Every week I try and answer some of the questions, concerns, or common missteps of our applicants. My goal is to inform and educate potential applicants to help strengthen the applications that we receive. However, more and more, we are getting asked questions about “fun facts” about Victoria and UVic.
We know, law school isn’t usually thought of as…fun.
It’s a higher calling, a noble pursuit, a quest to affect change. It’s concern with the bigger picture, while not losing sight of the minutiae. It’s a sharp focus on the mundane to either cause or avoid sweeping effects. It’s interesting. It’s fascinating. It’s life changing. It’s empowering.
It’s rarely called…fun.
However, we encourage our students to have fun while they’re here – to get out and explore one of the most beautiful cities on one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Most of our students spend between 12 and 16 hours per week in class, and they, of course, are expected to be prepared for class. This can mean a couple of hours of reading for every hour of class. Law school is hard work.
That said, our school has a plethora of clubs, intramural sports, organizations, lectures, events, activities, and, well, just our beautiful outdoors. There is lot of opportunity for fun at UVic Law. There is also a lot of opportunity for fun in the vicinity, whether that’s amongst the buildings in downtown Victoria, the surf in Tofino, the slopes of Mount Washington, the trails on Mount Tzouhalem, the water off Willows Beach, or just your own couch. We have opportunities to connect with community or just to have some quiet time.
Fun (by many names, including relaxation, respite, and down time) is, of course, really important to prevent burnout. It also refreshes those precious little neurons in your mighty brains before hitting the books again. And physical exercise, art creation, shared experiences, connection, and laughter are all ways to keep our mental health in a good place. Fun is actually really important work!
So, with that in mind, I’ve put together a list of fun facts about UVic, UVic Law, and Victoria. None of them are nearly as fun as going to Butchart Gardens to see The Festive Brass on a December night or plummeting off a bridge on a bungee at WildPlay Nanaimo. I mean, is there really such thing as a truly “fun” fact? Can facts be fun? Perhaps they’re amusing, or surprising, or unexpected. I’ve done my best here to compile facts that will at least make you tilt your head and raise your eyebrows with piqued interest.
Top 10 Mildly Amusing-yet-not-quite-fun Facts About Victoria, UVic, and UVic Law
- UVic is the successor to Victoria College, founded in 1903. UVic was granted degree-granting status in 1963, and UVic Law was founded in 1975.
- UVic has a resident wild peacock named George that can be spotted around campus on a regular basis.
- Victoria is the Western Terminus of the Trans-Canada Highway. The Eastern Terminus is St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador.
- Victoria’s Chinatown is the second-oldest in North America, second only to San Francisco’s.
- The founding of Victoria pre-dates that of both Vancouver and Seattle, making it the oldest city in the Pacific Northwest.
- Orcas have been known to rub their bellies on the smooth rocks on the beaches near Vancouver Island (including Beautiful Bay Trail in Sointula).
- Black bears are common to see on Vancouver Island. However, grizzlies are rare. They occasionally swim across Johnstone Strait to Northern Vancouver Island.
- Vancouver Island has the highest concentration of cougars (mountain lions for those of you down south; panthers or pumas for those of you REALLY down south), with the highest concentration on Northern Vancouver Island.
- In case you thought the Guns N’ Roses song was just a song, the month with the highest rainfall on Vancouver Island is November. Phrases like “atmospheric river” and “bomb cyclone” are common place here. Pro tip: the darkness of the col November rain can be easier to deal with when we look forward to the holidays. Some residents to put up early holiday lights so they can look forward to the cheer of the season.
- Famous people from Victoria include Nelly Furtado, David Foster, Meg Tilly, and Jennifer Tilly. Famous UVic alum include Nathan Fielder, Mark Chao, Calvin Chen, and Jody Wilson-Raybould.
- Bonus: You can stop on almost any road trip in the summer on Vancouver Island and pick blackberries by the side of the road.