View Royal facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
View Royal
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Town
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| Town of View Royal | |
Portage Park on Thetis Cove
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 View Royal
Location in Vancouver Island
View Royal
Location in British Columbia
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Capital |
| Incorporated | 1988 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Municipal |
| Area | |
| • Land | 14.33 km2 (5.53 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 20 m (70 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 11,575 |
| • Density | 807.6/km2 (2,092/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (PST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| Postal code |
V9B
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| Area code(s) | 250 |
| Highways |  Hwy 1 (TCH) |
View Royal is a town located in Greater Victoria, Canada. It's part of the Capital Regional District in British Columbia. About 11,575 people live here.
View Royal is known for its beautiful green spaces. It has over 700 hectares (1,700 acres) of parkland. The town is home to several lakes, including Thetis, McKenzie, Pike, and Prior Lakes. It also includes parts of Esquimalt Harbour and Portage Inlet, which are bodies of water connected to the ocean.
Contents
Discovering View Royal's Past
View Royal's story is connected to the history of the entire region. The Esquimalt First Nation, who are Coast Salish Indigenous people, have lived in the View Royal area for a very long time. They used to cross a narrow strip of land, now called Portage Park, to gather seafood from Portage Inlet.
Early European Settlers
European people started settling here in the 1850s. A man named Kenneth Mackenzie started a farm called Craigflower Manor. Later, in the mid-1800s, Dr. John Sebastian Helmcken bought a lot of land. He was Vancouver Island's first doctor and later became a speaker in the British Columbia Legislative Assembly. This land was cleared to help Victoria grow.
In 1912, a company bought 80 acres of land from Dr. Helmcken's son. They called the lots "View Royal" because of their amazing "royal view" of the harbour. This is how the town got its name!
Becoming an Official Town
For over 50 years, View Royal didn't have its own official government. By the 1950s, residents wanted things to change. In 1959, some people living near Shoreline Drive asked to join the nearby town of Esquimalt.
After many discussions and votes, View Royal finally became an official town on December 5, 1988. This meant it could manage its own services, like sewage collection, more effectively.
Historic Places to Visit
View Royal has several cool historic spots you can still see today:
- Four Mile Pub & Six Mile Pub: These are two old "road houses" or pubs. They have been around for about 150 years!
- Craigflower Manor & Schoolhouse: This is a very important historical site in Canada. The Manor was finished in 1856. It was one of the first four farms set up by the Hudson's Bay Company to help settle Vancouver Island. The Manor was home to the McKenzie family and many other buildings, like a sawmill, a flour mill, and a general store. The Craigflower Schoolhouse is right next to the Manor, just across the town border.
Recent Changes and Improvements
View Royal has seen many updates recently. In 2011, the Island Highway was improved with new bike lanes, sidewalks, and turning lanes.
Starting in 2013, the town worked with the District of Saanich to replace the 80-year-old Craigflower Bridge. Also, a new Public Safety Building was built and finished in 2014.
Exploring View Royal's Landscape
View Royal is divided into eight main areas. These areas are based on things like the land's shape, roads, natural environment, and how old the houses are. These neighborhoods are Atkins, Burnside, Craigflower, Harbour, Helmcken, Hospital, Thetis, and Wilfert.
The town has 70 local parks and 25 kilometres (16 mi) of trails for walking and exploring. View Royal's coastline has sandy beaches with small caves, large driftwood, and rocks. These areas are home to cool marine animals like starfish, crabs, and seals.
People of View Royal
In 2021, the population of View Royal was 11,575 people. This was a jump from 10,408 people in 2016. The town has a land area of 14.33 km2 (5.53 sq mi).
In 2011, the average age of people living in View Royal was 44.1 years old.
| Historical census populations – View Royal | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Source: Statistics Canada | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Diverse Backgrounds
View Royal is home to people from many different backgrounds. Here's a look at the main groups living in the town:
| Panethnic group |
2021 | 2016 | 2011 | 2006 | 2001 | |||||||||
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| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |||||
| European | 8,610 | 76.47% | 8,045 | 81.18% | 8,085 | 87.45% | 7,710 | 88.88% | 6,490 | 89.39% | ||||
| Indigenous | 670 | 5.95% | 435 | 4.39% | 250 | 2.7% | 160 | 1.84% | 180 | 2.48% | ||||
| South Asian | 655 | 5.82% | 565 | 5.7% | 415 | 4.49% | 215 | 2.48% | 190 | 2.62% | ||||
| East Asian | 615 | 5.46% | 350 | 3.53% | 210 | 2.27% | 250 | 2.88% | 190 | 2.62% | ||||
| Southeast Asian | 270 | 2.4% | 200 | 2.02% | 170 | 1.84% | 65 | 0.75% | 85 | 1.17% | ||||
| African | 205 | 1.82% | 135 | 1.36% | 20 | 0.22% | 130 | 1.5% | 60 | 0.83% | ||||
| Middle Eastern | 105 | 0.93% | 45 | 0.45% | 15 | 0.16% | 30 | 0.35% | 0 | 0% | ||||
| Latin American | 100 | 0.89% | 90 | 0.91% | 45 | 0.49% | 110 | 1.27% | 25 | 0.34% | ||||
| Other/Multiracial | 30 | 0.27% | 35 | 0.35% | 0 | 0% | 10 | 0.12% | 45 | 0.62% | ||||
| Total responses | 11,260 | 97.28% | 9,910 | 95.22% | 9,245 | 98.55% | 8,675 | 98.94% | 7,260 | 99.85% | ||||
| Total population | 11,575 | 100% | 10,408 | 100% | 9,381 | 100% | 8,768 | 100% | 7,271 | 100% | ||||
| Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses | ||||||||||||||
Religions in View Royal
According to the 2021 census, here are the religious groups in View Royal:
- No religion (6,535 people or 58.0%)
- Christianity (3,890 people or 34.5%)
- Islam (195 people or 1.7%)
- Hinduism (185 people or 1.6%)
- Sikhism (170 people or 1.5%)
- Buddhism (90 people or 0.8%)
- Judaism (40 people or 0.4%)
- Other religions (165 people or 1.5%)
