Victoria Market Watch

Shawinigan Lake: A Victoria Favourite

Shawnigan Lake

Barber Shop, Shawnigan Lake A fashionable summer recreation and cottage area for over a century, Shawnigan Lake has seen its share of happy anglers, blissful sunbathers and elegant day-trippers. The Lake is still a favourite weekend getaway spot and, increasingly, one of Victoria's more popular "bedroom" community. The Village is a well-known venue for arts and craft shows, and hosts a small but excellent museum. Population: 14,040 (Area) Location: Shawnigan Lake is located on southern Vancouver Island, 3 miles (5 km) west of Mill Bay and 28 miles (45 km) north of Victoria. The last spike on the E&N Railway was driven at Cliffside, on the east side of Shawnigan Lake. Boat dock on Shawnigan Lake Numerous shoreline marshes, an island park, and intriguing old lakeside cabins make Shawnigan Lake an excellent spot for kayaks and canoes. Spanning the Koksilah River Valley, the now-abandoned Kinsol Trestle is one of the largest and highest wooden trestle bridges in the world. Memory Island Provincial Park is located on the southern half of Shawnigan Lake. It only requires a short 1km paddle to reach this tranquil little park. Come ashore to picnic, stretch your legs and do a little laid-back bird-watching. Hike the trails on nearby Koksilah Provincial Park, or pack a picnic lunch and explore West Shawnigan Lake Provincial Park. The beach here is very popular with young families. Shawnigan Lake Municipal Beach is located on Renfrew Rd in the quaint town of the same name beside the Esquimalt and Nanaimo Railway on the east side of the lake. Golf: Golfers have a few golf courses in the area to choose from; Cowichan Golf and Country Club in Duncan (20 minutes from Crofton), Duncan Meadows Golf Course (15 minutes from Crofton), Mount Brenton Golf Course in Chemainus (10 minutes from Crofton), and Arbutus Ridge Golf Club in nearby Cobble Hill. Golf Vacations on Vancouver Island. Directly east of Shawnigan Lake and just south of the Mill Bay ferry terminal is Bamberton Provincial Park. A large swath of sandy beach, complete with changing facilities, fronts on the Saanich Inlet here. Dozens of picnic tables sit on the terraces slopes above the beach, shaded by a fir-and-arbutus (madrona) foest. This is one of the more scenic locations on the inlet, and from here you look east towards Mount Baker on the mainland. Old Mill Park is located off Recreation Road on the east side of Shawnigan Lake. The park was the mill site of the Shawnigan Lake Lumber Co. from 1881 to 1945. In addition to its extensive industrial heritage, Old Mill Park has become a popular recreation site for family’s and nature enthusiasts. The Trans Canada Trail Regional Park follows the abandoned Canadian National Railway (CNR) right-of-way from Sooke Lake Road (at the south end of Shawnigan Lake) to the Holt Creek trestle in the Glenora area. The trail will eventually connect with the Galloping Goose Trail and create a continuous national trail system from Mile '0' at Douglas and Dallas Roads in Victoria to St John’s Newfoundland, with a branch going up through the Yukon, a distance of approximately 17,400 kilometres.

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The Charm of Mill Bay

Mill Bay

Welcome to Mill Bay At the north end of the Malahat Drive, take a detour to Mill Bay and enjoy the village's quiet waterfront streets and wonderful Gulf Island views. Mill Bay was established in the 1860s, twenty years after Victoria was founded. Its principal industry was lumber and milling, which was done at the mill on the bay. The surrounding parks and scenery are lovely - perfect for hiking, cycling and boating. This is an ideal spot to spend a few days, basking in the sun and swimming in warm waters. If the prospect of negotiating the steep Malahat Drive is daunting, B.C. Ferries operates a regularly scheduled service from Mill Bay to Brentwood Bay on the Saanich Peninsula, an alternative route to Victoria or the ferry terminal at Swartz Bay. Population: 3,250 Location: Mill Bay is located on the southeast shore of Vancouver Island, about 26 miles (41 km) north of Victoria.

Connect with Bill         250-858-0200              [email protected]

Sooke: Where The Ocean Meets the Rainforest

Sooke is a small community of less than 12,000 residences up the West Coast from Victoria.  It is about a 40 minute drive.  People from Victoria often escape to Sooke and beyond for a real West Coast Experience.  Many new subdivisions have sprung up lately because land is available.  Prices tend to be more moderate than closer to Victoria proper.  It does rain more there, but for some that's part of the experience.  The summers are dry and sunny and glorious. Sooke is a favourite place for saltwater fishing.  To explore more about the Sooke area, click on the link below:

http://www.sooke.org/

If you visit Sooke you will want to travel further up the coast and explore Mytic Beach and  Port Renfrew.  Both places are rural and rustic and give you a chance to breathe.  The four minute video below will give you a sense of the area:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tHTxft1i3M

 

 

 

 

   Connect with Bill. 

    250-858-0200

    [email protected]

 

View Royal: Life Can Be A Gamble

The town of View Royal is situated between Victoria and the Westshore.  Those with a penchant for gambling often visit the Casino, but there is more:

http://www.viewroyal.ca/EN/index.html

 

                   

                  Connect with Bill:   

                    250-858-0200

             [email protected]

Growth in the Western Communities

There has been a lot of development in the last decade in the western portion of Greater Victoria, often referred to as Westshore, for one compelling reason:  land availability.  Some residents live and work there, others commute to Victoria.  The range of properties available is diverse:  from one bedroom affordable condos to luxury homes with majestic ocean views.  Below, you can explore Colwood, Langford and Metchosin and see what they have to offer.

Colwood:  http://colwood.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp

Langford:  http://www.cityoflangford.ca/ 

 

 

 

Metchosin:  http://www.district.metchosin.bc.ca/siteengine/activepage.asp

 

 

 

 

 

Connect with Bill:

250-858-0200

[email protected]

A Hint or Rural Charm

The Peninsula is the area often referred to between the City of Victoria and the Town of Sidney.  This includes the municpalities of Central Saanich and North Saanich as well as a small hamlet called Brentwood.  Large tracts of land in this area are under the Agricultural Land Reserve and cannot be developed.  There are many fine subdivisions slotted in between and many Greater Victoria residents live here.  The link below will tell all:

http://www.centralsaanich.ca/Home.htm

North of Central Saanich is North Saanich (logical, no?)   Here is another area of exquisite  homes separated by farmland and hills.  View the following link to discover North Saanich:

http://www.northsaanich.ca/Welcome_to_North_Saanich.htm

 

             Connect with Bill:    250-858-0200     [email protected]

 

Prairie Town by the Sea

Sidney is a small, friendly town 20 kilometres from Victoria.  Because it is flat and on the ocean, many refer to it as a prairie town by the sea.  Eleven thousand people live in Sidney and it has close proximity to B.C. Ferries, the Anacortes Ferry (to the U.S.) and the Victoria Airport.  It is also known as the bookstore capital of Canada.  To learn more about Sidney, click on the following:

http://www.sidney.ca/

 

 

 

Eagle watching is a common passtime on the West Coast.  The link below will give you an eagle's point of view of a standard one bedroom nest:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NrxMizvqG0I 

 

 
   Connect with Bill:    250-858-0200     [email protected]

Western Naval Base

 

Esquimalt was named by its first inhabitants, the Songhees.  The name means "a place of gradual shoaling".  Today, 17,000 residents live here and it is the western location of the Canadian Forces Naval Base and shipbuilding industry.  Esquimalt is almost completely surrounded by the Pacific Ocean.  Explore this community by clicking below:

http://www.esquimalt.ca/

 

 

 

 
    Connect with Bill:    250-858-0200     [email protected]

British Character

Oak Bay has always been one of the favoured places to live in Greater Victoria.  It features majestic neighbourhoods with tree-lined streets, is close to the ocean and to many has a British flavour.  To explore this community, click on the following:

http://www.oakbaybc.org/

                                                             

 
     Connect with Bill:   250-858-0200     [email protected]

Neighbourhoods

Greater Victoria has many local municipalities and town including:  Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, View Royal, Colwood, Langford, Metchosin, North Saanich, Central Saanich and Sidney, as well as Sooke (40 minutes west) and the Cowichan Valley (40 minutes north). Within the GREATER VICTORIA category, you will be able to explore them all.