BrennanFan Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Was wondering if i could get some western based voyageurs to impart some general info on what Victoria is like. I've just been accepted into UVic's law school, so i'll be moving there next september. For a guy who's never really been ouside of southern ontario, it'll be a big change. In particular, i was wondering... - how far is Swangard from Victoria - whats the weather really like? does it snow? - is it alot cheaper to live there than in toronto? what does renting a 2 bedroom go for? - any info on UVic itself would be highly appreciated ...thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest HamiltonSteelers Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan - how far is Swangard from Victoria You, sir, have your priorities straight. A fine lawyer, you will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue and White Army Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 You could always give Victoria United a look: http://www.victoriaunited.com/ 2004 treble winners, and a club with lots of history: A gallery of a 2003 match featuring VicU: http://members.shaw.ca/lorich/pcsl-03/victoria-new-west-jul-26/index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABEL Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 hey you got it the soccer there can t be any worse than it is in ontario and the weather is got to be better too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 quote:Originally posted by BrennanFan Was wondering if i could get some western based voyageurs to impart some general info on what Victoria is like. Hi! As I live here (and work at UVic) I can offer some answers. quote: - how far is Swangard from Victoria Swangard is a 30 min drive, 1.5 hr ferry ride and 45 min drive (one way) from Victoria. It is a day trip and costs app $80 for you and the car to ride the ferry. quote: - whats the weather really like? does it snow? Sure, for about one day out of the year on average. This week the city has been carpeted in white and pink cherry blossoms falling from the sky and people are already wearing shorts. quote: - is it alot cheaper to live there than in toronto? what does renting a 2 bedroom go for? I don't know. Victoria is second only to Vancouver in high housing costs. You should be able to find a 2 bedroom for about $800 per month. It's a very small town (compared to T.O.) so you can get anywhere in about 20 minutes max which means you will probably pay less for commuting (and I believe your student card is also a bus pass since the students society did a deal with BC Transit.) quote: - any info on UVic itself would be highly appreciated Uhm, very beautiful campus. Very left-wing (unless you are an engineer then you are required to be a rebuplican ) You are welcome to join in our pick-up soccer games Tuesdays and Fridays (12:30-2:00) on the artificial turf field behind McKinnon gym. If you need directions ask Rich in the Law Library (he is the IT guy there and plays semi-regularly.) No real skill required and no age limit except guys over 65 can shoot from anywhere. Feel free to email me if you have any more questions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Blue and White Army You could always give Victoria United a look: A gallery of a 2003 match featuring VicU: http://members.shaw.ca/lorich/pcsl-03/victoria-new-west-jul-26/index.htm More photos of Victoria United (and other PCSL clubs) in action can be found at... http://www.pcsl.org/photo-collection-index.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC supporter Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 Okay, to augment Ted, here are the views of someone who grew up in SW Ontario, went to Western, Guelph and Carleton, and has lived in Victoria for almost 20 years. a) As I'm sure you know, Swangard is in Burnaby. Unless you're taking a seaplane or helijet, you have to take the ferry to get over to the Lower Mainland. It takes a good chunk of time to drive to the terminal, get in line, board the ferry, make the 95 minute trip, then drive into Vancouver (plus do the trip in reverse). Generally, I only go to Vancouver if I'm planning to stay overnight, and you would NOT go to see a night game at Swangard unless you were staying over. Why? Because the final ferry of the night, in both directions, leaves at 9 pm. 2) Victoria has a maritime climate. It is not balmy; it cools off considerably in the evening. Victoria weather is quite a bit better than Vancouver; it rains less here. It snows in Victoria once or twice a year, and it doesn't linger on the ground long. This has been a very mild winter. You need a scarf and gloves in the winter; you can get by without snow tires. In summer, you need a sweater or jacket in the evenings. Humidity is never a problem. 3) You'd be wrong to think the cost of living is lower in Victoria than Toronto. Victoria is not cheap. Housing prices are unbelievable, but you should be able to get a 1-bedroom apartment in the $6-700 range, or a 2-bedroom in the $800-$1,000 range. Grocery prices are high -- when I was back in Ontario last summer (London and Toronto), I was struck by how many of my "staples" were cheaper in Ontario. Also, gas prices are very high here: 92.9 cents a litre today (there is no competition here among gas stations and prices are the same everywhere in Greater Victoria). One last point. As you probably know, the city of Victoria is only 1 of 13 municipalities and towns that make up the Capital Regional District; each has its own local government. Victoria is 1 of the CRD's 4 core municipalities (along with Oak Bay, Esquimalt and Saanich). UVic is actually in both Oak Bay and Saanich. I would suspect you may well end up living in Saanich. Good luck at UVic. A couple sites you might find of interest: www.victoriachamber.ca/av_communities.php www.city.victoria.bc.ca/common/index.shtml www.tourismvictoria.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Ref Posted March 16, 2005 Share Posted March 16, 2005 There are city buses too if you are willing to wait for the darned things. The soccer season runs between September to April. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BrennanFan Posted March 17, 2005 Author Share Posted March 17, 2005 wow, thanks for all the help guys, youve given me alot to think about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivaldo Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by The Ref The soccer season runs between September to April. What do you guys do from April to September when the rest of us are playing soccer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rivaldo Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by The Ref The soccer season runs between September to April. What do you guys do from April to September when the rest of us are playing soccer? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ted Posted March 23, 2005 Share Posted March 23, 2005 quote:Originally posted by Rivaldo What do you guys do from April to September when the rest of us are playing soccer? Hiking, windsurfing, camping, mountain biking, kayaking, rock climbing, scuba diving, ultimate, baseball, surfing, dragon boat racing, 10K every other bloody weekend, cycling... the same stuff we do all year round. (Of course, when I say "we" I mean "other people who live here" [8D] ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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