View Royal is geographically central among the communities of Greater Victoria, bordered by Colwood, Langford, Highlands, Saanich and Esquimalt. Present population is just over 8,000 residents. The town was incorporated in 1988, but View Royal was settled by Europeans in the 1850's, when Dr. John Helmcken bought 640 acres from the Hudson's Bay Company to establish a farm. Prior to this the area was home to people of the Coast Salish. There are historic sites that you may visit to learn about early days in View Royal, including:
· Craigflower Manor and Schoolhouse - which offers a fantastic look into the day to day life of settlers in the mid 1800's. The two story farmhouse is the third oldest building in BC, and narrowly escaped destruction by fire in January 2009, and
· Six Mile Pub -is the oldest continually operating pub in BC (established in 1855), with a reputation for excellent pub food and a friendly atmosphere.
Today View Royal is a largely residential municipality, and is divided into seven precincts:
· Atkins;
· Burnside;
· Craigflower;
· Harbour;
· Helmcken;
· Hospital, and
· Wilfert.
These divisions were determined by various factors including topography, natural environment, residential history, and transportation corridors.
View Royal is also home to the Victoria General Hospital, the largest medical facility in Greater Victoria. Policing is provided by the West Shore RCMP, and View Royal has a fire department comprised of both career and volunteer firefighters. Garbage and food waste are collected weekly by a company contracted to the town of View Royal, and the Capital Regional District (CRD) operates a region-wide blue box recyclable collection program.
Homes in View Royal include condominiums, multi-family and single family homes, and range widely in price depending on location, age and condition. There is something for every prospective home buyer, whether looking for that first home, moving up to a larger place, or downsizing. There are even highly desirable waterfront properties, and everything in View Royal is within an easy commute to the City of Victoria!
There are many opportunities for recreation in View Royal, you may want to visit:
· Thetis Lake Park - where you'll find sandy beaches, perfect for a dip on a hot summer day, as well as an extensive network of hiking trails. The lake system, consisting of two lakes (Upper and Lower Thetis) connected by a narrow culvert passable by canoe or kayak, provides almost endless exploration of remote bays, beaches and small islands;
· Francis/King Regional Park - a beautiful woodland park with tons of trails including the Elsie King boardwalk, a 550 metre trail accessible to those with limited mobility, and a nature house featuring educational displays of the local flora and fauna;
· Portage Inlet - follow the Gorge waterway inland and you'll discover this tranquil jewel, popular with canoers, kayakers and birdwatchers, and
· Mill Hill Regional Park - where you can hike through cool woodlands and climb to the summit of Mill Hill for spectacular views of Esquimalt Harbour and Victoria.
View Royal is a friendly community in Greater Victoria with diverse options in housing, and access to all sorts of outdoor recreation, whether you're a golfer, hiker, kayaker, birdwatcher or just want to get out into the great outdoors. With these attributes, as well as easy access to Victoria and all the shopping, theatre, music and cultural activities that are offered in the city, it's no wonder that View Royal is such a popular municipality for homebuyers!
Geoff McLean is a realtor in Victoria BC who approaches his real estate vocation with honesty, integrity and straightforwardness.
Geoff is also the primary author of a blog about his home city. Living in Victoria is a valuable source of information about the Greater Victoria area for those who are interested in moving to this beautiful city.
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