The Island is growing faster than the care it needs
Vancouver Island has added nearly 137,000 people in a decade. Family-doctor waitlists and crowded hospitals show that care has not kept pace.
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A Brentwood Bay tasting room at Church & State Wines
Dinner, brunch or a room at Sooke Harbour House
The Victoria Public Market keeps the farmers’ stalls going indoors
Langford still has two free Saturdays left for yard-waste drop-off
Victoria’s leaf collection is moving through neighbourhoods until January
Flu and COVID-19 vaccines this season on the South Island
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Upcoming Events
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Bastion Square Winter Market
November 12, 2026 – December 24, 2026
Nov 12 – Dec 24 · 12:00 PM
Bastion Square, downtown Victoria · BC
Free to browse
Light Up at the Parliament Buildings
November 27, 2026
3:00 PM – 6:30 PM
British Columbia Parliament Buildings, 501 Belleville Street, Victoria · BC
Free; no tickets or registration required
44th Peninsula Co-op Santa Claus Parade presented by CHEK
November 28, 2026
5:30 PM
Downtown Victoria, starting at Belleville and Government, Starts at Belleville Street and Government Street, Victoria · BC
Free to watch; non-perishable food or small cash donations welcome for Mustard Seed
Bastion Square Christmas Village
November 28, 2026 – November 29, 2026
Nov 28 – 29 · 1:00 PM
Bastion Square, downtown Victoria · BC
Free to attend
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Oak Bay Christmas Festival Light Up
November 29, 2026
2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Oak Bay Village, Oak Bay Avenue, Oak Bay · BC
Free
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The Magic of Christmas at The Butchart Gardens
December 1, 2026 – January 6, 2027
Dec 1 – Jan 6 · 3:00 PM
The Butchart Gardens, 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay · BC
Adult (18+) $41.00; youth 13-17 $20.50; child 5-12 $5.00; tax included. Timed tickets recommended. Closed December 25
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Magic of Christmas Official Light Up
December 1, 2026
6:00 PM – 6:00 PM
The Butchart Gardens, in front of the Rose Carousel, 800 Benvenuto Avenue, Brentwood Bay · BC
Included with Magic of Christmas admission; reserve a timed entrance ticket
Harbour Holiday Lights
December 3, 2026
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Victoria Inner Harbour — Lower Causeway and Ship Point Pier, Lower Causeway and Ship Point Pier, Victoria Inner Harbour, Victoria · BC
Free; free hot chocolate, cookies, and photos with Santa