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Our business partner this week might be called "I Hate it Here" (click above and check them out)—but we're absolutely loving this week in Greater Victoria! It's a big one, and this newsletter is packed.
Easter weekend delivers egg hunts, bunny photos, and festivals across every municipality—plus nature walk escapes if you need a break from the chaos. The weekly Farmers Market returns, and summer camp registration opens (we've got some dates and links!).
Beyond the fun: BC Business just ranked four Greater Victoria municipalities in the top 11 most economically resilient communities in BC (Langford second in all of BC!). And ICBC revealed which intersections have the most crashes—spoiler: if you live here then you probably already know them.
Want the full list of what’s happening this week? [Subscribe for free] and don’t miss the good stuff happening across the 13 municipalities of Greater Victoria.
Community & Creative
Sooke: Speed Friending Night April 1 (Wed) @Cafe Vosino, 6715 Eustace Rd 6-8pm
Victoria: Networking Event in Spanish April 1 (Wed) @722 Cormorant St 6:30pm
+ 19th Annual Grand Pacific Open Chess Tournament April 3-6 @Hotel Grans Pacific
+ International Kizomba Festival April 3-6 @Victoria Conference Centre
+ Vintage Emporium April 4 (Sat) @1490 Fairfield Rd 10am-2pm
Esquimalt: Esquimalt Farmers Market April 2 (Thur) @1200 Esquimalt Rd 4:30-7:30pm
Sidney: Knitters and Crafters April 3 (Fri) @2410 Malaview Ave 9:30-11:30am
Oak Bay: Hop Into Easter: Vintage Fair & Makers Market April 4 (Sat) @2039 Oak Bay Ave 9am-4pm
Langford: Easter Market April 4 (Sat) @588 Atkins Ave 10am-2pm
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Because HR shouldn’t feel like a thankless job. And you shouldn’t feel alone in it.
Arts & Entertainment
Victoria: Fiddle Extravaganza Mar 31 (Tue) @1205 Pandora St 7:30pm
+ Art For Art’s Sake, April Fools Comedy Edition April 1 (Wed) @Roxy Theatre, 2657 Quadra St 7pm
+ Drag Bingo April 1 (Wed) @The Vicious Poodle, 726 Johnson St 8pm
+ Darcy & Jer: Average at Best April 2 (Thur) @Royal Theatre, 805 Broughton St 8pm
+ Krafty Kuts & A.Skillz April 3 (Fri) @The Downbeat, 1325 Government St 9pm-2am
View Royal: Bingo April 1 (Wed) @Strawberry Vale Community Club, 11 High St 7pm
Colwood: 17th Annual Bloom April 4 (Sat) @170 Goldfinch Rd 1-3pm
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Family Fun: Our Top 3 Picks
🐰 Saturday's Easter Egg Hunts
Apr 4 (Sat) across Greater Victoria
Saturday is absolute jam packed with community opportunities to enjoy the art of the egg hunt—Willows Beach in Oak Bay has a full festival, and nearly every municipality is hosting an egg hunt scramble. From Elk Lake's Neal Estate hunt to Esquimalt's Bullen Park gathering to Colwood's Royal Bay neighborhood celebration, there's literally something happening everywhere. Langford's even offering last-minute Easter Bunny photos at Westshore if you've been procrastinating. Pick your neighbourhood, grab a basket, and join the madness. Full details and links in our Easter Fun Guide below.
🥚 Easter Sunday Adventures
Apr 5 (Sun) across Greater Victoria
Easter Sunday delivers another round of fun for families. Victoria hosts early sessions at Oaklands Community Centre and activities at Mayfair Mall (bunny photos!). North Saanich, Highlands, and Sooke are holding fun Sunday events, while Metchosin's Bilston Creek Farm continues their weekend-long celebration. The BC Aviation Museum hides Easter surprises for young pilots, and Sooke's Great Egg Hunt turns the entire town into a treasure map through Tuesday. Full details and links in our Easter Fun Guide below.
🌲 Or... Escape to Nature
Apr 4-5 (Sat-Sun) Island View & East Sooke Regional Parks
Central Saanich offers a guided walk exploring Indigenous perspectives at Island View Saturday morning, while East Sooke Park has a self-guided "Glory of the Understory" walk Sunday. Both free, both get you into nature, and a perfect way to balance out the weekend. Full details and links in our Active & Outdoors section below.
Ultimate Family Easter Fun Guide
Central Saanich: Children’s Easter Bunny Hunt April 3-6 @The Butchart Gardens
+ Easter Egg Hunt April 4 (Sat) @Patio Gardens, 6536 West Saanich Rd 12pm
Saanich: Neal Estate Easter Egg Hunt and Family Event April 4 (Sat) @Elk/Beaver Lake 10am
Oak Bay: Easter Festival April 4 (Sat) @Willows Beach 10am-2pm
Esquimalt: Easter Family Fun Event April 4 (Sat) @Bullen Park 11am-2pm
Colwood: Royal Bay Easter Egg Hunt April 4 (Sat) @Meadow Park 11am-1pm
Victoria: Fairfield United’s Easter Egg Hunt April 4 (Sat) @932 Balmoral Rd 11am-1pm
+ Easter Celebration April 5 (Sun) @Mayfair Mall
+ Easter Eggstravaganza April 5 (Sun) @Oaklands Community Centre 9:30 & 10:30am
+ Easter Bunny Photos Until April 6 @Mayfair Mall
Langford: Free Photos with the Easter Bunny Until April 4 @Westshore Town Centre
Metchosin: Bunny Hunt & Easter Weekend April 4-5 (Sat-Sun) @Bilston Creek Farm
North Saanich: Easter Egg Hunt April 5 (Sun) @Dominion Brook Park 12-2pm
+ Easter Bunny Scavenger Hunt Until April 6 @BC Aviation Museum 1910 Norseman Rd
Highlands: Easter Egg Hunt April 5 (Sun) @Caleb Pike House 11am
Sooke: Annual Easter Egg Hunt April 5 (Sun) @2612 Sooke Rd 9:00-9:30am
+ The Great Sooke Egg Hunt Until April 7 @See link for participating locations
Summer Camps for Kids!
Fairfield Gonzales Community Association – Registration Opens April 7 @ 7:30pm!
Saanich Summer Day Camps – Registration Opens April 8 @ 6am!
West Shore Parks & Rec Summer Camps – Registration Opens April 9 @ 6am!
UVic Vikes Summer Camps – Registration Opens April 9 @ 6:30am!
Panorama Recreation Summer Camps – Registration Opens April 9 @ 6:30am!
Esquimalt Summer Camps – Registration Opens April 10 @ 7am!
Oak Bay Summer Camps – Registration Opens April 15 @ 6:30am!
Camp Steam Victoria/Langford/Sidney (Minecraft and Lego Themed Camps!)
✨ Plus, two local dads from Central Saanich created a website where you can search every kids’ camp in one place! www.campmatch.ca - Thank you Michael Doyle and Craig Frew!
News Bites
🏆 Some Good Economic News for Once: Greater Victoria Dominates Resilience Rankings
BC Business Magazine's 2026 economic resilience rankings bring refreshing news: Greater Victoria holds serious provincial strength with Langford in second place (explosive population growth and housing starts), North Saanich debuting at third, and Colwood scoring perfect 10s in two categories. Sidney slipped from first to fifth and Victoria dropped to 11th as Metro Vancouver rebounds, but the bigger picture? Four Greater Victoria municipalities claimed top-11 spots among 59 BC communities.
[Full Rankings – BC Business]
🚗 And Now, the Bad News: Greater Victoria's Most Crash-Prone Intersections
ICBC just released five years of crash data, and if you drive in Greater Victoria, you already know these spots. Saanich's Douglas and McKenzie win worst on all of Vancouver Island with 373 collisions since 2020 (87 in 2024 alone). Victoria's chaotic five-way where Gorge, Government, Hillside, and Douglas meet? 263 crashes. Langford's Trans-Canada/Veterans Memorial/Millstream tangle logged 286 incidents. Speed caused 32% of collisions, distraction 28%, and impairment 23%. Drive carefully out there, friends.
[More Info – Victoria Buzz]
Active & Outdoors
Greater Victoria: Pathfinders Walking Club – Walks this week: Langford (April 1), Saanich (April 4), Victoria (April 5) Sidney (April 6)
Central Saanich: Exploring Indigenous Perspectives (Guided Walk) – All Ages April 4 (Sat) @Island View Regional Park 10am-1pm
Sooke: Glory of the Understory (Self-guided Walk) – All Ages April 5 (Sun) @East Sooke Regional Park 10am-1pm
🌅 On the Horizon
Planning ahead? Here are a few events worth noting:
Sidney: Lesbihonest April 12 @Mary Winspear Centre
Victoria: Rockabilly Rumble May 9 @Da Vinci Centre
+ Victoria International JazzFest June 19-28 @Various Venues
Have a great week Greater Victoria! 💙
