometries. It will be very busy in July and August, and had serious security problems a few years ago.
- the more basic provincial campground at Bamberton Park about 10km up the freeway toward Duncan, close to Mill Bay, is worth considering instead. The park has a beach within walking distance of the campground (they charge for parking in the lot above the beach). It is closer than Sooke, with stores about 5 km further north in Mill Bay. It is a bit secluded thus I suggest wariness if one is the only camper there.
(On the way to Bamberton from Victoria there is a campground + cabins operation on the Malahat section of the highway near the gas station.)
- Deertrail Resort in Sooke has opened 64 sites at the rear of their property, many along
the Sooke River. Most are best suited for tents but some can fit trailers or motorhomes.
Running water, toilets and unspecified other amenities are provided. (Source is a
newspaper story.)
- there is a beachfront RV park in Metchosin southwest of Victoria off the road to Sooke.
BOOKSTORES
Here in an area overpopulated with marxists, mercantilists and mystics, decent philosophy sections are rare. (Munro's deserve mention - see below.) However, there a few medium sized used bookstores worthy of mention, along with other noteworthy bookstores:
Beacon books in Sydney was well organized a few years ago. However it is not worthwhile unless you want to spend a few hours in the neighbourhood on foot, because of the very awkward split of one-way and two-way sections on Beacon Street. The bookstore is on the north side of the street in the two-way section, so you have to approach Beacon from a side street to the east of the store then turn right to park near it - and put your flashers on while parking else some unattentive driver does not give you space to make the maneuver. (The bookstore thinks the street arrangement is good!? Previous experience is the staff are not customer oriented.)
Some parking is available behind stores on the north side of Beacon, with access to some stores - perhaps to the helpful little hardware store, not to Beacon Books.
Somewhere to the east of Safeway there was a specialized nautical/map book store, Compass Rose (www.compassrose.com ). Worthwhile if you can handle the Sidney street mess. As well, a section of Tanners in Sydney has maps and charts. (Tanners also has a reasonable newstand, otherwise nothing else to recommend it in the face of the street mess in Sydney. (There is a large side street to the right at the far end of the parking lot in front of Safeway - anything to the right on it is accessible, and you can turn right behind Safeway to go back west to the community centre and a traffic light between it and Safeway.)
(You can easily get into the community centre and the Safeway parking lot from the highway, and back out at traffic lights, and to the 7-11 by turning left one street early and going around the block.)
Wells Books on Fort Street in downtown Victoria is a nice well organized used book store, but lacks visible signs for overall sections so customers can get into the right section of the store before their parking meter time is up (they have good signs for sub-sections). Russell Books, also on Fort, is very well organized (check those large section signs then the shelf sub-sections signs) with much stock, though weak in philosophy. Main store and upstairs by separate entrance, without indicating what is where (I think fiction is upstairs, philosophy downstairs).
If you are downtown, Munro's new-book store may be worthwhile. Much better real philosophy section than Bolen's, and good staff. Unfortunately they lack directional signs to find departments in a full bookstore - the worst lack of signs I've seen in some time - and their major section signs are hard to read and not complete. Unfortunately their location is one
of the worst sections of downtown to access quickly - lack of parking on their street and
short one-way streets in the section are major barriers.
For those on the west side of Victoria, Penelope's used book store on the Old Island
Highway in Colwood is clean and well organized except for having little signage to
show where sections are - the owner refuses to improve. (Fortunately it is small enough that you can quickly get help from staff who are attentive.) The philosophy section is small, the automotive manuals and military history sections sizeable.
For those out near Brentwood, Page's is adequate. Clean and neat, but they did not finish
putting up their section signs.
There are several antique book specialists in Victoria. One is in Oak Bay's too-busy
too-little-parking retail strip.
For new books in stock, you might brave downtown parking (rumour is that there is
some :-) and dodge the parking meter checkers to visit Chapters. Quite large, and you
you can look books up on a computer terminal (they do have staff to help you as well :-).
The magazine store in the new building at the corner of Old Island Highway and Helmcken
in View Royal is excellent, with good stock and dedication to the business. The manager
cares about the business. She can special order for you.
Honourable mention to a used music store: Joy McLeod at www.pacificcoast.net/~dacapo advertises used printed music for all skill levels.
CLOTHING
Scrubby's Laundry Service is a fine coin laundry, run by people who care, with extra services and dry cleaning dropoff. #4 at 50 Burnside Rd W, Victoria, 389-1626.
For those "out west", Westbrook in the strip mall with Western Foods, 776 Goldstream, is worth
a look. Anyone who is sharp enough to offer Internet service in a laundromat is at least on the ball. :-)
There was an intriguing sign on Quadra at [Tattersall? one of those streets that changes name
several times as it crosses Saanich]: Magoo eyeglass repair. I did not check the business out before it disappeared from that location. (Mr. Magoo being the bad-sighted old guy from a comic strip - today's trivia qiz is "which comic strip?". I forget.)
My favorite crafts person advises that Button Boutique on Johnson downtown not only has many buttons but also has nice threads for sewing/needlework.
Stevenson's Shoe Clinic was trying to provide better fit for awkward feet. 714 Fort St Victoria, 383-8615.
For hard-to-fit shoe sizes, the business at 1834 Oak Bay Ave, listed as Custom Shoes and other names, 595-5555, has capability to custom make shoes, and seems to care.
New Balance have a wide selection of sizes, and now that they own Dunham their wide sizing is available for some hiking and work boots, never enough.
Viberg boot downtown have capability to make heavy duty work boots but not extra wide, seemingly really dedicated to their work.
COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS/OFFICE
COMPUTERS
MPR Printer Repair (formerly Island Laser) at 739 Kings Rd in Victoria repair printers and
sell refilled toner cartridges. (The refills of theirs that I've used are the first no-name
ones I've had that were troublefree.) Murdoch Bateman is the key person there. 388-5557.
And two in one city: Announce Printer works off Burnside just west of Douglas also offers
refilling and used printers. They have hard to find large color inkjet refill kits if you
must do the mess yourself. (They should be in the phone directory, address may be on Douglas as they are up in the back of a retail complex.)
For many years London Drugs has been a good place to buy computers and accessories.
Despite the small size of the computer department in a store, they have much of what
you want and are easier to get good information from than the bigger stores. (It has also been a good place to have camera film developed and printed.) However, London Drugs is slowly fading - long waits at cash registers are now common, prices are not as good as they once were, staff not as knowledgeable, and access is awkward at many locations. The founder died, his successor died, hopefully London Drugs won't. (The combination of WalMart, Shoppers Drug, and good independent computer stores is now available - London Drugs may be shifting its focus to city locations with their limited vehicle access.)
The big box office supply stores are variable as sources for computers and accessories - they
tend to have holes in their stock that their bureaucracy takes months to fill despite strong sales of the item, they often just have more of the same product rather than broader selection, and local management varies. I was impressed by the Staples location up the hill west of Home Depot in north Langford but the trend of decline and improvement respectively compared to the Victoria location has been realized - Langford is hopeless. Five messages left for Nick regarding an order resulted in zero calls back - and no one else knows what is going on. I was avoiding the Office Depot location on Blanchard due to poor staff performance, but recently found it much improved in attitude and selection.
CAUTION: some of the big box office supply stores sell 6x9 inch envelopes - those have not qualified for regular postage rate in Canada (they do in the US) because 5.9 inches was the maximum in Canada - yes, I had an evelope returned by Canada Post because at 6 inches it did not have enough postage on it! And watch the common Canada Post envelope size of 5.9x9.6 which does not meet US requirements. (Given standard paper sizes in Europe and North America I have no idea what the extra length is good for, except to push the envelope (pun intended :-). The new postage rates introduced in early 2004 seem to accept the 6 inch dimension but appear to have incorrect information on sizing to the US - getting such detail advice out of Canada Post is a time-consuming task I have not finished yet.
There is a local chain (Munk's) and a few outlets of a national chain as alternatives to OD and Staples, smaller but perhaps better service (the outlet in the Hillside Mall was well run a few years ago).
The Type n Write shop on Quadra St. has an intriguing name, but I have not visited them.
Future to the Back: CompuSmart has reverted to Tesseract, apparently under some of Tesseract's original management. Not a huge stock but out-of-the ordinary brands that appear to offer a real alternative, such as Kaspersky anti-virus and laptop lock cables other than the increasingly expensive Targus ones. It's selection of computer cables is what CompuSmart had. Parking is better than the old Tesseract location on Douglas, relatively - behind the building to the north, accessed from the easterly one-way Johnston Street. Organisation of the store has improved but still awkward - they have not yet come to grips with the two-level floor.
** NEW According to the Times Colonist in early April 2008, the store sold off merchandise and closed. Alas, my fears came true (I was concerned that they did not have enough stock and that it would take time to get people coming to their store). NEW **
DTI seem to have sense, and a three-year warranty. They make to order and have some used parts. Locations include downtown (near a 7-11), Colwood Corners, and Sidney.
For used computers, Computer Help Service on Burnside will tell you straight. [*** NEW location now empty. **]
Hatley in Langford disappeared suddenly (they seemed sensible).
I've checked several others but they are all either disorganized or uppity (ill-informed staff who want to argue with customers instead of listening) or are selling used computers loaded with unlicensed software (thus only honestly usable by someone who already owns software licenses and needs replacement hardware). I specifically avoid Boomer's and Gizmo's, though Boomer's cleaned up the store and attitudes, then moved to Douglas street and got out of used equipment, and the red-haired boat guy at Gizmo's Langford seems decent.
ComputersNStuff is not on Johnston St. anymore - I do not know if they still exist.
Up in Duncan, Tinkers has little used stock but a booming service business and good attitude.
While the Radio Shack/The Source/whatever now store on Bay Street in Vic West is spacious and has some good staff, I recommend against it because of the attitude of Meagen who has some authority over other staff - she is not responsive and tries to hustle the customer to go away.
For walk-in Internet access service, try:
- For those "out west", Westbrook Laundromat in the strip mall with Western Foods, in Langford at 776 Goldstream, is worth a look. 478-1249.
- Dynaprint on Blanchard at Johnston downtown (I have not been there, but it should be an alternative to the game-oriented Internet cafe nearby where I would have security concerns (that one may have disappeared).
OTHER
Unfortunately Gwynn's Cellular Service disappeared. They had technical knowledge including antennas and phone repairs. Next choice is Victoria Mobile Radio on Tennyson St, who have medium knowledge but a service department plus a selection of accessories, and seem helpful.
Queale's on Burnside has a reasonable selection of electronic parts. Some of them are
hidden, so ask about the secret compartments you could look in. A business with potential but stuck in a rut.
Troy Electric at 3131 Delta - off Burnside past Goose - has power tool parts. 382-7442
ABC on Quadra just north of The Brick furniture store has parts for hand power tools and a broad selection of items from small appliances to lawn mowers, but some staff are xenophobes and their responsiveness is declining as the store fills with houseware trinkets.
Victoria Camera Service is worth the hassle of parking in downtown Victoria. Thorough
work, realistic advice and estimates. (Check address - they may have moved eastward.)
Custom Stamp in VicWest just off the Bay Street bridge seem to know their job, of marking products including address stamps.
DEPARTMENT STORES
Wal-Mart has better service than most department stores in Victoria, and opens early. This
store is awkwardly laid out with inadequate signage. (Those competitors who are afraid to compete honestly with Wal-Mart should see a real Wal-Mart store!) The new store in Langford
is laid out better but missing some features such as fresh food - and is deteriorating in stocking and signage. WalMart Canada does not perform as well as WalMart USA.
The Bay is an institution in Canada, fairly upscale now. Unfortunately associated
with a department store chain that would rather try to use government force against a
competitor than perform for customers - Zellers, who have lobbied zoning authorities
to turn down applications by Wal-Mart. (I will give Zellers credit for trying to improve, in staff and signage for example - the best signage I've seen in some time, though with errors but at least they are trying - in contrast to the Linens or such store next door and even to Safeway who continue to dilute their previous efforts.)
ENTERTAINMENT/ART
Art
The West End Gallery has some better than average paintings, thus better than most
public galleries. Located at 1203 Broad St. Victoria, NE corner, north side of Eaton
Centre. However, most is not nearly as good as the following:
They hosted Len Gibbs, a romantic realist painter living in Victoria - a successful
painter who made a living from his art for decades. (Good art sells.) Check their web
site (linked from my Art & Music page). (One source of information on Len Gibbs' work
is a book "Images" from NC Press Ltd. in Toronto. It has stories written by others, and
notes from Len about each painting. Reproduction is average (the challenge in books is
getting the color to approach the intensity and subtlety of the real work). Len paints
people, and a few animals. His faces are very well done, most of them concentrating on
an activity but with a look of serenity that is represented better than in Vermeer's
paintings. But I have not seen any smiles, even when one would expect a smile from the
theme. His people are emphasized with light, perhaps not as skillfully as Vermeer's
but not obtrusively done as by lesser artists. The backgrounds are realistic but not
detracting (except perhaps for the girl playing piano - the reflection of her hands in
the polished piano material is very strong, attractively so). (The model for that
painting is young Margit Juhasz, who was the featured soloist at the 2000 edition of
Victoria Symphony's "Splash" concert on the inner harbour.) Len Gibbs deserves wide
recognition for his skill, his financially successful career, his recognition of the
viewer as worthy, and especially for his positive people art. (He is quoted as saying
that he knows a painting is good when he gets a large cheque for it.)
The West End Gallery has a significant amount of glasswork. What I saw in a quick look
was mixed, to my tastes. I think glasswork needs to catch the light and present images
in ways that only a mostly transparent material can, rather than trying to resemble
colorful pottery or beads and such. Glass can be made with smooth curves and swirls,
which are attractive if done well - it must be good sculpture not just gimmicky.
Cars
The Victoria area does not lack for car shows. Look for Glass on the Grass (a Corvette show in early May), Canwest Mall Canadian Tire location in July (it filled their lot, and many old cars were spotted in the general parking areas of the mall & Superstore), the Mopar show at Beaver Lake in late August (right by the highway to the ferry terminal), Ft. Rodd Hill park in Colwood (Cadilllac club in July, British in mid-September). Up island in Duncan, perhaps a 40 minute drive, the annual Antique Truck show may be worthwhile - usually around the third weekend in July. While the A&W DriveIn in Esquimalt has been replaced by a sit-in restaurant, it may still host cruise-ins.
The Times Columnist often prints a list of car clubs. Cruzin magazine has long lists of events.
Racing
Western Speedway has circle track racing, demolition derbies, and maybe short-strip drag racing.
Take the Langford exit from the Malahat freeway north toward Highlands and watch for the large parking lot with the go-karts and RV park. Most Saturday evenings April through October, with the drag racing after mi-afteroon on Sundays and a few Fridays after 5pm. http://www.westernspeedway.bc.ca (Signage at the facility seems out of date.)
The short road racing course was eliminated from the Western Speedway location, years ago. Try www.victoriamotorsports.org for information on current road racing, gymkana, slalom and similar activities.
Other tracks on the Island include drag racing (Saratoga Speedway at Black Creek, Island Drag Racing Association at www.angelfire.com/bc/idra) and an offroad racing park near Port Alberni (www.islandoffroadracing.com). There was an attempt to build a multi-racing facility on Spruceton Road south of Nanaimo (the Mountainaire Recreational Sporting Facility).
Ballroom dancing might be found at the Les Passmore Centre:
http://www.ballroomdancers.com/Resources/Places_to_Dance/Item/les_passmore_centre.htm
and McMorran's, among other places.
Also look for the String of Pearls big band (I have not checked them out).
And check the website www.vbds.org, the Victoria Ballroom Dance Society.
EXCERCISE/PARKS
Many parks, canoeing, and a growing trail system. (Called the Galloping Goose
Trail in honor of an old train service from Victoria to Sooke.) It begins in VicWest,
crosses the Gorge on a trestle and proceeds north to the Trans Canada Highway, where
it forks north to the Schwartz Bay ferry terminal and west to Langford and Sooke
(where it heads north a few miles into park areas). Only a few miles in
Victoria, a shared section near Cordova Bay, and the Sydney end are paved, but most
of it should be suitable for most bicycles (I'd expect high wear and damage on the
skinny touring bicycle tires.) Bicycle rentals, skate rentals, repairs, picnic
lunches, and other services are available near the south end at Selkirk Station
store, 383-1466 or www.switchbridgetours.com. Some parking is available off of Quincy off of Helmenken north of the freeway west, and with outhouses near the Island Freeway-Old Island Highway junction (enter via Atkins near Thetis Lake park). The Provincial Capital Commission publishes a trail map. Some transit busses operating near the trail have bicycle racks. Saanich publishes a map book of the more significant local trail systems in Saanich - some connect to the Goose/Lochside trail system, others are in residential neighbourhoods (the guide book does not cover many routes that go through neighbourhoods using small parks and school-access lanes, such as via Judge Place.
The Gorge waterway is nice - you can walk along its north shore from Admirals' Road well past Tillicum. A few hours after tide change you can see substantial water flow through its narrow part under the east side of the Tillicum bridge. (Some guidebooks claim the trail begins at Harriet - wrong, it begins in a park a few blocks west. Also note that while the trail appears to continue eastward in front of the apartment complex that leads only to a small viewing point with no exit.) You can take the sidewalk east along Gorge Road to the Galloping Goose trail at the bridge then either go across the trestle to the south and wander westerly through park and along streets to Craigflower from which you can get to the Tillicum bridge or the Admiral's Road bridge thus back to where you began the trek. Or go north along the trail, westerly along the freeway, then south on Tillicum or Admirals (at McKenzie).
And the shore walk southeast of downtown is nice (drive Douglas street south, or walk
southwest from the inner harbour past boat and helicopter areas then east along the
open shore).
A little known park runs from behind the Tillicum Mall (where it is labelled Colquitz
River Park) to Admiral's Road near its intersection with the Trans-Canada Highway (where it is named Cuthburt Holmes Park). It has reasonable walking trails through the trees.
Way out in south Metchosin there is a park called Aylward Farm - large
grassy areas with a trail to the water. Take Rocky Point Road well past Rocky Point.
(Unfortunately the government has the two big points occupied by things you wouldn't
want to be near even if they let you - a prison and an ammunition depot.)
Along the way is a marina that seems well run - boat launch and rentals with fishing
information. But stay clear of Rocky Point - there is an explosives test range offshore.
Saxe Point park in south Esquimalt provides views of the Straight of Juan de Fuca and nearby points. The west end is groomed and provides views across the harbour (road access off the south extension of Admirals Road). The undeveloped east end is McAuley Point, complete with the rmains of gun emplacements from 1878 through World War II.
The only real skiing I've found is at Mt. Washington, 150 miles north of Victoria, with so much snow they sometimes have difficulty opening right after a storm. (Rather the opposite of the problem many ski resorts on the coast have. ;-) It seems to be a capable facility, seriously in the ski resort business.
I have only used the cross-country part (aka "Nordic"). That part has a day lodge now, including a cafeteria whose food selection is quite large and varied for the size of the facility, though prices are somewhat high. They are trying - the menu included vegetarian and "oriental" dishes as well as bread pudding (not a coastal dish?), and the cook was studying a Mexican cooking book. That lodge has lockers rented by day or season, and showers.
There are many groomed trails but maintenance of them is not all it needs to be. Communication is not adequate for first time users or those who have not been to the facility since the lodge was built.
FOOD
Thrifty's is a nice grocery store, with specialty items, though produce and bakery areas
are confusing in their attempt to be fancy, product location is sometimes disorganized - cheese in at least two places and organic produce mixed with regular for example - and the grocery floor itself has fundamental problems including lack of staff attentiveness. They are expanding to the mainland, but may not offer much above the IGA Market stores there except size. (I'll give special recognition to the initiative and creativity of those responsible for the jazz-blues cheese case decoration circa April 2001 at the Admiral's Road store - wow!) However I've seen shocking examples of bureaucracy.
Country Grocer in Esquimalt is a good combination of medium size, reasonable prices,
and service but in general is too small. (A larger CG is in the center of Royal Oak mall - but signage is no better than the old one in Esquimalt, that is it is deficient. Am I the only person with the seemingly bizarre idea that customers want to find things to purchase, that they need assistance to do so, that they don't want to spend all morning doing it, and that a grocery store profits from having more items that customers want and can find? If I have to guess and chase around the store, why don't I just buy from a wholesaler? Both CG locations have a post office outlet - very convenient. See my "they just don't get it" story at the end of this page.) Apparently Food Country and Village Market are part of the chain, but I have not seen them.
(The Polish guy who was really trying, and told you so at length, has apparently left the Dollar Store location in the adjacent mall in Esquimalt - which is in a state of flux, needing to improve and fill its stores. (The main area of Esquimalt lost many businesses, in substantial part because the city council weren't cooperative. They are close to sizeable populations including the residences in Vic West, and the many workers commuting from the naval dockyards (though several blocks off-track for those commuters).
Save On Foods has two locations in the Victoria area. The store on the median between Blanchard and Douglas is a jumbled mess. The store on Bay Street west is much neater but a bit too small for what they are trying to stock, and lacking on-floor performance (an hour after opening the floor had litter on it in several places, that should have been picked up by staff paying attention). The company is a bureaucracy - another case of an entrepeneur not getting his values spread throughout his growing businesses.
Note that other stores are moving into the food market. London Drugs has basic canned and packaged goods oriented to quick preparation, some WalMart locations now have frozen and refrigerated foods including salad mix and milk, and M&M Meats has many locations. (Some WalMarts elsewhere have full grocery sections, as do most Fred Meyer stores in the US Northwest.) There is a Costco in Langford but I know not what is inside - there is something fundamentally wrong with needing a membership to buy from someone (it is a retail store after all).
And, as I predicted, Fairway Markets failed in its expansion onto the mainland. I didn't see what they could offer customers - their inclusion of oriental produce for example may be meaningful in Victoria but not on the mainland where oriental produce is plentiful, and stores were not well run.
Many Fairway stores in Victoria needed better refrigeration equipment and/or better maintenance of same, new floors, and better attention to product freshness. (At least one of those has closed.) And their store in Nanaimo, while larger and nicer, had the worst layout I've ever seen.
For fresh vegetables in Victoria, especially those favoured in oriental cooking, you might try the Chinatown area of Downtown Victoria, especially the east end both sides of the
ornamental arch. Drive south on Government Street from Gorge Rd./Hillside St. If you
see Pandora street you've probably gone a block too far south. Crowded but worthwhile.
The Subway sandwhich shop on Blanchard not far south of Gorge/Hillside streets is open
24 hours. Otherwise it is below average for a Subway - staff not well motivated. The
one on Gorge near Bridge is better.
The McDonald's opposite the Town & Country mall is open 24 hours, and the McDonald's tucked in the vee of Burnside and Douglas opens its drive-thru at 5 am (great for those who start work
early).
And the Burger King on The Crawl in Colwood is open 24 hours. (OK, the street is officially the Old Island Highway and you don't have to use it at 3am to avoid the traffic - but may well want to avoid the usual morning and afternoon commuter rush hours.)
I've noticed many restaurants in Victoria (I rarely go to one), including East Indian,
Polish and Thai. I drove by a Sushi one at Gorge and Government opposite the muffler shop. And the Juanita Juanana Cafe in the back (north) side of the Royal Oak Shopping Centre has a different approach to Mexican and Southwest US food - and a refreshing attitude. An article on Adriana Ramirez’ restaurant, Adriana’s Cocina Mexicana, sounds interesting - she’s working at it.
Alas I did not stop at Blackie's cafe on the Pat Bay highway 17, while it was offering Saskatoon Berry Pie. A different restaurant is there now. (Saskatoon berries are common east of the Rocky Mountains. They are about the size of domestic (large) blueberries but with a signficant purple tone. The Saskatoon Berry Farm south of Duncan grows them on the Island, but I've not been satisfied with their quality.)
I like to note food stores offering things outside the norm. Two I've noticed are:
- Starke's Deli in Sidney has European foods, especially meat and cheese, probably German orientation but had English cheese. Seem to be productive people.
- a Mediterranean store on Quadra south of McKenzie, opposite Industrial Plastics. Hmm, I wonder if they have dates and figs, which can be hard to get as many countries that can grow them would rather make war than produce food. (Fortunately good quality Medjool dates from California have been available recently.)
Up Island, May's Asian Cuisine in Duncan is different - traditional Canadian version of oriental dishes served quickly to eat there or take away. Unfortunately it is fading. Meanwhile look for it on the main highway abeam the ice arena a bit off the street (access from the side street that goes past the arena if northbound (past adjacent restaurants), or from a driveway serving it and adjacent restaurants if southbound - after the side street going past the Country Grocer store).
The VI News Group of newspapers distribute a Farm Fresh guide every spring, in their
newspapers. Something for most people - even Saskatoon berries for those from the
other side of the Rockies.
Those who travel on convenience stores beware - southeast BC, and especially Victoria,
has less choice of nutritious economical food than most areas. They have dumb ideas
like _two_ very plain hamburgers in one package, for $4 - just what frugal people on
a diet need for a quick snack. The average small town in Iowa has much better selection
and prices.
Fortunately McDonalds is everywhere, and its main competitor is common (the modern
grocery store with its deli counters and coolers).
(Of the convenience stores, 7-Eleven is better and has made some moves back toward their old selection of fast food, but only some locations sell the other food of travellers - gasoline. (One is at Burnside and Harriet - the manager there does try.)
Some Mac's stores are very good, as they have a food outlet - a Subway in the one at Craigflower and Admirals.) Mac's seems to have shaped up from its dismal state of the late 80s/early 90s.
However, the Chevron outlet at McKenzie and Gordon Head is sub-standard: high prices, no
price signs on the cooler items, low on stock, and limited selection.
And out west in Sooke, Mom's Cafe on Shields Road gets good reviews. (Of course mentionning
that it has an old jukebox got my attention. :-) Fare ranges from fish and chips to salads
and wraps, all good except the fries are of lesser standard according to the reviewer.
Air conditionning helps, Old Country music may or may not depending on your tastes.
Friends like Chicken On The Run, who run to your place with the food. (In Esquimalt near the east extension of Craigflower, but they deliver. There's an oriental place there as well but I have not heard if it is good.)
Island Dairies has home delivery through independent delivery people. However, it was not available during the Christmas-New Years season last year!?
HARDWARE/BUILDING SUPPLIES
The Home Depot in north Langford near the Highlands has the best selection of hardware
and building materials in Victoria, and the best staff of any such store anywhere
- knowledgeable, helpful, and even happy.
Very long hours too - open at 6:00 am most days. (This store is for workers, not
bureaucrats. :-) Worth the drive outside the city just to experience and reward those
people. (From the freeway toward the Malahat take the Langford exit right toward
Highlands, and look ahead on your left behind A&W.) While most departments are good,
the fastener section is superb - better than a hardware store these days.
Its limitations are that it is not strong in primary building construction materials (it is
more suited to renovations and patios - probably calling itself a "home improvement" store
rather than a builder's store), and some areas such as shelving are light. As
well, while its front section of aisles has reasonable signs at the ends of the aisles,
there is no clue at the front about locations of things in the rear section of aisles
- so you might assume they do not have certain things, such as shelving and flooring.
And unfortunately the Home Depot company is pandering to misguided environmentalists in purchasing its lumber.
For emphasis on building materials, try Slegg's who have locations include Langford
near the Canwest mall, west Sydney, Saltspring Island, and Admirals Road in Esquimalt.
(That location focusses more on primary materials for contractors, eschewing promotion
of itself to the many people who drive by on the way to Esquimalt centre and the many
shoppers at Admiral's Walk, and not caring to change to increase business.)
A Home Hardware has just opened in Vic West, on Bay Street - run by the people who had
the outlet in the Hillside Shopping Center for years. It's one of the new large Home
outlets that carry building materials. Their stock has increased to the point of
impeding movement, and I presume they can order items. I recently chatted with Gary there
- I'm impressed by their attitude.
Lumberworld on Quadra south of McKenzie is worth checking when you are having difficulty
finding something - their stock is eclectic and they have an amazing invention: signs on
the ends of aisles. The store is cluttered, and some things are hidden in back rooms you
may not realize exist, but staff are helpful. Across the street, International Plastics
have some containers, bags, paints and plastic resins. (Their other location west of
WalMart handles only drainage/plumbing materials - has good outside drain pieces, albeit
at a high price.)
Slegg's in Sydney seems relatively well run and accessible for modest purchases. In contrast, their
location on Admiral's in Esquimalt is neither and their relocated Langford location on Sooke Rd is not well run (with a severe lack of signs and shelf tags).
House of Tools On the Old Island Highway in Colwood has great selection and helpful staff.
Unfortunately they have no signs to guide customers to where particular products are, so you need your personal guide around the store while you go through your shopping list. In contrast, a similar store in NE Calgary has good signs.
(Keith's Rant: I don't understand why businesses forgo 20% of potential profit. (I think
the increased sales would result in 25% more profit (since fixed costs are usually high thus
profits highly leveraged on small changes in sales) from which I conservatively subtract
5% for cost of signage).
In Canada, Canadian Tire is a reasonable source of automotive, housewares, sporting goods
and hardware. The location in the CanWest mall in south Langford is large, with a
better hardware section than many hardware stores. However, it has removed signage that would help you find what you want. (And you'll find other shopping in
that area - increasingly an alternative to Victoria/Saanich/Esquimalt - with more coming
including WalMart. However, the mall itself does not have long hours and seems plain by
current expectations for malls.)
For old building fixtures, including door hardware and lights, try General Salvage Ltd. on Jacklin Rd. in Colwood, between CanWest Mall and Sooke Rd. Their stock includes light fixtures and door hardware. 250-478-3255 or info@GeneralSalvage.com. They are in the building that used to housing Sally's Trading Post, a well organized uncluttered antiques and collectibles mall.
Fastenal on Bridge St. have a wide selection of fasteners, and have meaningful aids in place to help customers find and order things. Some staff seem truly interested in helping the customer, others provide inaccurate information and insist it is correct instead of looking at the information and parts. [may have moved nearby]
But more helpful people work at Fastener Force, 8-625 Hillside, 380-2658.
And for household appliance repairs, Royal Oak Vacuums seem to know and care. They have a good selection of bags as well, though not as connected to sources of bags as they should be.
HAZARDS
Cougars live on Vancouver Island, and may attack people if defensive or too lame to hunt regular food.
HISTORY
My mother discovered an old cemetery, hidden away in Esquimalt between a Canadian
military center and the Gorge Vale golf course. It began as a Royal Navy Cemetery in
the 19th century, was taken over by Canadian Veteran's Affairs in 1947, and appears
to have been used within the last 10 years for military personnel.
Access is off Colville, an east-west street running between Tillicum and
Admirals Road, south of the golf course. Watch for the the Veterans Cemetery sign just
west of the playing fields west of the small convenience store. Straight in to the
Veterans Road sign then right behind the buildings. Careful you don't turn into a
military driveway. The cemetery is inside the golf course. (Access is essentially by
laneways with few opportunities to turn around, and golf balls could dent your vehicle,
so I suggest parking in the gravel lot outside the gate. I don't know when the gate
is open (I found it open at 6pm on a Thursday and mid-afternoon on a Saturday) but you
can search the Internet or phone the Canadian Veterans Affairs department.
Thanks to Ernie, here is a link to a list of persons buried there, and a very brief history:
http://www.islandnet.com/~vgs/publications.html
In some listings it's location is given as HMCS Naden, which IIRC is a building on the west
side of that bunch of military activity to the SW of the cemetery. (I never understood
the use of a ship designation for a building, but then I never tried to understand
military tradition - only effectiveness which is their purpose.)
As well, there is a naval military museum up Admiral's Rd. to the south (left off
Colville westbound, take the exit signed for the CANEX store). (The CANEX store, now called something else, isn't much to visit and seems expensive, but is a small department store within walking distance of many. It is on the edge of the navy base but accessible with care (make sure you take the correct driveway). In recent years the museum was only open to groups (so find several friends and form a group :-) but is now open as part of the afternoon guided tour of the base. (The newly instituted base tours are on Fridays as I write this (February 2004) expanding to additional days in the summer. The morning tour uses your feet, the afternoon a bus beginning at the museum. Tours are escorted for security and safety, valid photo ID required. Information 363-4006 or 360-7060.)
And, if you are into cemeteries (well, not literally I hope), I challenge you to find _both_ of the cemeteries on the periphery of Victoria airport. (Hint - what function do hedges perform,
given their height and density.)
The Old Cemetery Society probably knows. Really, there is one in Victoria - its a historical society whose activities include tours, research, talks on local figures, and maintenance. (I hear Ross Bay Cemetery has history.)
MEDICAL
The Rexall drugstore chain lives on in Victoria. (The outlet on Admiral's Road near the Gorge provides portion packaging of medication for persons who may get confused. That's smart business.)
Vancouver Island Sleep Associates seem like dedicated people, providing advice on sleep problems including dental aspects, testing, and CPAP equipment.
SCENERY
A good panoramic view is available from the rocky outcrop called Mount Tolmie, not
far southwest of the University of Victoria. (It's better than the view from the
much higher Mount Douglas.) Go east on Cedar Hill X-Road and turn south on Mayfair
Drive. Parking available at the lookout.
Views of the Straight of Juan de Fuca are available from the drive east of Ogden Point south of the downtown area, from the undeveloped park in south Esquimalt (the one with WWII gun emplacements), and from the park at the south end of Fraser St. in Esquimalt.
A nice sand spit is available in east Colwood. (Turn off on the south side of the
recreation center on the Old Island Highway.)
For a small taste of the rockiness and wildness of the west coast, drive northwest on Interurban and turn left at Camosen college onto Hector, which loops through hill and dale back to Interurban. That area of hills and gullys, forests and little farms shows how steep gullys can be but is tame and safe compared to the real thing.
I am advised that the salmon spawning at Goldstream Park is a worthwhile show. Freeman King Visitor Centre, typically mid-October into January, complete with eagles, phone 391-2300 for current details.
SERVICES
Hodges Insurance closed their location in north Langford, now only on Douglas/Burnside corner.
Langford Optical provide good service with an adequate selection of frames. I'll be sure to tell them I do not want "downtown" frames, given their ugly ad claiming to have downtown frames with Langford service & convenience.
Huber's locksmiths and engravers on Burnside does good and has better than average equipment, but has limited key selection and attitude. The ACME locksmith shop in Colwood are helpful but not supported well from their downtown headquarters.
TRANSPORTATION
Reasonable, but three problems are growing:
- lack of parking downtown, and aggressive enforcement. (Someone in a residential area
was ticketed for parking in front of their own driveway!) (There are public garages in
some areas, but they could be cleaner - and there is concern about the type of people
hanging around the streets of Victoria.) Parking is tight even when free (evenings and Sundays), but if visiting the Library try the good lot underneath it for $1.00 after 6pm. (During the day a short stay is not costly, but a couple of hours gets expensive.)
- congestion on streets. Victoria is in the unfortunate position of having many narrow jogging streets and roadways that choke up more quickly than wider streets would as population and traffic grow. Also, certain arterial routes are overdue for strong action, albeit that costs money. (Bureaucrats promote traffic calming" barriers to stop people from cutting through neighbourhoods, instead of addressing the motivation - clogged arterials.)
- drivers who are deliberately bad
- bicyclists who are deliberately bad
- bicyclists who are dumb (riding on the freeway north instead of the dedicated trail 100 feet away).
A few tips on parking downtown:
- lot across street from southerly side of the Bay store was $5.00 all day, not checked recently.
- garage under the main public library was $1.00 after 6pm, not checked recently (street parking in the area is often full in the evening).
- the city provides garages, notably one on the west side of the shopping area
north of Eaton Center (across from Crown Books). I am told they smell of urine,
and aren't policed as well as they should be so elderly people avoid them.
For getting to Victoria by air, consider Helijet's helicopter service from Vancouver
(perhaps from Seattle as well) though costly, Harbor Air's floatplane service from Vancouver, and
WestJet's 737 service from Calgary (connecting to the interior of BC and points east
to Toronto).
Drivers in Victoria are not all nice retired people. There is a noticeable number of deliberately bad drivers, and in rush hour of people just driving too fast. No, I have not noticed problems with elderly drivers, only with male jerks between 30 and 50 and a less easily identifiable group of agressive yuppy commuters - often driving Mercedes sports cars (in other cities Mercedes people have more class) or expensive SUVs.
And watch out for the many cyclists commuting to work while they:
- ride on the freeway in the dark, without lights
- ride on narrow parts of the freeway when there is a bike trail 100 feet away
As well as shoplifters running away from police downtown.
Victoria has areas of high congestion. One is getting off the peninsula of Esquimalt/ VicWest, especially when workers at the naval facilities in west Esquimalt head home to Langford etal. Admiral's Road and the Old Island Highway through View Royal are bottlenecks, and other commuters add to that crowd going up the Colwood section of the OIH. (One major street off the freeway was extended south to Sooke Road to relieve some pressure (Millstream) - another will be built (east of Humpback Road (the Spencer Road intersection west of Millstream will also be improved).)
And if you need to move between the Saanich peninsula and the areas north of the Malahat, consider the Mill Bay Ferry which leaves from Brentwood. I suspect it takes no more time in rush hour than the long drive around the bottom end of that channel of water.
THE DREADED MALAHAT
Gets publicity for bad accidents that block a key highway. The problem is simply that is is a mountain road linking two freeways that are level, so people overdrive for conditions of the varying curves, changing temperature (thus icy surprises in winter when temperature is near freezing), fog, and narrow roadway with no place to go off into except a canyon or opposing traffic. I suggest the highways people put up large signs saying: Caution: mountain highway unforgiving of error.
(They've slowly added safety features like concrete barriers and rumble strips on the centre of the highway, but need to do much more - both low cost and expensive (adding lanes, which can be done as the rock uphill is not especially high).)
(One safety problem I've observed is people making u-turns in the middle of modest straight sections - often in view of signs saying that a u-turn route is only a short distance ahead. Bad move! because many sections are too short to see far enough ahead to know that no vehicles will arrive before the u-turn is completed. Where are the police? Absent most times, otherwise promoting photo radar which is an improper and ineffective approach because it emphasizes speed not behaviour such as the u-turns.)
REPAIRS
I no longer recommend Colwood Transmission in south Langord (on Sooke Road). Try the KAL Tire across the road.
INFORMATION:
FERRIES: info on Victoria radio station 1070 @ xx.40; fares higher noon FR thru SU, people age 65+ n/c MO-TH (pay normal for vehicle). Some ferries have day rooms/board rooms. Tsawassen-Duke Pt. (Nanaimo) departures 5:15am through 10:45pm
Victoria Line pier48; 625-1880
WA State ferry Anacortes-Sidney 800-84-FERRY; Kingston-Edmonds on highway Port Angles-Seattle 40 min
Blackball regular ferry to Port Angeles: number of trips vary with season, out of service for maintenance for a few weeks each winter (perhaps end January-beginning February); SEA 622-2222,
Victoria 386-2202; their MV Coho is well run by staff dedicated to doing a good job. (The Coho was the first of a line of ferries up through the Queen of Saanich.)
Clipper fast ferry Pier69 Seattle: SEA448-5000,VI382-8100, 800-888-2535
Express Pt Angeles, 800-633-1589, 1 hr
Kenmore Air to Seattle
BUS: From Shwartz Bay ferry terminal into Victoria, number 70 Pat Bay, 5 minutes before every hour, one hour into Victoria.
MISC
A business with playful graphics on its outside wall must have promise (I have not
checked them out). Drive by the storage facility on Blanshard just south of Bay.
A nice mural can be seen on the back wall of a building by driving east from Selkirk on Gorge Rd.
AREAS
The area of north Langford north of the freeway has many "big-box" stores, and some fast food restaurants including A&W.
Those "out west" will find a modest mall and a growing number of big stores in the CanWest mall area in south Langford. Among them are Canadian Tire, Great Canadian Superstore (groceries and more), and now Wal-Mart. The mall is not far off the road to Sooke, next to Jacklin, and now has Millstream (off of the Trans-Canada highway) extended past it. The mall itself is not worth
the trip (limited hours is one problem) but the big stores are - even those duplicated in Victoria and Saanich are more spacious and better managed in Langford.
Those on the north side of Victoria may find an increasing number of stores and services in the Royal Oak and Broadmead areas adjacent to the highway north.
Downtown Victoria is heavily oriented to tourists, thus selection in many shops is skewed to items not found in Seattle. Many specialized businesses remain from earlier days, and are worth the hassle of downtown if one wants their product or service. (Downtown Victoria has substantial problems with parking and with pan-handlers. Older residents avoid it. The city does provide parking garages, and some businesses provide first-hour-free coupons with purchase, but the city does not keep the garages clean. (I do not have feedback after recent city efforts - it took bureaucrats facing a few hundred business owners in a meeting to agree there was a problem and to try to do something.)
COMMENT on LAND DEVELOPMENT
The Home Depot and Staples stores off the Highlands exit are in Langford close to the border of the Highlands town. The fiefdom of Highlands is against private development. It quietly gave the provincial government assurances that it would approve a development proposal identical to the private one it was turning down, if the provincial government purchased the land and proposed the same development to make a profit for government. (The development would have created parkland either way.)
When this came out in the courts, the mayor at the time of the collusion said it was moral because the government development would not profit a private owner. IOW, developing land to make a profit is acceptable for a government but not a private owner - that sounds marxist to me. Sadly the appeal court said the collusion and two-faced behavior was legal as the town had the authority to do it.
Dishonorable mention goes to Saanich, which is becoming much more anti-development and environmentally extremist. (Amazing how people become NIMBYs once they have their place secured - they are attempting to freeze time at the expense of other property owners, instead of building their own controlled development or buying into one.) Like many cities in SW B.C., Saanich ignores illegal suites but has to take action if someone complains. That facilitates discrimination, as complaints often come from someone with an axe to grind. City councils, including Saanich, don't have the guts to eliminate the zoning rules.(There is glimmer of hope in Vancouver, where the current mayor wants to relax standards for basement suites so that more can be licensed. Some of the standards seemed more appropriate for new construction, others involved ceiling height which is limited in the basement of many old houses in Vancouver.
But credit Victoria city with accepting suites in houses, with less bureaucracy than you'd expect.
They Just Don't Get It
(more ranting about the lack of good signage in stores)
The Vancouver area chain of "IGA Market" stores has taken the cutsey step of putting local street names above the aisle-content signs that are still half-way down the aisle. But real street signs are at road junctions so you know which street to turn down, so the grocery store equivalent would be to have the signs at the end of the aisles - i.e. at the junction of the main cross-aisles and the individual stock aisles. IGA's are in the middle of the block. "They just don't get it."
However, the M&M Meats chain may have gotten it. Their slogan is "Hundreds of choices, only one aisle." (The display cases cover a small area and the staff are right there to help.) Hmm - another example of the breadth of competition.
But it could be worse - Lordco auto parts stores have cutesy signs like Cadillac Lane but do not have prominent signs showing where product categories are. That's even worse than "not getting it" - they don't know enough to even try.
BUT these people get it!
Extra Foods on Londsdale in North Vancouver and in Abbotsford has simple product category list signs at each end of each aisle. A clean simple store worth visiting - not far off the Upper Levels Highway in North Vancouver, or on the main easterly-westerly street through Abbotsford/Clearbrook. (Some other stores in the chain do not get it - I found them cluttered and dirty.)
And WalMart in Duncan merits the "they have a clue in front of them but are blind" award for signs pointing to the Pharmacy. In other words, they know people have difficulty finding a department - will they now realize that people want to find other departments? Probably not, given the excuses made by store management. (I was not able to find two products I have good reason to believe they have, somewhere in that jumbled store - they snooze, they lose sales.)
And the Safeway bureaucracy may be on track in some stores. Not only are list signs near the end of aisles (though not as visible as Extra Foods Lonsdale), some stores have visible signs indicating broad categories, such as Baking. Concepts and specifics (categories and details) - what a radical approach? :-)
(Speaking of Duncan, the Safeway store is the neatest and most spacious grocery store I recall seeing (though Extra Foods North Vancouver was great). Signage in the grocery section is very good - categories, lists at each end of the aisle, and even section markers along the aisle (noticeably absent from the produce area in contrast). Lighting is poor and the deli area is a jumble - but someone has kept the store different (it has been open at least a couple of years).
And the neatest hardware store I've ever seen is Home Hardware and Building supplies, on the east side of the highway toward the north end of town - clean, organized, not too cluttered (even out-of-sight areas are neat - WELL DONE!). (Its stock is too much into housewares - do people really expect a hardware store to have coffeemakers and knick-knacks?)
Also, the new Canadian Tire store in View Royal attempted to do the right thing with signs, but fell apart in the execution (noting the high shelves in the automotive area as having signs but confusing people as they are incomplete, and that end displays now cover many signs - duh?). But bureaucratic idiocy is afoot in the Langford store, whose automotive department does not have any signs. I recommend caution in all Canadian Tire stores in the Victoria area, they are becoming unsafe to move around in.
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