VIEW ROYAL
The Town of View Royal is the gateway to the West Shore communities from Victoria. It’s seen a rise in population in recent years, and had a near-11% jump in residents from 2011 to 2016. The town has become increasingly popular for its close proximity to downtown Victoria yet stunning setting in nature.
Profile
Population: 10,408
Average age: 42.8
Average full-time employment income: $64,292
Population density per square kilometres: 724.8
Land area in square kilometres: 14.36
Total private dwellings: 4,299
Amenities
Residents in View Royal fall into the the Greater Victoria School District. Depending on the specific neighbourhood and catchment, elementary students may go to Eagle View, Craigflower, or Strawberry Vale. Middle school students go to Colquitz or Shoreline for grades six to eight, and for high school they go to Spectrum Community School or Esquimalt High.
Victoria General Hospital is located in View Royal. It’s one of two major hospitals in Greater Victoria, along with Royal Jubilee Hospital, both of which are equipped with emergency rooms and 24/7 care.
Right beside the hospital is a newly built commercial hub, Eagle Creek Village, which has a number of amenities. These include a dental centre, a medical clinic, a veterinary clinic, a grocery store, a new YMCA-YWCA with a fitness centre, and more.
View Royal is a 15-minute drive or 25-minute bike ride into downtown Victoria, a quick 10-minute drive or 24-minute bike ride to downtown Langford, and just a half hour drive to Victoria International Airport and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.
Fun and Family
There is great hiking throughout View Royal, including at Thetis Lake Regional Park, which is rated moderate to challenging for hiking. Thetis Lake is also great for swimming, canoeing, kayaking, horseback riding, running, and for fishing rainbow trout.
There are a number of other trails including MacLennan Trail that winds through View Royal Park, and Chilco Trails, which is a series of trails from the bottom of Thetis Vale to a viewing point at the summit. There’s also Duffus Trail with beautiful views of Millstream Creek. The Galloping Goose Trail conveniently runs through View Royal and is great for commuting or for walking, running, cycling, and horseback riding.
The Highland Pacific Golf course falls just outside of the View Royal border, but is a great course for golfers looking for a challenging game with beautiful views of Thetis Lake and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Even though it can be challenging, the course has a wide variety of tee markers so golfers of all skill levels can play.
For indoor fitness, residents have quick access to West Shore Parks and Recreation, including the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre in nearby Colwood. There you’ll find a swimming pool, skating rink, curling rink, weight room, fitness studio with classes, and a par three golf course.
There are a few spots to access the waters off of View Royal and explore the Esquimalt Harbour. You can kayak off of Thetis Cove at Portage Park or near Helmcken Bay off of Stewart or Beaumont Avenue.