A VILLAGE OF 100

IF GREATER VICTORIA WAS A VILLAGE OF 100 PEOPLE: THEN & NOW

When we first published Vital Signs in 2006, the region’s population was 345,000. Today, it stands at 460,000 people, a 33% increase.

In that time, we’ve experienced worsening climate impacts, including prolonged drought, heat domes, wildfires, and atmospheric rivers. We’ve seen technology transform more aspects of our lives, while social media has radically altered how we perceive and interact with each other and the world. 

We’ve witnessed growing income inequality, wealth concentration, and the financialization of housing, fearing for those left behind. We’ve watched the rise of geopolitical instability, conflicts, and humanitarian crises, fearing for loved ones and homelands.

We’ve lived through the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic and 2008 financial crisis that ravaged our families, communities, and economies, and tested our faith in each other and our governments. We’ve navigated the post-pandemic recovery, enduring supply chain disruptions, inflation, and high interest rates.

We’ve been doing the necessary work of reconciliation with First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Peoples, and upholding Indigenous rights and title. We’ve been looking hard at ourselves and our systems to confront racism and discrimination.

Through it all, we’ve strengthened the bonds that connect us and built a resilient quality of life.