A Quick Guide to Victoria, British Columbia
Victoria is the capital of the Canadian province of British Columbia. It has a population of approximately 78,659 people, according to VancouverIsland.com. According to the historical website for the city of Victoria, the city was founded by the Hudson's Bay trading company in 1843. This makes it the oldest city in western Canada. At the time, it was called Fort Victoria, named after the British queen. The gold rush of the mid 19th century contributed lots of excitement to the city's development. It became the capital of British Columbia in 1871.
According to the Victoria Tourism Mall, the travel magazine Conde Nast named Victoria the best city in the Americas in both 2003 and 2004. While it is still the provincial capital, it is no longer the region's largest city and center of industry; that honor goes to Vancouver. Victoria now focuses primarily on tourism and on its government offices. Its original government buildings, nicknamed the Birdcages, were built in 1859 and burned to the ground in 1957.
Highlights
Victoria has many tourist attractions. Prominent among these are Butchart Gardens, a large and proudly maintained public garden, and the Royal British Columbia Museum, which features an IMAX theatre and important artifacts from Canadian history.
It also has the second oldest Chinatown in North America, next to the Chinatown in San Francisco. Fan Tan Alley, a street in Victoria's Chinatown, has the distinction of being the narrowest street in Canada. It used to be a haven for opium dens and gambling parlors, but now specializes in souvenir shops.
Entry Requirements
If you are visiting from the United States, you can take the ferry from Seattle or from Port Angeles, Washington, according to VancouverIsland.com. Visitors from anywhere in the world can fly into the Victoria International Airport.
Even if you are an American citizen, you will need a passport to visit Canada, according to About.com. This also goes for citizens of any other country.
If you want to immigrate to Canada, there are multiple routes to doing so, according to the website Citizenship and Immigration Canada. You might be a skilled worker or professional; an investor or entrepreneur; or a provincial nominee, nominated by one of Canada's provinces (in this case British Columbia) to live and work there. You may also be sponsored by a family member who is a Canadian citizen. Additionally, there is a new immigration class called the "Canadian Experience Class" for individuals who have Canadian work experience in their backgrounds.
Make sure all your documents are in order, and you could find yourself a happy visitor or resident of Victoria, British Columbia.