Things to Do in Langford

Dennis Brady and his glass-blowing brood do more than supply Victoria with a steady stream of colourful crystalline pieces. They also impart the tricks of their trade in easy-to-understand classes, lectures, and workshops. Artists can take advantage of one of the studio's many kilns for rent or use the sandblaster to etch intricate designs into smooth surfaces to practice for a new gig as Jack Frost. The glassomancers' educational programs emphasize the business end of artistry, with numerous classes aimed specifically at improving one's marketability.

The Braefoot Community Association was created to enrich its community with sports and recreational activities. Each of their programs is designed to help kids develop social and physical skills while encouraging healthy lifestyle habits and instilling in them an eagerness to remain active instead of imitating plastic-molded mannequins. Kids aged 16 months to 12 years can undergo non-competitive instruction in roller hockey, soccer, basketball, baseball, and tennis, and owners of fancy feet can take pre-professional and children's level dance instruction with the Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts. During the summer, a slew of camps keep children occupied and involved, teaching kids kayaking or biking basics, or helping them hone their soccer or hockey skills. The organization’s multi-use facility also has grounds for the Lakehill Soccer Association and the Saanich Lacrosse Association to play on and is working toward expanding their activities to include adult programs.

Abkhazi Garden is the "garden that love built"—Prince Nicholas Abkhazi, a Georgian prince from Russia, and his bride Peggy settled in Victoria in 1946 and promptly began construction on the garden that they would refer to as "their child." Likened by Princess Peggy to an unfurling Chinese scroll, the blossom-brimming garden's meandering paths lead visitors around natural rock outcroppings, between sky-stroking garry oaks, and through the hedges where gnomes power photosynthesis with their stationary bikes. Along the banks of the garden's three small ponds, the songs of dozens of bird species cascade over guests and the resident turtles. Views of the Juan de Fuca Strait and the Olympic Mountains peek through the gardens' perimeter amid azaleas and the Abkhazi's prized rhododendron woodland area. Inside the now-public main house, a restaurant—open from March to November—sends platters of eggs benedict, niçoise salad, and scones with jams and Devon cream to tables nestled in the great room, where cozy seats overlook the garden.

The Salish Sea hosts one of the largest killer-whale gatherings on the planet. From its three large pods of fish-eating resident orcas to the pods of transient orcas that hunt for larger mammalian game, the Salish's waters often churn with a flurry of activity. Five Star's captains give passengers a glimpse of this underwater entertainment by charting courses through the sea's whale-filled waters atop stable catamarans outfitted with four separate viewing platforms. From these lookouts, guests may spot the black and white behemoths, as well as mink, gray, and humpback whales and other marine life. Between sightings, crews keep parties comfortable within the heated cabin by supplying them with complimentary coffee, hot chocolate, and liquefied Herman Melville novels.

A city is like a walk-through history book with the stories scrawled along its streets and architecture. The sage-like guides of Hidden Dragon use their knowledge of that landscape to share the stories of Victoria. With that goal in mind, their menu of walking tours entices guests to join them through keystone locales that speak to the indigenous, British, and Chinese cultures that define the city, as well as the paranormal tales that comprise its folklore.

The Crown Victoria Native Island tour explores the indigenous people and British colonists that once inhabited the area. Guests walk past the historic Fairmont Empress Hotel situated beside the waters of Inner Harbour, totem poles, and the quaint historic shops of Old Town. The New World Old Chinatown tour inspired the Hidden Dragon name with journeys through the museums, courtyards, and concealed myths of Victoria’s Chinese community. For an alternative history of the region, guides divulge the stories of ghosts, witches, and demons found in the rooming houses and alleys of Dark Victoria.