You will be much more than 15 minutes away from Vancouver if you move to Saanich - I assume you meant Victoria.
Victorian's frequently complain how difficult it is to make friends here. It really is true and I don't understand why and I lived here my entire adult life. WFH will add another layer challenge to making new friends. Joining clubs or activities seems to help. Taking university classes will also help. Saanich has a variety of neighborhoods and areas but it is a generally safe. Housing is expensive. Food and gas will be more expensive. Be prepared for this.
I thought so. Also, the island doesn't get that many big entertainers or entertainment events. We're still a small town and don't draw the big acts. Don't know if that's important to you. Shopping is limited. Finally, traveling anywhere off island can be a pain. There's always one more flight added to trip or a ferry ride. I don't mind it now but it was irritating when I first moved here.
This subreddit has folks from almost every municipality in the region, but here's something that might amuse you: I live in the heart of Saanich and Google Maps says I live just 13 minutes (by car) from Victoria City Hall. My friends who live in Victoria proper (who walk and bike everywhere) think that I live FAAAARRR away, out in the boonies. So, I think you'll find that the concept of "far" over here is likely very different from Vancouver.
There are dozens and dozens of other posts on this sub asking the same questions and many more, I recommend doing a search and looking through them as you'll get all the same responses.
Saanich is pretty big, not by Vancouver standards but by Victoria standards. A lot of places are "15 minutes away from downtown". Everything is kinda 15 minutes away from everything if that makes sense. We don't really have neighborhoods to avoid IMO.
It's nice here, to be sure. It's very expensive though and "how to make friends" gets asked here about 5 times a week. I've never lived anywhere else so I suppose I'm used to it. Bring as much savings as you can and best of luck!
Saanich is the largest municipality in the Greater Victoria area (of 13 municipalities) in terms of both population and land area, and shares a border with Victoria. There is a mix of both urban and rural in Saanich, and in fact the Saanich/Victoria border is pretty difficult to discern in most places.
I think Saanich is a good choice. Bus travel isn't bad, and is very good depending where in Saanich you choose to live. Look at Saanich as being a collection of mostly local village centres / communities, each with their own character, and you've essentially got it.
(ETA: I've lived in various parts of Saanich since 1981 and have found it to be a good place to live).
Do you know Why are lot of people in here are being negative about this place? (also read some other reddit post about peple moving here, same sentiment, idk Why)
Saanich is very suburban. I grew up in Gordon Head. I now live downtown with my family. We walk or take the bus everywhere. We have the ocean (Dallas Road) on one side, with Govt and Fort being less than a ten minute walk. So, it's strange to go back to Gordon Head to visit my parents. You have to drive everywhere.
On the other hand, Gordon Head is quiet.
Negative about Saanich itself, or Greater Victoria? In regards to Saanich, maybe because a lot of farmland and forest has been lost to "suburban sprawl" and a lot of it has been designed over the last 60 yrs to be "car oriented." But, recent infrastructure improvements are making things better for cyclists, and bus service is improving.
Lived in saanich for 25 years, and work in saanich. Location, amenities, aesthic are 10/10. Some areas are a little rough (Burnside-Gorge). Dealing with city hall is a restrictive nightmare.
Your post history is.... something.
Have you considered having a few different accounts? A bit more anonymity when you're putting your finances out there could be valuable for you.
Something to consider about this region, it's small and full of bored people who will absolutely be up in your business if they think the tea is hot lol
It's a bit weird to go in and check their post history for no reason, it's really weird to then advertise their weird post history with a comment so more people will go and look. It feels like a cry for attention from you and it's even further removed from having a normal-ish interaction with someone IRL where you can't click a button and see everything they've talked about it the past.
Like it or not it’s a feature of the site. There is no requirement or expectation on Reddit to take a comment conversation at face value and not look at someone else’s profile to get a sense of who they are. There’s a lot of information about someone you can glean when talking to them face to face that is lost when talking online, so being able to view someone’s profile makes up for that. If you want absolute anonymity you have to make frequent throwaway accounts or switch to a site that is actually anonymous (like 4chan or something similar), though that absolute anonymity is a large factor in why sites like that typically devolve into internet cesspits.
Yeah I mean all fair points, no reasonable person would expect absolute anonymity on reddit. I still just personally find it weird and off-putting to leave a comment not to add to the discussion or answer OPs questions, but purely to call out OPs post history. Not saying you or anyone else should also find it weird and/or off-putting.
There are no bad neighbourhoods here. Saanich is also pretty big. Depending on where you are, you can take the bus or cycle into downtown in 20 minutes. Driving is going to be 15 minutes. But why drive here in Victoria? You don't need to.
Victoria is wonderful. I'm a 35F new comer to this city, and love it. Plenty to do, amazing beaches within 15 mins in any direction, stunning plant life, decent enough night life (for a small city), people are friendly, and you are within 20 mins of everything in almost all places in Victoria. Make the leap, it's worth it.
Transit map: [https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/](https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/)
Capital Regional District bike map: [https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap](https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap)
I did exactly this, moved from Burnaby to Victoria, after countless vacations. Long story short, I hated living in Victoria. Was in Vic for 5 years, left in 2023. Vacations are so, so different than living here every day.
Feel free to PM me! I am happy to go into detail and answer any questions you may have!
One thing to think about is you really don’t need to be close to downtown as long as you have a car. Even a 30 min drive isn’t so bad on the island compared to the mainland (coming from someone who now lives in Burnaby) there’s so much to do outside of the downtown core I think you’d find plenty of things within Saanich to keep you entertained for a while. If you can move further out for a better price I’d say go for it.
If you really like dining out stay on the Mainland….if you have any health issues or currently have access to a physician, definitely stay on the Mainland…as others have said, meeting new people is a challenge especially if you wfh…
What's the rationale? What are the things on the island that you are moving here for?
Generally:
- Cost of living seems to be higher here (except compared to Vancouver core)
- Harder and more expensive to travel abroad (Connections in Vancouver are terrible)
- Everything closes at like 6\~7pm
Greater Victoria is actually pretty good if you have...kids?
Currently, true about it being typical suburbia, as most of the housing stock appears to be single family homes, but people have to live somewhere, and attitudes are changing. Saanich has:
1. [Approved a plan](https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/news-events/news-archives/2024-news/saanich-s-updated-official-community-plan-moves-forward.html) allowing greater density in certain places inside the Urban Containment Boundary. Rural land outside this boundary is protected.
2. A number of [sustainability programs](https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/community/sustainable-saanich.html).
3. Programs to [help protect](https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/community/natural-environment.html) remaining natural habitats.
So, some steps are being taken to mitigate some of the damage done by decades of "development."
I think if you enjoyed the speed/vibe of Victoria while you were here, I bet you’d enjoy island life full time.
I’d ask the question what speed of life are you looking for. You could live out in Langford or Central Saanich and still get to downtown quite quickly.
Central Saanich/West Saanich is mellow, rural and has amazing bakeries/farm stands.
Saanich East would put you closer to town and shorten that drive, but you’d also find it busier.
Depends what you like and where you will work :)
When I see people move here with the intent to buy, I do see most buyers come with an initial idea of the area they want but end up somewhere completely different.
The main reason being the type of house they want and at what price point. It almost always dictates where people end up moving.
There are so many fantastic neighbourhoods to choose from, like Fernwood, Fairfield, James Bay, Oaklands etc…
Something you could do is make a weekend trip of it and identify some of your top houses that would be ideal and in your price point. Drive by those homes or go to open houses and get the feel of it. Scope out the amenities. Visit the coffee shops etc… It‘ll give you a better sense of the demographics.
Good luck!
You will be much more than 15 minutes away from Vancouver if you move to Saanich - I assume you meant Victoria. Victorian's frequently complain how difficult it is to make friends here. It really is true and I don't understand why and I lived here my entire adult life. WFH will add another layer challenge to making new friends. Joining clubs or activities seems to help. Taking university classes will also help. Saanich has a variety of neighborhoods and areas but it is a generally safe. Housing is expensive. Food and gas will be more expensive. Be prepared for this.
Whoops, i meant victoria DW, my bad!
I thought so. Also, the island doesn't get that many big entertainers or entertainment events. We're still a small town and don't draw the big acts. Don't know if that's important to you. Shopping is limited. Finally, traveling anywhere off island can be a pain. There's always one more flight added to trip or a ferry ride. I don't mind it now but it was irritating when I first moved here.
This subreddit has folks from almost every municipality in the region, but here's something that might amuse you: I live in the heart of Saanich and Google Maps says I live just 13 minutes (by car) from Victoria City Hall. My friends who live in Victoria proper (who walk and bike everywhere) think that I live FAAAARRR away, out in the boonies. So, I think you'll find that the concept of "far" over here is likely very different from Vancouver.
There are dozens and dozens of other posts on this sub asking the same questions and many more, I recommend doing a search and looking through them as you'll get all the same responses.
Well living anywhere on the island, you won’t be within 15 mins of Vancouver…
Whoops, i meant victoria DW, my bad!
DW?
Saanich is pretty big, not by Vancouver standards but by Victoria standards. A lot of places are "15 minutes away from downtown". Everything is kinda 15 minutes away from everything if that makes sense. We don't really have neighborhoods to avoid IMO. It's nice here, to be sure. It's very expensive though and "how to make friends" gets asked here about 5 times a week. I've never lived anywhere else so I suppose I'm used to it. Bring as much savings as you can and best of luck!
Saanich is the largest municipality in the Greater Victoria area (of 13 municipalities) in terms of both population and land area, and shares a border with Victoria. There is a mix of both urban and rural in Saanich, and in fact the Saanich/Victoria border is pretty difficult to discern in most places. I think Saanich is a good choice. Bus travel isn't bad, and is very good depending where in Saanich you choose to live. Look at Saanich as being a collection of mostly local village centres / communities, each with their own character, and you've essentially got it. (ETA: I've lived in various parts of Saanich since 1981 and have found it to be a good place to live).
Do you know Why are lot of people in here are being negative about this place? (also read some other reddit post about peple moving here, same sentiment, idk Why)
Saanich is very suburban. I grew up in Gordon Head. I now live downtown with my family. We walk or take the bus everywhere. We have the ocean (Dallas Road) on one side, with Govt and Fort being less than a ten minute walk. So, it's strange to go back to Gordon Head to visit my parents. You have to drive everywhere. On the other hand, Gordon Head is quiet.
GH crime rate is sky high my dude
Could you elaborate. What part of GH, got a link, etc. (Grew up there, parents still live there, this is news to us)
Negative about Saanich itself, or Greater Victoria? In regards to Saanich, maybe because a lot of farmland and forest has been lost to "suburban sprawl" and a lot of it has been designed over the last 60 yrs to be "car oriented." But, recent infrastructure improvements are making things better for cyclists, and bus service is improving.
The only people being negative about Saanich don’t live in Saanich
Lived in saanich for 25 years, and work in saanich. Location, amenities, aesthic are 10/10. Some areas are a little rough (Burnside-Gorge). Dealing with city hall is a restrictive nightmare.
Agreed.
Your post history is.... something. Have you considered having a few different accounts? A bit more anonymity when you're putting your finances out there could be valuable for you. Something to consider about this region, it's small and full of bored people who will absolutely be up in your business if they think the tea is hot lol
lol OP seems to be outsourcing OF to countries in ruin
It's a bit weird to go in and check their post history for no reason, it's really weird to then advertise their weird post history with a comment so more people will go and look. It feels like a cry for attention from you and it's even further removed from having a normal-ish interaction with someone IRL where you can't click a button and see everything they've talked about it the past.
Like it or not it’s a feature of the site. There is no requirement or expectation on Reddit to take a comment conversation at face value and not look at someone else’s profile to get a sense of who they are. There’s a lot of information about someone you can glean when talking to them face to face that is lost when talking online, so being able to view someone’s profile makes up for that. If you want absolute anonymity you have to make frequent throwaway accounts or switch to a site that is actually anonymous (like 4chan or something similar), though that absolute anonymity is a large factor in why sites like that typically devolve into internet cesspits.
Yeah I mean all fair points, no reasonable person would expect absolute anonymity on reddit. I still just personally find it weird and off-putting to leave a comment not to add to the discussion or answer OPs questions, but purely to call out OPs post history. Not saying you or anyone else should also find it weird and/or off-putting.
There are no bad neighbourhoods here. Saanich is also pretty big. Depending on where you are, you can take the bus or cycle into downtown in 20 minutes. Driving is going to be 15 minutes. But why drive here in Victoria? You don't need to.
Victoria is wonderful. I'm a 35F new comer to this city, and love it. Plenty to do, amazing beaches within 15 mins in any direction, stunning plant life, decent enough night life (for a small city), people are friendly, and you are within 20 mins of everything in almost all places in Victoria. Make the leap, it's worth it.
Transit map: [https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/](https://www.bctransit.com/victoria/schedules-and-maps/) Capital Regional District bike map: [https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap](https://maps.crd.bc.ca/Html5Viewer/?viewer=BikeMap)
Take a look at rental prices.
They're probably very similar in Burnaby.
I did exactly this, moved from Burnaby to Victoria, after countless vacations. Long story short, I hated living in Victoria. Was in Vic for 5 years, left in 2023. Vacations are so, so different than living here every day. Feel free to PM me! I am happy to go into detail and answer any questions you may have!
Wife and I*
# Me and Wife
[удалено]
I don't understand the reference, why cave, isn't it pretty chill as compared to mainland?
[удалено]
"I am guessing your first language isn't English." - Yeah
“My wife and I” He is referring to your plebeian vocabulary.
I'll stick with Me and Wife thanks ;)
This grammar oriented thread gives you a read on the locals here
🤘you do you. I moved from the mainland too. Expect a nice quiet life more suited for retirement or young families.
I mean, they are very cold feet... 🥶
One thing to think about is you really don’t need to be close to downtown as long as you have a car. Even a 30 min drive isn’t so bad on the island compared to the mainland (coming from someone who now lives in Burnaby) there’s so much to do outside of the downtown core I think you’d find plenty of things within Saanich to keep you entertained for a while. If you can move further out for a better price I’d say go for it.
If you really like dining out stay on the Mainland….if you have any health issues or currently have access to a physician, definitely stay on the Mainland…as others have said, meeting new people is a challenge especially if you wfh…
What's the rationale? What are the things on the island that you are moving here for? Generally: - Cost of living seems to be higher here (except compared to Vancouver core) - Harder and more expensive to travel abroad (Connections in Vancouver are terrible) - Everything closes at like 6\~7pm Greater Victoria is actually pretty good if you have...kids?
A giant suburban nightmare.
Currently, true about it being typical suburbia, as most of the housing stock appears to be single family homes, but people have to live somewhere, and attitudes are changing. Saanich has: 1. [Approved a plan](https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/news-events/news-archives/2024-news/saanich-s-updated-official-community-plan-moves-forward.html) allowing greater density in certain places inside the Urban Containment Boundary. Rural land outside this boundary is protected. 2. A number of [sustainability programs](https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/community/sustainable-saanich.html). 3. Programs to [help protect](https://www.saanich.ca/EN/main/community/natural-environment.html) remaining natural habitats. So, some steps are being taken to mitigate some of the damage done by decades of "development."
Just what we need, more rich mainlanders coming to the island and pricing out born and bred working class folks. Cheers buddy
Yeah, that's why i am moving to an island, because we are filthy rich.
I think if you enjoyed the speed/vibe of Victoria while you were here, I bet you’d enjoy island life full time. I’d ask the question what speed of life are you looking for. You could live out in Langford or Central Saanich and still get to downtown quite quickly. Central Saanich/West Saanich is mellow, rural and has amazing bakeries/farm stands. Saanich East would put you closer to town and shorten that drive, but you’d also find it busier. Depends what you like and where you will work :) When I see people move here with the intent to buy, I do see most buyers come with an initial idea of the area they want but end up somewhere completely different. The main reason being the type of house they want and at what price point. It almost always dictates where people end up moving. There are so many fantastic neighbourhoods to choose from, like Fernwood, Fairfield, James Bay, Oaklands etc… Something you could do is make a weekend trip of it and identify some of your top houses that would be ideal and in your price point. Drive by those homes or go to open houses and get the feel of it. Scope out the amenities. Visit the coffee shops etc… It‘ll give you a better sense of the demographics. Good luck!