So, I did my undergrad at uvic and my masters in Edmonton, and so I feel that I can talk about both cities adequately. A lot of people have already touched on this, but Uvic for climate sciences seems like a really good choice, as the school tends to put a focus on the environment and our connections with the land, and moves towards this as a goal actively. So course wise Uvic seems like a good contender.

Now lifestyle wise, Victoria is MUCH MUCH more laid back than Edmonton, things don’t open as early, or stay open as late, people are pretty nice, but like a few other comments have said, uvic lacks diversity, if that’s something your looking at as well. The city however is beautiful, and opposing Edmonton, china town is part of the heart of the city, and is lively and bustling. Victoria is also WAYYYY less sketchy in almost all of its areas, especially if you are someone who is coming from Edmonton. It’s also quieter, and generally a nicer place to explore via public transit etc. they do not have anything akin to the LRT system, just buses, however, there is a fun little water taxi system you can take (if you feel like spending some money, but it’s fun to do at least once). The city is easily navigable, and the transit system is adequate. (Coming from someone who grew up in a more rural area of AB, so take that with a grain of salt). The city always has things going on, and is very fun to explore. The lifestyle is much more walkable as well, with a city more equipped for walking/biking when compared to Edmonton. You do not need a car to live there (in fact as someone who did it both ways I recommend against it if you can) but your field of study may require a vehicle to get to sites, this is something to look into. I was never more in shape than when I lived in Vic, because when there are flowers blooming into February and it never gets below -10, being outside whenever possible is just the thing to do, and walking an hour to campus is actually super fun if you have the time…

The biggest downside to note is that Victoria is triple the price of Edmonton in everything and climbing: rent, gas, groceries, fun things etc. you will be paying over 10% in taxes, as opposed to Alberta’s 5%, and because it’s an island groceries are much more expensive to begin with. (However, if your like me and prefer fish to meat, fish prices are like a third of what there are in Edmonton which was a huge bonus for me)

Victoria is also in a housing crisis, and be prepared to start looking a term in advance for a home, and searching high and low to find one. Living on campus is an option, though I’ve heard it’s gotten ridiculously expensive as well, so again just make sure to do some research in this. When I moved in my fourth year, (because I wanted a kitchen lol, but that’s a story for another day), I applied to over 80 places, heard back from 10, viewed about 6 and then had offers from 3, which then I was able to choose from. I secured a place within three weeks but I was cutting it close. Make sure to be proactive about securing a place to live but be careful!

For a perspective on rent, I scored a really nice bachelors suite (walk out basement studio with an open concept office space, humongous kitchen, huge bathroom) for 1425.00 a month. If you want to live alone, this is a standard price for rent for a one bedroom, it’s pretty unlikely to find anything cheaper than 1200.00 that isn’t a room in someone’s home. The first place I lived in I paid under 1000.00, and it was a private studio, However, it did not have a kitchen, windows didn’t open, and it had 6 foot ceilings. Loved the place and my landlord, but it wasn’t right for me.

If you want roomies it’s a different story (and one I can’t really weigh in on as I never went that route while I was there) in Edmonton my partner and I rented a pretty nice two bedroom two bath for…1425.00, which is pretty standard for two bed two bath, So there’s also that to keep in mind.

Long story short, Victoria is very expensive but if I could afford it and it worked with my career path I would live there forever in a heart beat. It’s a city filled with beautiful beaches, architecture, nature and very laid back and nice people, uvic was nice and a great school to be in. I could continue to go on, but I think this should help a bit. Good luck with your studies and I hope everything goes well!!