I moved to Greater Victoria at 4 yrs. Victoria also has everything most visitors could ever want, at every budget level. City buses run to most regions.
Gardening is a popular pastime, especially among the retirees who have time for it.
We have some amazing natural harbours, including Esquimalt, which is where the Canadian Pacific Naval forces are based. Eating out in Victoria is pretty affordable by National Standards, but we have our fair shaire of restaurants with menus that will appease the most cultured palate. We have the West Coast Trail and Juan de Fuca Marine Trail within driving distance. Both offer spectacular W. Coast scenery and varying degrees of hiking. The famous Carmanah Valley is nearby, as is the controversial Clayquot Sound.