Vancouver Island City Living

Living on Vancouver Island you have easy access to lots of rugged wilderness, large trees, amazing beaches and vast spaces. While these are definitely a big part of the appeal of island living, what people don't realize are just how many amenities Vancouver Island offers as well, making it an ideal place to live with the best of both worlds at your doorstep.

looking at downtown Victoria

The four main urban areas on Vancouver Island are (in order of population) Victoria (the Capital Regional District includes a number of smaller cities and municipalities which most visitors refer to collectively as Victoria), Nanaimo, the Comox Valley (including Courtenay and Comox) and Campbell River. All of these centres have major hospitals (Victoria has two), including new hospitals in both the Comox Valley and Campbell River, and vibrant downtown districts.

Vancouver Island has two universities and numerous colleges. The University of Victoria has been around for over 50 years and attracts students from across Canada as well as many international students. It is also a popular choice for students on Vancouver Island.  Vancouver Island University is based in Nanaimo. It was originally Malaspina College, and in 2008 was granted full university status under its new name. All the urban centres have local colleges as well as private colleges.

The Save On Foods Memorial Center in Victoria regularly features high profile music acts. The MacPherson and Royal Theatres in Victoria and Port Theatre in Nanaimo attract major stage and dance productions, while the Sid Williams Theatre in Courtenay and the Tidemark Theatre in Campbell River provide a nice variety of live entertainment for those communities. Victoria also boasts the world-class Royal BC Museum as well as an art gallery. There are many other places of culture, history and creativity throughout the urban centres and even on the smaller islands near Vancouver Island.

Empress Hotel, Victoria Inner Harbour

Both Victoria and Nanaimo have a number of indoor shopping malls, including The Bay Centre and Mayfair Mall in Victoria, and Woodgrove Centre in Nanaimo - all very popular with island residents. All the urban centres have a wide variety of shopping available.

Thanks to the mild climate, world-class sporting facilities and excellent recreation centres can be found on the island. Golfing is almost a year-round sport here, with a PGA tour stop in Victoria every year.

Westbay Marina across to Victoria's Inner Harbour

One of the appeals of living on Vancouver Island is that you really can have it all. Anywhere you live on the island offers amazing coastal beauty, while all the amenities needed or wanted are also available.

It's a Coastal Lifestyle ... Live It!