PlaceDossier / Victoria

Property dossier · British Columbia

Lot in Victoria (PID 000-078-794)

PID
000-078-794
Mapped area
1,272 m² (0.31 acres)
Local government
Victoria
Plan
VIP26075
N70 m across

Reading the BC records for this lot: about 15 seconds. The report appears here when they're in.

  1. §01What you can build (zoning)
  2. §02Buildable area
  3. §03Winter sun
  4. §04Farmland reserve (ALR)
  5. §05Soil for farming
  6. §06Floodplain
  7. §07Wildfire history
  8. §08Evacuation orders and alerts
  9. §09Earthquake shaking
  10. §10Landslide records
  11. §11Radon
  12. §12Federal contaminated sites
  13. §13Road access
  14. §14Water and streamside setbacks
  15. §15Mineral and placer titles
  16. §16Wildlife and habitat
  17. §17What's planned nearby
  18. §18Noise sources nearby
  19. §19Water wells nearby
  20. §20Septic
  21. §21Services nearby
  22. §22Internet
  23. §23Climate
  24. §24Speculation and vacancy tax
  25. §25Property tax
  26. §26Crime

PlaceDossier / Victoria

Property dossier · British Columbia

Lot in Victoria (PID 000-078-794)

Plan
VIP26075
Mapped area
1,272 m² (0.31 acres)
Local government
Victoria
Checked
Oct 11, 2026

Capital Regional District

placedossier.com/p/000078794 · checked 2026-10-11

17.517.52022.525Quadra StreetView StreetFort StreetVancouver StreetMeares Street N 050 m

On the plan: everything we found240 m across

Plan is our drawing of every layer in this report on one sheet, with contours every 0.5 m (17–26 m above sea level) from NRCan's lidar elevation model (Vancouver Island Sunshine Coast survey, 2018; read at 2 m): the sheet that prints. Drawn from the sources in each section; lines can be metres off. Not a survey.

Victoria, Capital Regional District

26 public records1 look into7 nothing found18 for reference

  1. §16Wildlife and habitatThe Conservation Data Centre records 1 species or ecosystem at risk on this parcel: Monarch (Red-listed).Look into
  2. §01What you can build (zoning)Zoned CA-58 (Harris Green (947 Fort Street)) by the City of Victoria.For reference
  3. §02Buildable areaNo part of the lot is steeper than 30% or within 30 m of mapped water (median slope 6%).
  4. §03Winter sunOn December 21 the hills leave about 8 h of possible direct sun at the lot's middle, against 8 h 10 min on open ground at this latitude. (Our estimate from the terrain; trees and buildings not counted.)
  5. §06FloodplainNot on one of the province's designated floodplain maps.
  6. §18Noise sources nearbyA railway siding or yard track is about 1.3 km from the lot line.
  7. §19Water wells nearbyWe have no open map of the City of Victoria's water and sewer service: most lots in town are on it (our reading); ask the City of Victoria before planning a well or field.
  8. §20SepticIf the lot isn't on sewer: about 870 m² (69%) of the lot is at least 30 m from mapped water and recorded wells, 3 m in from the lot lines and under 25% slope, where the Province's manual allows most kinds of septic field.
  9. 7

    Checked, nothing foundFarmland reserve (ALR), Wildfire history, Evacuation orders and alerts, Road access, Water and streamside setbacks, Mineral and placer titles, What's planned nearby

    Nothing found
  10. 11

    Background for this placeSoil for farming, Earthquake shaking, Landslide records, Radon, Federal contaminated sites, Services nearby, Internet, Climate, Speculation and vacancy tax, Property tax, Crime

    For reference
  11. §27Questions to askWhat to ask the seller, the local government and a professional, from what these records found.
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Around the lot

Nearest of each, from the lot's edge
  1. Public roadbeside the lot (about 10 m)Fort Street
  2. Highway or major road310 mBlanshard Street (Highway 17)
  3. Railway1.3 kma railway siding or yard track

Nothing within 100 m: water, wildfire, water well, logging or crown land plan, power line, pipeline, gravel pit or quarry, airport or airstrip, farmland reserve, floodplain map, mineral or placer title. Measured by us on the plan's lines, so expect a few metres either way. Each section has the official figures.

§01What you can build (zoning) For reference

Zoned CA-58 (Harris Green (947 Fort Street)) by the City of Victoria. The lot is in the City of Victoria's Corridors heritage conservation area: subdividing, building, adding on or altering a building or the land there needs a heritage alteration permit first, unless the plan exempts the work.

The recordthe lot on the plan
Zone
CA-58 (Harris Green (947 Fort Street)): about 97% of the parcel
Rest of the parcel
About 3%: CA-42, under 5% of the lot
Zoning bylaw
City of Victoria Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 80-159
Heritage conservation area
The City of Victoria's Corridors heritage conservation area, designated in 2012 (Victoria Official Community Plan, 2012), per the Province's list
Fewest homes provincial law requires
If the CA-58 zone allows only houses or duplexes (whether it does is unclear here): at least 4 homes: Victoria had 91,867 people in the 2021 census, over the 5,000 that brings the floor, and the lot is about 1,272 m² (over 280 m²: 4). At least 6 if it is within 400 m of a bus stop with a bus at least every 15 minutes (7 am to 7 pm on weekdays, 10 am to 6 pm at weekends); we don't check bus schedules. This holds if the lot is inside the urban containment boundary where the official community plan or a regional growth strategy draws one, connected to the local government's water or sewer, and not heritage-protected, in a transit-oriented area (which has its own, higher densities) or exempted as hazard land on a professional's report. The heritage conservation area over the lot doesn't exempt it: the local government can't use the area to unreasonably restrict these homes (Local Government Act s. 457.1), though its heritage alteration permit can shape how they look and sit.
Transit-oriented area (provincial minimum)
Not in one as we read it: the nearest prescribed station, Legislature Exchange (a bus exchange), is about 930 m from the lot, past the 400 m the Province sets for it. Our measure from the regulation's station points (B.C. Reg. 263/2023), checked 2026-10-06.
Short-term rentals (provincial rule)
The Province's principal residence requirement applies in Victoria (list in force from June 1, 2026): a short-term rental (under 90 days) is limited to the host's own home plus one secondary suite or garden suite on the same property. Land assessed as a farm (class 9) is exempt. Local bylaws, including the zone's own rules, can be stricter. Hosts anywhere in BC register each unit with the provincial registry.

We haven't summarised the rules of this zone. The bylaw is linked below.

The zones listed cover about 97% of the parcel. About 3% is in CA-42 on the zoning map; we don't list a zone on under 5% of a lot, as that is usually where the zoning map and the parcel map don't line up (inferred).

Zoning is only one layer: development permit areas, the official community plan, the ALR, building and septic permits and provincial housing rules can add limits or allow more. Confirm with the City of Victoria's planning department before you buy or build.

In a heritage conservation area, the official community plan sets guidelines for how buildings and land may change, and subdividing, starting a building or an addition, or altering a building or the land needs a heritage alteration permit that follows them (Local Government Act ss. 614 and 615), unless the plan exempts that kind of work. The permit can shape form, materials and siting but can't change the use or density the zoning allows (s. 617), and the area can't be used to unreasonably restrict the homes the Province's small-scale housing rules require (s. 457.1). Our summary, checked 2026-10-07.

Ask the City of Victoria what the area's guidelines would mean for what you plan to build, and whether a permit is needed for it.

The provincial floor is our summary of the small-scale multi-unit housing rules in the Local Government Act (ss. 481.3 and 481.4) and the Local Government Zoning Bylaw Regulation, checked 2026-10-04. Local governments had to bring their bylaws in line by June 30, 2024, and with the 2025 changes by June 30, 2026, so the zone's own rules usually allow at least these homes already; height, coverage, setbacks and parking still decide how they fit. Whether the lot is inside an urban containment boundary, on community water or sewer, or near a frequent bus stop isn't checked here: confirm with the local government before you buy or build.

Sources (10)

Zoning map, City of Victoria (Open Government Licence – City of Victoria); City of Victoria Zoning Regulation Bylaw No. 80-159 (bylaw text, summarised in our words); Heritage Conservation Areas of BC, Heritage Branch, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Local Government Act, Part 15 (heritage conservation), ss. 614, 615 and 617, BC Laws (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-07); Local Government Act, ss. 481.3 and 481.4 (small-scale multi-family housing), BC Laws (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-04); Local Government Zoning Bylaw Regulation, B.C. Reg. 262/2023, BC Laws (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-04); Small-scale, multi-unit housing, Province of BC (page updated January 20, 2026), and its Provincial Policy Manual (summarised in our words); Local Government Transit-Oriented Areas Regulation, B.C. Reg. 263/2023 (consolidated to September 29, 2026), BC Laws (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-06); Local Government Act, s. 481.01 (zoning in transit-oriented areas), BC Laws (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-06); Principal residence requirement, Province of BC (page updated September 21, 2026) (summarised in our words).

Short-term rental rules in BC →

Heritage conservation areas: what a heritage alteration permit covers →

§02Buildable area For reference

No part of the lot is steeper than 30% or within 30 m of mapped water (median slope 6%). The ground mostly faces north-east.

  • Clear 100%
Share of the lot's grid cells (2 m), each counted once: water first, then the 30 m strip, then steep slope.
The recordbuildable area on the plan
Clear of steep slope and water setbacks
1,270 m² (100%)
In or within 30 m of mapped water
0%
Steeper than 30%, outside that strip
0%
15 to 30% slope
0%
On designated floodplain (counted as clear)
0%
Median slope
6%
Main slope direction
Mostly faces north-east (81% of the lot faces within 45° of it); measured by us on NRCan's lidar elevation model (Vancouver Island Sunshine Coast survey, 2018; 2 m grid)
Which way it faces
0% south (SE to SW), 80% north (NW to NE), 19% flat; the rest east or west
Terrain stability (Vancouver Island Geomorphology)
Over the lot, the Province's terrain stability mapping, mapped at 1:50,000 gives no stability class, so it says nothing either way

Estimated by us on Natural Resources Canada's lidar elevation model, from the Vancouver Island Sunshine Coast survey (2018): bare ground with buildings and trees taken out, read here on a 2 m grid, one dot on the plan per cell. Retaining walls, road cuts and ditches count as steep ground, and earthworks since the survey aren't shown. Slopes over 30% usually need a geotechnical engineer's report to build on; 15 to 30% is buildable with more work.

Not counted: zoning setbacks from the lot lines, room for a septic field and well (the Septic section screens for a field), easements and rights of way, and the local government's own slope or hazard development permit areas. What you can build names them where the local government publishes its map. A surveyor and the local government confirm where you can build.

Sources (3)

High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM), lidar DTM from the Vancouver Island Sunshine Coast survey (2018), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Freshwater Atlas and designated floodplain maps, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Terrain Stability Mapping (TSM) Detailed Polygons, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

How the buildable share is measured, and what it leaves out →

§03Winter sun For reference

On December 21 the hills leave about 8 h of possible direct sun at the lot's middle, against 8 h 10 min on open ground at this latitude. (Our estimate from the terrain; trees and buildings not counted.) The ground also allows a view of the sea to the southeast (our reading).

20° up40° up60° upDec 21 · 8 hMar 21 · 11 h 50 minJun 21 · 15 h 40 minESESSWW
The skyline from the middle of the lot, read by us from NRCan's elevation model every 5°, and the sun's path on December 21, March 21 and June 21: solid where the sun clears the hills, dotted where they hide it. Angles are drawn true to scale. The blue band marks water the ground lets you see from there (east through south to west).
The record
December 21 (shortest day)
8 h of possible direct sun; 8 h 10 min on open ground
March 21 (about the same on September 21)
11 h 50 min; 12 h on open ground
June 21 (longest day)
15 h 40 min; 15 h 50 min on open ground
Noon sun on December 21
18° above level; the hills due south rise to 1°, 0.1 km away
Highest hills in the winter sun's path
1° above level to the south, 0.1 km away
Measured at
The middle of the lot, ground at about 21 m, from head height
Water the ground lets you see (16 km)
The sea (our reading of the elevation model) to the southeast, from about 4.7 km away, across about 10° of the horizon
Highest skyline
2° above level to the east, 1.1 km away

Computed by us from the terrain only: trees, buildings and cloud aren't counted, so the sun that reaches a window or a garden is often less. The hours are possible direct sun, counted from when the sun's centre clears the hills, at head height at the middle of the lot; another spot on a hillside lot can differ.

The horizon is read from Natural Resources Canada's 30 m elevation model in 72 directions, out to 16 km: on its 30 m grid within 1.5 km, beyond that on a 120 m version of it, where single peaks can read a little lower than they are. The curve of the earth is taken into account.

The sun's path is from the standard solar position formulas. Hours are counted in sun time; clock times shift with daylight saving and with how far the lot is from its time zone's centre.

Check it on site: visit on a clear day in December or January, look at where the trees and buildings to the south fall, and ask neighbours when the sun leaves and comes back.

What the ground allows you to see from head height at the middle of the lot, read by us on the same elevation model as the sun hours, out to 16 km: trees, buildings and the house's own spot and height aren't counted, so a view the ground allows can be hidden by the forest, and a second storey can see over a rise. Lakes and rivers are the Freshwater Atlas's; the sea is read where the elevation model sits at sea level.

Sources (3)

Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM-30), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Solar position: General Solar Position Calculations (NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory; Spencer, 1971) (Public domain); Freshwater Atlas lakes and rivers, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Winter sun: how the hills around a lot are read, and what the hours leave out →

§04Farmland reserve (ALR) Nothing found

Not in the Agricultural Land Reserve, nor within 250 m of it.

The record
In the ALR
No
Nearest ALR land
None within 250 m

Source: Agricultural Land Reserve polygons, Agricultural Land Commission (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What the ALR means for a buyer →

§05Soil for farming For reference

Mapped mostly as Class 4 of 7 for farming: severe limits; few crops, or a high risk of crop failure. Main limits: several minor limits together. With the several minor limits together being corrected the map rates it Class 3.

The record
Capability class (1 best, 7 none)
Class 4: about 100% of the lot
What limits it
several minor limits together
Improved rating
Class 3, assuming the several minor limits together being corrected
Map scale
1:20,000 to 1:100,000: describes the area, not the field
Mapped
1960s to 1990s (digitised 2015)

These classes rate how well the land suits ordinary field crops, from the soil and climate as surveyed decades ago. Drainage, irrigation or fill since then can change the real answer, and a map at this scale can miss a good or poor field. The Agricultural Land Commission weighs these classes when it decides applications.

If farming matters to you here, a professional agrologist (P.Ag.) can assess the soil on site.

Source: Agriculture Capability mapping, Province of BC (1960s to 1990s maps, digitised 2015) (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What the soil capability classes mean, and what they leave out →

§06Floodplain For reference

Not on one of the province's designated floodplain maps.

The record
Dams nearby
None within 1 km on the Province's list of dams
Dikes nearby
None within 1 km on the Province's map of dikes and flood protection works

These maps were drawn mostly in the 1980s and 1990s and cover only some rivers and lakes. Not being on one doesn't mean the land can't flood: ask the local government whether it has newer flood mapping, and whether its bylaws set a flood construction level or floodplain setback here.

Sources (3)

Floodplain areas (designated floodplain mapping), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Flood Protection Works: Structural Works, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); BC Dams, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What a floodplain map means, and what it doesn't cover →

§07Wildfire history Nothing found

No recorded wildfire on or within 2 km of the parcel since 1919.

The record
Fires on the parcel
0
Fires within 2 km
0
Within 2 km in the last 30 years
0

Fire perimeters mapped by the BC Wildfire Service since 1919, each with its size and the cause the Service recorded (lightning or people, sometimes unknown); older and small fires are less complete. Past fire is history, not a forecast: for insurance, ask about the fire protection area and the distance to the nearest fire hall.

Source: Fire perimeters – historical, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

How to read a fire history →

§08Evacuation orders and alerts Nothing found

No evacuation order or alert has covered this lot since the Province's record began in April 2017.

The record
Events with an order over the lot since April 2017
0
Events with only an alert
0

The Province's record of lifted orders and alerts starts in April 2017: evacuations before then aren't in it, and no record doesn't mean nothing happened. Each area is drawn by the local government or First Nation that issued it; we check whether it covers any part of the lot. Where the record's own dates disagree (an order dated before the event began), only the month and year are given. Confirm with the local government.

Sources: Historical Orders and Alerts, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Evacuation Orders and Alerts, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What an evacuation order or alert on the record means →

§09Earthquake shaking For reference

The building code's design shaking here is 0.81 g peak ground acceleration on firm ground, about 1.7 times Vancouver's. The lot is about 770 m from the ocean shore, on the coast the Province alerts as tsunami notification zone D (the Juan de Fuca Strait from Jordan River to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula), with its middle about 20 m above sea level.

The record
Peak ground acceleration, 2% in 50 years (the code's design level)
0.81 g
Peak ground acceleration, 10% in 50 years
0.44 g
Short-period shaking Sa(0.2), the value the code uses for houses and other low buildings
1.89 g
The same value in city centres
Victoria 0.81 g, Vancouver 0.47 g, Kelowna 0.089 g, Prince George 0.064 g
Distance to the ocean shore
About 770 m from the lot line (Freshwater Atlas coastline)
Tsunami notification zone
Zone D: the Juan de Fuca Strait from Jordan River to Greater Victoria, including the Saanich Peninsula (the Province's zone for alerts on this coast)
Ground at the lot's middle
About 20 m above sea level (NRCan's 30 m elevation model; our reading, not a survey)

These are the 2020 National Building Code's reference values at the lot's centre, on firm ground (site class C). Soft soil, fill or a slope can make shaking stronger; the site class and the values a building is designed for come from the building official or a geotechnical engineer.

2% in 50 years means shaking at least this strong has about a 1-in-2,500 chance in any year; 10% in 50 years, about 1 in 475. g is the acceleration of gravity. The comparison with Vancouver and the other cities is ours.

Liquefaction and earthquake-triggered landslides aren't covered here; ask the local government whether it has mapped them.

The Province divides the coast into five tsunami notification zones so a warning, advisory or watch can name the coast it's for; they're drawn over the water and aren't a map of what a tsunami would flood. How high and how far inland water could reach here depends on the shore and the local government's own modelling: ask it whether it has a tsunami flood or evacuation map for the lot, and where its high ground is. The height is NRCan's 30 m model at the lot's middle, so a lower corner or a building's floor can sit lower.

The Province's advice near the coast: if you feel a strong earthquake, drop, cover and hold on, then as soon as the shaking stops go to high ground or as far inland as you can, by your community's evacuation route where it has one, and stay there until officials give the all clear. A tsunami from a nearby earthquake can arrive in minutes.

Sources (5)

2020 National Building Code of Canada seismic hazard values (CanadaSHM6), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Freshwater Atlas coastline, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Tsunami Notification Zones for BC, Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM-30), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Get prepared for a tsunami, PreparedBC, Province of BC (page updated April 2, 2025) (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-07).

What the building code's shaking values mean →

Tsunami notification zones, and what they don't tell you →

§10Landslide records For reference

1 landslide on record within 5 km; the nearest, an earth slide, 9 Dec 1975, after rainfall, is 1.8 km from the lot.

The record
On record on the lot or within 100 m
0
On record within 1 km
0
On record within 5 km
1
Nearest
1.8 km from the lot: an earth slide, 9 Dec 1975, after rainfall
Kinds within 5 km
earth slide 1
With a date
1 of 1; the latest 9 Dec 1975 (earth slide, 1.8 km from the lot)
Recorded causes
rainfall 1

This is a list of landslides that are known to have happened, gathered from published inventories and from mapping on satellite images and lidar. It isn't a hazard map: it doesn't say how likely a slide is here, and no record nearby doesn't mean the ground is stable. Some parts of BC (the Fraser Valley and Fraser Canyon, Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii, recent burn areas) are mapped in far more detail than others.

Each point mostly marks where a slide started. Debris can travel well past it, down a creek channel and onto the fan at the creek's mouth, so a lot on a fan or below a steep slope can be reached by a slide that began kilometres away. Distances are measured by us from the lot's boundary.

The kind of slide and its date are the database's own, mostly worked out from images, so treat them as a first look. Confirm with the local government, many of which have mapped steep-slope or debris-flow hazard areas, and with a geotechnical engineer.

Source: Preliminary Canadian Landslide Database, version 14.0 (May 2026), Brideau et al. (CC BY 4.0).

What a landslide record means, and what it doesn't →

§11Radon For reference

Radon isn't mapped lot by lot. In the South Vancouver Island health region, 1 of the 55 homes tested (1.8%) in Health Canada's 2009–2011 survey was at or above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline; across BC, 143 of 1,817 (7.9%).

The record
Health region (regional figure, not this lot)
South Vancouver Island
Homes tested here
55
At or above 200 Bq/m³ (the guideline)
1 (1.8%)
At or above 600 Bq/m³
None
Across BC
143 of 1,817 homes (7.9%) at or above the guideline

Radon comes up from the ground and differs from one house to the next, even next door, so a regional figure says nothing certain about one home. The only way to know is a long-term test of at least 3 months. Health Canada's guideline is 200 Bq/m³ in the parts of a home where people spend more than 4 hours a day; above it, fix it within a year, and the higher the level, the sooner. For a home you buy, Health Canada suggests a long-term test once you've moved in.

The survey tested about a hundred volunteer homes per health region, with one long-term test each. That gives a rough regional picture: it isn't a map, and a region where few or none tested high can still have homes above the guideline. The survey grouped homes by the 2007 health regions; we place the lot by today's boundaries for the same areas.

Sources (5)

Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011), Health Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Health Service Delivery Area Boundaries, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Radon guideline, Health Canada (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-02); Testing your home for radon, Health Canada (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-02); Radon in real estate, Health Canada (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-02).

Radon and buying a home in BC →

§12Federal contaminated sites For reference

10 federal contaminated sites listed within 2 km, all closed; the nearest, Victoria Tide Gauge Station - Unassessed, is 920 m from the lot.

The record
Open sites (active or suspected) within 500 m
0
Open sites within 2 km
0
Closed sites within 2 km
10
Victoria Tide Gauge Station - Unassessed
920 m from the lot. Closed: no further action needed. Historical review not required. Federal custodian: Fisheries and Oceans Canada; site 00021140.
Discovery Rock
1 km from the lot. Closed: no further action needed. Historical review completed. No further action required. Federal custodian: National Defence; site 00020425.
Tuzo Rock
1.2 km from the lot. Closed: no further action needed. Historical review completed. No further action required. Federal custodian: National Defence; site 00019988.
Victoria Boathouse - Unassessed
1.2 km from the lot. Closed: no further action needed. Historical review not required. Federal custodian: Fisheries and Oceans Canada; site 00021138.
Laurel Point
1.2 km from the lot. Closed: no further action needed. Historical review completed. No further action required. Federal custodian: National Defence; site 00019743.
Not listed here
5 more within 2 km

This inventory lists only contaminated sites on federal land or that the federal government is responsible for: military land, ports and harbours, airports, fisheries and research stations, reserve land, national parks and similar. Most contaminated sites in BC, such as old gas stations, dry cleaners and industrial land, are on the Province's Site Registry, which charges for searches and isn't shown here. Ask the seller what the land and its neighbours were used for; a Phase I environmental site assessment covers it properly.

Each site is one point given by its federal custodian, and a large site such as a base or an airport reaches well past it. Distances are measured by us from the lot's boundary to that point.

Closed means the custodian found no further action needed after testing, cleanup or risk management; it doesn't always mean nothing is left in the ground. The priority class is the federal ranking of its own sites for funding and action, not a measure of risk to neighbours.

Confirm with the local government and a qualified environmental professional.

Source: Federal Contaminated Sites Inventory, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (reported for 2025-2026) (Open Government Licence – Canada).

What a contaminated site record means, and what it leaves out →

§13Road access Nothing found

A mapped public road runs along or through the parcel: Meares Street (local road, paved) and Fort Street (main road, paved).

The recordroads on the plan
Roads along the parcel
Meares Street (local road, paved); Fort Street (main road, paved)
Nearest public road
Along the parcel
Who maintains the road
No road within 100 m of the lot is on the Ministry of Transportation's inventory, so the roads along it are the City of Victoria's streets (or private), and the City of Victoria clears its own streets in winter.
Snow clearing priority
The City of Victoria clears its own streets in winter, but publishes no snow-clearing priority map we can use. Ask the City of Victoria which priority the street along the lot has, and how soon after a snowfall it is usually cleared.

Worked out by us from OpenStreetMap road lines: a road whose centreline is within 25 m of the lot line is counted as running along it. The map isn't proof of legal access: a road can be private, unbuilt or not maintained in winter, and reaching a lot across someone else's land needs a registered easement. The title search and the local government (or the Ministry of Transportation outside towns) confirm both.

Sources: OpenStreetMap road data as of 2026-10-03, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Ministry of Transportation Road Features Inventory and District Boundaries, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What a road on the map does and doesn't prove →

§14Water and streamside setbacks Nothing found

No mapped stream, lake, river, wetland or shoreline within 30 m of the parcel.

The record
Within 30 m
None mapped
On the parcel
None mapped

The Freshwater Atlas is mapped at 1:20,000: small, seasonal or ditched streams can be missing. Look for water on the ground and ask the local government whether it has finer mapping.

Source: Freshwater Atlas (streams, rivers, lakes, wetlands, coastline), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Which streamside rules apply, and where →

§15Mineral and placer titles Nothing found

No mineral or placer titles on or within 1 km of the parcel.

The record
Over the parcel
None
Within 1 km
None

Titles change often; this is the record when checked. Mineral Titles Online shows the current map.

Source: Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What a claim over private land means →

§16Wildlife and habitat Look into

The Conservation Data Centre records 1 species or ecosystem at risk on this parcel: Monarch (Red-listed).

Red-listed species are at risk of being lost from BC; Blue-listed are of special concern. A record shows where the species was found, sometimes decades ago; no record doesn't mean nothing lives here, since most land has never been surveyed.

The record
At-risk species or ecosystems on the parcel
Monarch (Red-listed)
Within 500 m
Moss' Elfin, mossii subspecies (Red-listed), Painted Turtle - Pacific Coast Population (Red-listed), twisted oak moss
Wide-ranging species mapped over it
Island Tiger Moth (Red-listed), Threaded Vertigo (Blue-listed)
Secured records in the wider area
Yes (location withheld by the CDC)
Wildlife Habitat Area over the parcel
No
Ungulate winter range over the parcel
No

The CDC hides the exact location of some sensitive species inside large blocks; it shares details with landowners and their consultants on request (cdcdata@gov.bc.ca).

Species at risk can still limit building through local environmental development permit areas or federal critical habitat: ask the local government before planning work.

Sources: Species and Ecosystems at Risk, publicly available occurrences, BC Conservation Data Centre (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Wildlife Habitat Areas and Ungulate Winter Ranges (approved), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What a species-at-risk record means for a landowner →

§17What's planned nearby Nothing found

No logging, Crown land applications or heavy Crown land uses on record within 1 km. No major project in assessment or approved within 10 km on the Environmental Assessment Office's register.

The record
Cutblocks applied for (1 km)
0
Approved, not yet logged (1 km)
0
Logged in the last 5 years (1 km)
0
Crown land applications (1 km)
None
Quarry, industry, energy or tower tenures (500 m)
None
Along the lot line
Private land along about 50% of the lot line (the east and west sides); land owned by the local government along about 25% of the lot line (the north side); no parcel mapped along about 25% of the lot line (the south side), most often a road allowance, water or Crown land the parcel map doesn't draw (our reading)
Rights of way and easements drawn on the lot
None drawn on ParcelMap BC; a charge with no plan can still be on the title, so ask for it
Local development applications
Not covered here: we read applications only where the local government publishes them as open data (the CSRD, the City of Surrey, the City of Abbotsford and the District of Squamish). Ask the City of Victoria what's in progress on and near the lot
Nearest power line (200 m)
None mapped within 200 m
Oil and gas pipelines (200 m)
None within 200 m on the BC Energy Regulator's permit map
Permitted discharges to air, water and land (2 km)
An asphalt plant, about 1,250 m from the lot line (position given only roughly, to about a kilometre), may discharge to air, registered under the Asphalt Plant Regulation (authorization 2768, 1997); A hazardous waste storage or treatment, about 1,250 m from the lot line, registered under the Hazardous Waste Regulation (authorization 15553); A composting site, about 1,500 m from the lot line, registered under the Organic Matter Recycling Regulation (authorization 17268, 2002); A fuel storage or distribution site, about 1,550 m from the lot line, registered under the Petroleum Storage and Distribution Facilities Storm Water Regulation (authorization 104612, 2010); A concrete plant, about 1,650 m from the lot line (position given to about 100 m), registered under the Code of Practice for Concrete and Concrete Products (authorization 100384, 2008); and 2 more
Major projects in assessment (10 km)
None
Major projects approved (10 km)
None
Reviewed, no assessment needed (10 km)
None
Closed or not reviewable (10 km)
Environmental Assessment Revitalization (about 2.7 km away; found not to need an assessment 2018 (it may still go ahead under other permits)); Royal Bay Development (sand and gravel pit; about 8.1 km away; found not to need an assessment 1999 (it may still go ahead under other permits))

Cutblocks are from the province's forest tenure records, which cover Crown forest licences and woodlots, not logging on private land. Crown land applications are on the province's tenure register; the Applications, Comments and Reasons for Decision site takes public comments on them. Mineral and placer claims are in their own section above.

Who owns the land beside the lot is ParcelMap BC's owner type for each parcel that shares the lot line (measured by us along the line); the open parcel map names no owners. Crown land beside a lot, with a title or without, can be logged, leased, grazed or roaded, and a view or trail across it isn't yours to keep; ask the natural resource district or FrontCounter BC. Land owned by the local government is often a park, a road allowance or a utility lot; ask the local government what it's for.

Major projects are those large enough to need a provincial environmental assessment: mines, power plants, pipelines, transmission lines, highways, ports, dams and resorts, among others. Each is on the Environmental Assessment Office's register at a single point, the location it gives for the project. A mine, pipeline, transmission line or road can reach well past that point, so a project listed 8 km away can still pass the lot, and one placed beyond 10 km isn't listed here. Each project's page on the EAO's site has its maps, documents and comment periods; distances are measured by us from the lot line to the point. Smaller projects (subdivisions, smaller pits and quarries, and other works under the assessment thresholds) aren't on this register.

Power lines are from two maps read together: the Province's map of high-voltage transmission lines (BC Hydro's, private and independent producers' lines), which leaves voltages out, and OpenStreetMap, where volunteers map lines and record the voltage where it's known. Smaller distribution lines along streets aren't included. Distances are measured by us from the lot line to the mapped line, which can sit some metres off the real one. The line's right of way, and what it lets the line's owner do on the land, is set by the easement on title, which is the definitive record: check it in the title search, and ask BC Hydro (or the line's owner) about clearances for building and trees.

Permitted discharges are from the Province's list of active waste discharge authorizations under the Environmental Management Act: permits, approvals and operational certificates, and sites registered under its regulations and codes of practice (sewage, fuel storage, vehicle recycling, concrete, asphalt, composting and others). Each is one point the Province gives for the site, which can be a plant's office or an outfall rather than the ground worked; distances are measured by us from the lot line to that point. Metro Vancouver issues its own air quality permits, which aren't on this list, and the Province's Site Registry of contaminated sites charges for searches and isn't shown here.

An authorization sets what may be discharged, how much and on what conditions; it doesn't mean the site is out of compliance. The Province's Authorization Management System search shows each authorization's documents by its number. Odour, dust and noise are often for the local government too: ask the regional district or city, and the Province's environmental protection office about the authorization.

Sources (9)

Forest tenure cutblock polygons (FTA 4.0), Ministry of Forests (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); TANTALIS Crown tenures, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Environmental Assessment Office project points (EPIC), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); ParcelMap BC parcel fabric (parcel class and owner type), Land Title and Survey Authority of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); BC Transmission Lines (BC Hydro, private and independent power producers' lines), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); OpenStreetMap power lines as of 2026-10-03, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); Oil and Gas Pipeline Segment Permits, BC Energy Regulator (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Waste Discharge Authorizations – All Authorizations, Province of BC (file of 2026-07-22) (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Authorization Management System public search, Province of BC (linked for the authorization's documents, read 2026-10-11).

Power lines near a lot: rights of way, building, trees and health →

Permitted discharges near a lot: what an authorization allows →

§18Noise sources nearby For reference

A railway siding or yard track is about 1.3 km from the lot line. Blanshard Street (Highway 17), a major road, is about 310 m from the lot line. No airport or airstrip mapped within 2 km.

The record
Nearest railway (2 km)
A railway siding or yard track, about 1.3 km from the lot line
Nearest highway or major road (2 km)
Blanshard Street (Highway 17), a major road, about 310 m from the lot line
Nearest airport or airstrip (2 km)
None mapped within 2 km

Distances only, not a measured noise level; noise depends on traffic, trains per day and terrain. Measured by us in a straight line from the lot line to the mapped centreline of the track or road, or to the edge of an airport's mapped grounds (to its point where only a point is mapped); a mapped line can sit some metres off the real one.

Railways are OpenStreetMap's track in use: main, branch and industrial lines, sidings and yards, and rapid transit; lines mapped as disused or abandoned, and track in tunnels, are left out. "Main line" is how OpenStreetMap's mappers class the line. Highways and major roads are the roads OpenStreetMap classes as motorway (a freeway), trunk (a highway) or primary (a major road). Airports and airstrips are every aerodrome OpenStreetMap maps, public or private, with its type where mapped; heliports aren't included. Airport noise exposure maps (the NEF contours some airports draw) aren't open data, so they aren't used.

Visit at rush hour and at night, ask the seller how often trains pass, and confirm with the local government whether a noise bylaw, a development permit area or an airport zoning regulation covers the lot. For a railway, the railway company or Transport Canada can say how many trains use the line; for an airport, ask the airport about flight paths.

Sources: OpenStreetMap road data as of 2026-10-03, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL); OpenStreetMap railways and aerodromes as of 2026-10-03, © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Railways, highways and airports near a lot: what the distances mean →

§19Water wells nearby For reference

We have no open map of the City of Victoria's water and sewer service: most lots in town are on it (our reading); ask the City of Victoria before planning a well or field. 12 water-supply wells on record within 2 km; typical depth 85 m, typical tested yield 76 L/min. The lot is over mapped aquifer 680 (Wark-Colquitz), fractured crystalline bedrock, rated moderate productivity and moderate vulnerability.

The record
Community water
No open map of the City of Victoria's water service: ask the City of Victoria whether the lot is on it
Wells within 2 km
12
Median depth
85 m
Median tested yield
76 L/min (11 wells tested)
Median water level below ground
–
Aquifer 680 under the lot
Wark-Colquitz: fractured crystalline bedrock; productivity moderate, vulnerability moderate, demand high; 1,259 wells linked, median depth 76.2 m
Sea water intrusion
Moderate (3 on the Province's scale of five, Low to High) for the bedrock aquifer under the lot in the 2021 assessment, rated on the aquifer's setting (its material, slope, distance from the sea and ground water level) and pumping nearby (how many wells, and what for) (per the Province's map)
Observation well 372
in aquifer 680, 16.2 km from the lot's middle: water level stable or no clear trend over 2014 to 2023; stable or no clear trend over 2007 to 2023; water typically 30 m below ground in a well 149 m deep (the Province's trend, records to December 2023)
Drinking-water protection zone
None over the lot on the Province's map (it holds only the zones a water system's protection plan has mapped, so many wells and intakes have none on it)
Water systems' wells and intakes within 300 m
None on the Province's list
Community watershed
None over the lot on the Province's map

Neighbours' wells show what drillers found nearby, not what a new well here will find; many wells were never registered. For a property on a well, ask for a recent flow test and water quality test.

Productivity is how much water the aquifer gives up to wells; vulnerability is how easily a spill at the surface could reach it; both are the province's ratings for the whole aquifer, not this lot. Mapped aquifers cover mostly settled valleys: a lot outside every outline can still have groundwater. Confirm with a qualified hydrogeologist or registered well driller.

The Province's map is a regional screening of how easily sea water could be drawn into a coastal aquifer, not a test of any well. Near the sea, fresh ground water floats on salt water, and a well near the shore can turn salty with pumping, its own or its neighbours'; once in, the salt can take years to clear or stay for good, and a well must not be run in a way that draws it in (Water Sustainability Act, s. 58). The Province advises well owners near the coast to test for chloride and electrical conductivity once a year, in the dry season: a well over 150 mg/L of chloride or 1,000 µS/cm counts as affected, and water tastes salty from about 250 mg/L. For a property on a well here, ask for chloride and conductivity in the well water test. Our summary, read 2026-10-07.

Observation wells are the Province's monitoring wells, their water level measured for years or decades. The trend is the Province's reading of one well's yearly levels: a decline of 3 to 10 cm a year that the record clearly shows is a moderate rate, 10 cm or more a large one, anything not clear is stable or no clear trend. It shows how the aquifer has behaved there, not what a well on this lot will give; confirm with a qualified hydrogeologist or registered well driller.

Sources (10)

Groundwater wells (GWELLS), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Aquifer 680: Wark-Colquitz: ratings and wells (PlaceDossier aquifer page); Ground Water Aquifers, Water Protection and Sustainability Branch, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Aquifer Vulnerability to Sea Water Intrusion, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); GIS Modelling of Sea Water Intrusion Risk along British Columbia's Coast (Sivak and Wei, 2021), the method behind the map, Province of BC (the Province's report, linked for reading); Best Practices for Prevention of Saltwater Intrusion, Province of BC (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-07); Long-term Trends in Groundwater Levels in B.C., Environmental Reporting BC (Provincial Groundwater Observation Well Network) (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Drinking Water Sources – Protection Zones, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Drinking Water Sources – Intakes/Wellheads, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Community Watersheds – Current, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

What to ask about a well before you buy →

§20Septic For reference

We have no open map of the City of Victoria's water and sewer service: most lots in town are on it (our reading); ask the City of Victoria before planning a well or field. If the lot isn't on sewer: about 870 m² (69%) of the lot is at least 30 m from mapped water and recorded wells, 3 m in from the lot lines and under 25% slope, where the Province's manual allows most kinds of septic field.

The record
Community sewer
No open map of the City of Victoria's sewer service: ask the City of Victoria whether the lot is on it
Recorded water-supply wells within 30 m
None recorded within 30 m
Mapped water within 30 m
None mapped
Within the setbacks, under 15% slope (gravity fields, mounds and trenches)
870 m² (69%)
Within the setbacks, under 25% slope (mounds, at-grade beds and trenches)
870 m² (69%)
Within the setbacks, under 45% slope (trenches)
870 m² (69%)

Screening, not a site assessment: measured by us on the same elevation cells as the buildable area, against the separations in the Province's Sewerage System Standard Practice Manual: a field stays 30 m from a drinking-water well (60 to 90 m from a high-pumping one), 30 m from a lake, river or permanent stream (15 m from seasonal water and the sea), 7.5 m from a downslope drain or bank where effluent could break out, and, as a guideline, 3 m from the lot line. We use 30 m for every mapped stream. A gravity field isn't allowed on slopes over 15%, a mound or at-grade bed over 25%, and trenches over 45%.

Under the Sewerage System Regulation, only an Authorized Person (a Registered Onsite Wastewater Practitioner or a professional engineer or geoscientist) may plan and install a system, and they file the plans with the regional health authority before work starts. They dig test pits to check the soil depth and the seasonal water table and measure how fast the soil drains, which no open map shows. Ask the seller for the filing and maintenance records of an existing system, and have it inspected.

Well locations in GWELLS are often approximate, and many wells were never registered: look for well caps on and next to the lot. Wells, water lines and septic fields on the neighbours' land count too.

If the lot is on a community sewer, none of this applies; ask the local government, which may also set larger setbacks or a minimum lot size for septic.

Sources (6)

Sewerage System Standard Practice Manual, version 3 (2014), Province of BC: Tables II-6, II-19 and III-16, summarised in our words, read 2026-10-04 (summarised in our words); Sewerage System Regulation, B.C. Reg. 326/2004, summarised in our words, read 2026-10-04 (summarised in our words); Groundwater wells (GWELLS), Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); High Resolution Digital Elevation Model (HRDEM), lidar DTM from the Vancouver Island Sunshine Coast survey (2018), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Freshwater Atlas and designated floodplain maps, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Terrain Stability Mapping (TSM) Detailed Polygons, Province of BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Septic rules in BC, and what a buyer should check →

§21Services nearby For reference

Royal Jubilee Hospital is the nearest hospital, 2.6 km away in a straight line; the nearest fire station is Victoria Fire Department Station 1 Headquarters, 400 m; the nearest grocery store 200 m, public elementary school 800 m and transit stop 90 m.

The record
Nearest hospital
Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria: 2.6 km
Next nearest hospital
Victoria General Hospital: 7.3 km
School catchment
Not mapped for this lot: catchments are shown only where the school district's boundaries are open data, for Surrey Schools (Surrey and White Rock) and the North Vancouver School District (the City and District of North Vancouver). Ask the school district which schools serve it.
Nearest public elementary school
Central Middle School, Victoria: 800 m
Nearest public secondary school
Victor School, Victoria: 1.8 km
Independent schools within 10 km
18
Nearest grocery store
Market on Yates: 200 m
Grocery stores within 10 km
54
Nearest fire station
Victoria Fire Department Station 1 Headquarters: 400 m, on the Province's list
Nearest ambulance station
Ambulance station 118 (annex), Victoria: 400 m
Nearest transit stop
Fort St at Quadra St: 90 m, routes 3, 11, 14, 15, 22 and 22A; 267 departures on a weekday, 231 on Saturday, 190 on Sunday (BC Transit's schedule, week of October 19, 2026)
Busiest stop within 500 m
Yates St at Quadra St: 310 m, routes 3, 6, 6A, 6B, 11, 14, 15, 22, 22A, 24 and 25; 407 departures on a weekday, 347 on Saturday, 286 on Sunday (BC Transit's schedule, week of October 19, 2026)
Transit stops within 500 m
27
Nearest park or protected area
Trial Islands Ecological Reserve: 4.2 km from the lot line
Nearest recreation site or trail
None within 25 km on the Province's list

Distances are straight lines from the middle of the lot, measured by us. The drive is longer, and much longer where the road winds, crosses water or takes a ferry.

Hospitals are from the Province's list. Not every hospital has a 24-hour emergency department, and some small towns have a health centre with emergency care that isn't on this list: check with the regional health authority.

Which school a child goes to depends on the school district's catchment, not on distance: ask the district.

A fire station nearby doesn't mean it covers this lot: confirm the fire protection area with the local government. Insurers price fire cover by the road distance to the hall that responds and whether the lot is inside a fire protection area.

Fire halls and ambulance stations are from the Province's First Responders list (updated 2026-09-11), with fire stations it lacks added from OpenStreetMap. A hall that has moved may still be listed at its old address.

An ambulance station is where crews are based. How soon one arrives depends on where the crew is when the call comes.

Transit stops and departures are counted by us from BC Transit's and TransLink's published schedules for one week, leaving out the stop where a trip ends. A stop's distance is a straight line from the middle of the lot; the walk is longer. Service changes with the seasons: check the timetable before you count on a route.

Parks and recreation sites are measured in a straight line from the lot line. Conservancies, regional and municipal parks aren't on these lists. Recreation Sites and Trails BC's list doesn't say whether a site is open, closed or reachable this season: check its page before you go.

Grocery stores are from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers: one may be missing, closed or mapped in the wrong place.

Confirm services with the local government.

Sources (7)

Hospitals in BC, HealthLinkBC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); BC Schools K-12, Ministry of Education and Child Care (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); First Responders (fire halls and ambulance stations), GeoBC (updated 2026-09-11) (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Grocery stores and fire stations not on the Province's list: OpenStreetMap as of 2026-10-03, © OpenStreetMap contributors (Open Database Licence (ODbL)); BC Transit schedules (GTFS), read 2026-10-11 (BC Transit Open Data Terms of Use); BC Parks, Ecological Reserves, and Protected Areas, BC Parks and GeoBC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); Recreation Sites (Subset), Recreation Sites and Trails BC (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

How school catchments work in BC →

Parks next door: what a park beside a lot means →

§22Internet For reference

Within about 1 km of the lot, ISED's broadband data records 50/10 Mbps or faster over a wired line and over fixed wireless. LTE mobile coverage is recorded there too.

Best band recorded within about 1 km, Mbps down/up. 50/10 is ISED's top band and the CRTC's target for every home. LTE mobile: recorded.
The record
Best speed recorded within about 1 km
50/10 Mbps or faster
Over a wired line (cable, fibre or DSL)
50/10 Mbps or faster
Over fixed wireless
50/10 Mbps or faster
LTE mobile within about 1 km
recorded
Nearest place with 50/10 Mbps or faster
within about 1 km (about 100 m)
Data
ISED National Broadband Data, May 2026

This is the service providers report to Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) for homes and roads near the lot, not a quote: ask providers whether they serve this address, at what speed and at what cost to connect.

Speeds are download/upload bands. 50/10 Mbps is ISED's top band, so a place in it can get much faster service, and it is the CRTC's target for every Canadian home.

A line that reaches homes within 1 km may stop short of this lot; bringing it further can cost the buyer. Fixed wireless and LTE need a clear line to the tower, which hills and tall trees can block.

Satellite service doesn't need nearby lines, but it needs a clear view of the sky.

Distances are straight lines from the middle of the lot, measured by us on a grid of about 250 m.

Sources: National Broadband Data (May 2026), Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Pseudo-Household Demographic Distribution (2021), ISED (Open Government Licence – Canada).

What the internet figures mean, and what to ask a provider →

§23Climate For reference

At Victoria Gonzales City, 2.7 km from the lot, January averages 5.8 °C and July 16.3 °C, with 675 mm of rain and snow a year (1991-2020 normals). The lot is at about the same elevation as the station.

The record
Nearest climate station
Victoria Gonzales City, 2.7 km away
Station elevation
70 m
Lot elevation (estimated, middle of the lot)
20 m
January mean temperature (1991-2020)
5.8 °C
July mean temperature (1991-2020)
16.3 °C
Yearly precipitation, rain and snow as water (1991-2020)
675 mm*
Lowest temperature recorded, 1991-2020
−8.8 °C (2008)
Period
1991-2020
Plant hardiness zone (regional)
9a

Normals are 30-year averages at the station, not readings for this lot. In BC's mountains a few hundred metres of elevation, a north-facing slope or a lakeshore can change winters a lot: a hillside lot can be much colder and snowier than a valley station.

The lot's elevation is our estimate from Natural Resources Canada's 30 m elevation model at the middle of the lot.

The hardiness zone is from Natural Resources Canada's 2025 map, read by us on a grid of about 2 to 3 km: near a zone's edge, or well above or below the valley around it, the lot may fall in the next zone. It is a guide to which plants survive the winter, not a frost date.

* Based on fewer years than the WMO standard: these figures rest on at least 15 of the 30 years, short of the World Meteorological Organization's standard of nearly all of them. ECCC publishes them as normals; treat them as a rougher guide.

ECCC's 1991-2020 normals for this station don't include yearly snowfall, the frost-free period or days with snow on the ground, so those are left out rather than guessed.

Recent years have run warmer than the 1991-2020 averages in much of BC. Ask neighbours or the local government about snow on the road and who clears it.

Sources (4)

Canadian Climate Normals 1991-2020, Environment and Climate Change Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Medium Resolution Digital Elevation Model (MRDEM-30), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Plant hardiness zones of Canada (2025 map), Natural Resources Canada (Open Government Licence – Canada); Victoria: climate, land and census facts (PlaceDossier area page).

What a plant hardiness zone means →

§24Speculation and vacancy tax For reference

Victoria is in the Province's speculation and vacancy tax area. An owner of a home here declares each year by March 31 and owes the tax unless an exemption applies: the main ones are living in it as your principal residence, or renting it to a tenant for at least six months of the year. For 2026 it is 1% of the assessed value a year for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 3% for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners (4% from 2027).

The record
Place
Victoria
In the taxable area
Yes
Rate, 2026
1% of the assessed value for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, 3% for foreign owners and untaxed worldwide earners (4% from 2027)
Declare by
March 31 each year, for the year before

The tax applies to property BC Assessment classes as residential; exemptions also cover a newly bought home in its first year, a home being built or rebuilt, a home reached only by water and over 100 m from a road, and a property assessed at $150,000 or less, among others. Every owner on title declares separately, each year, even when exempt. Confirm a given property with the Province's speculation and vacancy tax office.

Reserve and treaty lands, and islands reached only by air or water (Vancouver Island aside), are outside the taxable areas.

Sources: Taxable areas for the speculation and vacancy tax, Province of BC (page updated December 8, 2025) (summarised in our words); Speculation and vacancy tax rates and exemptions, Province of BC (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-04).

Where the speculation and vacancy tax applies, and who pays →

§25Property tax For reference

Victoria's 2026 residential rate is $5.66 per $1,000 of assessed value, below the middle of BC's 160 municipalities ($6.24): about $5,656 a year on a $1,000,000 home at 2026 rates, before the home owner grant. Confirm with the municipality.

  • Municipal $3.72
  • Regional district $0.24
  • Regional hospital district $0.12
  • School (set by the Province) $1.17
  • Other $0.40
  • Middle of BC's municipalities $6.24
Where each $1,000 of assessed value goes, 2026.
$

On $500,000: about $2,828 a year; on $1,000,000: about $5,656, at 2026 rates, before the home owner grant.

The record
Local government
Victoria
Residential rate, 2026
5.6559 per $1,000
Municipal
3.7229 per $1,000
Regional district
0.2411 per $1,000
Regional hospital district
0.1223 per $1,000
School (set by the Province)
1.1719 per $1,000
Other
0.3977 per $1,000
BC municipalities' middle rate
6.24337 per $1,000

Your bill uses BC Assessment's value for the property, which can differ from its price, and may also include parcel taxes and utility fees (water, sewer, garbage) that aren't rates on value.

The home owner grant takes up to $570 off the bill of a home its owner lives in ($770 in the Province's northern and rural area in 2026, and up to $845, or $1,045 there, for seniors, veterans and people with a disability), for homes assessed at $2,075,000 or less in 2026; above that it shrinks by $5 for each $1,000. From 2027 the northern and rural extra ends and the regular grant is $570 everywhere. The owner applies each year, and must pay at least $350 in tax ($100 for the higher grant) after it.

Rates are set each May for the year; the next year's will differ.

Sources: City of Victoria's 2026 tax rates bylaw, as compiled by the Province (Local Government Statistics Schedule 702, 2026) (the rates only: facts set in public bylaws, not open data); Home owner grant, Province of BC (summarised in our words, read 2026-10-04).

How property tax works in BC, and what else goes on the bill →

§26Crime For reference

Victoria's municipal police reported a crime severity index of 161 in 2025, above BC's 92; up 19% since 2015 (BC unchanged).

  • Victoria 161
  • BC 92
Crime severity index by year, 2011 to 2025, police-reported (Canada in 2006 = 100).
The record
Police service
Victoria's municipal police
Crime severity index, 2025
161 (BC 92)
Violent / non-violent index
173 / 158 (BC 98 / 91)
Crime severity index, 2015
135 (BC 93)
Break and enter, per 100,000 people, 2025
361 (BC 281)
Theft of a vehicle, per 100,000 people, 2025
98 (BC 138)
Theft from a vehicle, per 100,000 people, 2025
716 (BC 441)
Violent crime, per 100,000 people, 2025
2,802 (BC 1,531)
All Criminal Code offences (not traffic), per 100,000 people, 2025
10,455 (BC 6,943)

The crime severity index weighs each offence by how serious it is (one assault counts for more than several thefts), with Canada in 2006 set at 100. Rates are per 100,000 people living in the police service's area, so places with many visitors, commuters or seasonal homes read high, and in small places a few incidents swing the figures a lot. These are crimes reported to police, not all crime.

In BC only Surrey, the Township of Langley, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam publish reported property crime block by block under an open licence; reports there count what was reported within 500 m of the lot. The police here don't, so the figures above are for the whole area they cover.

Police calls to a particular address aren't published in BC (privacy law keeps police records about identifiable people closed), and neither is whether a home was used as a grow-op or drug lab: that shows up as a notice on the title. Ask the seller for the Property Disclosure Statement, and your lawyer for the title search.

Sources: Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0063-01, Crime severity index and weighted clearance rates, police services in British Columbia (Statistics Canada Open Licence); Statistics Canada, Table 35-10-0184-01, Incident-based crime statistics, by detailed violations, police services in British Columbia (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

What police-reported crime figures say about a place, and what isn't public →

§27Questions to ask

Built from what these records found, plus the basics for any purchase. Tick them off as you go (this browser remembers them; nothing is sent to us), or print the page.

The seller or their agent

  • why
  • why
  • why
  • why
  • why

The local government

  • why
  • why

Your lawyer or notary

Your home inspector or a specialist

  • why

Your insurer

  • why

The school district

  • why

Find the people

Official public registers: find someone near you, or check that the one you've found is licensed. No one pays to be listed.

Buying from outside Canada or through a company, or working out the property transfer tax: AcreScout sets out who can buy land in BC and what the transfer tax comes to. Confirm with your lawyer or notary.

§28The parcel record

Parcel type
Subdivision
Owner type
Private
Plan
VIP26075
Mapped area
1,272 m² (0.31 acres)

Mapped area is from ParcelMap BC and can differ from the surveyed area on title. Owner names, assessed values and title charges aren't public data; a title search at the Land Title and Survey Authority shows easements, covenants and liens.

Source: ParcelMap BC parcel fabric (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), updated 2019-01-05.

Land for sale nearby

The 5 nearest listings on AcreScout within 25 km, nearest first.

ListingAsking priceSizePer acreFrom the lot
1130 May StVictoria, listed 192 days ago$1,049,9000.13 acres–1.3 km
2547 Empire StVictoria, listed 31 days ago$899,0000.14 acres–1.5 km
221 Edward StVictoria, listed 121 days ago$1,499,9000.18 acres–2.2 km
3106 Washington AveVictoria, listed 120 days ago$1,125,0000.29 acres–3 km
460–464 Head StEsquimalt, listed 120 days ago$3,300,0000.3 acres–3 km

Distances are straight lines from the lot's middle to the listing's pin. Where AcreScout places a listing only roughly, no distance is given, only the place it's near. Per acre is left out under about an acre. Asking prices are what sellers ask, not what land sells for.

Listings: AcreScout (our sister site), active listings as of 2026-10-11. Asking prices set by the sellers; not a valuation.

Checked 2026-10-11. General information from public records, not an inspection, survey, appraisal or legal advice. Confirm with the local government and a professional before you buy or build.