AboutRob Janus Expertise I'm a resident of Victoria, and have been for 25 years. I'm happy to answer questions about
tourism, housing, local government, or similar things.
Experience Resident of the area for a quarter century. Writing a book about tourism in Victoria.
Education/Credentials Bachelor of Arts in Economics.
Expert: Rob Janus Date: 12/25/2007 Subject: hispanic community in Victoria
Question Dear Rob,
My Mexican husband and I (I'm a U.S. citizen) just got visas to become permanent residents in Canada and we are very excited. We know that we want to go to B.C. because we like the climate and ecology of the area. We both lived in S.W. Washington State and loved it. We are excited to be in B.C. because of it's broad international influence, natural surroundings, etc.
We need to pick our top three cities/areas in B.C. so that we can then start a job search in those areas.
My question is this: Does Victoria have a small Spanish-speaking community? Our son is 2 and we would like him to continue to enjoy hearing Spanish and interacting in his culture occasionally after we move.
We are also wondering how many free family type activities such as outdoor concerts there are in Victoria.
Thank you so much.
Julia
Answer Hi Julia,
Thank you for your question. Victoria does not have a Spanish-speaking "community" per se, although there certainly are Hispanic people residing here. Up until a year ago, we used to have a Latin/Caribbean festival every year, but the organizers fell into financial difficulties and disbanded. There isn't a registered Spanish club in Victoria either, though that doesn't mean Spanish people aren't connected with each other here. I have a friend that's Portuguese who tells me that despite there being no Portuguese club, that hasn't stopped large groups of Portuguese people from gathering and interacting here. Even without a distinct Spanish-speaking organization for the area, I think you could successfully connect with other Spanish-speaking locals through other means.
As for free outdoor events, there are many, many that happen throughout the year here. Lately, with the Christmas season, there have been many community "light up" events and festive outdoor gatherings. Of course, the summer is when most events take place, ranging from outdoor concerts in the park, to lunch-time music downtown, to special celebrations for Canada Day, Victoria Day and the like. You can get a partial list of the events at the Tourism Victoria website at www.tourismvictoria.com. Also, the City of Victoria has a good listing of events on their website at www.victoria.ca/residents/artscl_artfest.shtml
Hope that helps Julia. Please feel free to ask any follow-up questions.
