U-Haul Truck Arrivals Spiked 25 Percent in 2015
The gardens of Victoria are among Canada’s most beautiful. Credit: Tourism Victoria and Sumeet Wahwa.
Western Canada’s second oldest city, Victoria, remains a new playground for many, according to U-Haul Company’s latest migration trends report.
Victoria claims the No. 3 spot among the U-Haul Top 10 Canadian Growth Cities for 2015.
“People are arriving in Victoria weekly to invest, open businesses and join our entrepreneurial culture,” Mayor Lisa Helps said. “They come to make a life and a living.”
Growth rankings are determined by the net gain of incoming one-way U-Haul truck rentals versus outgoing rentals for the past calendar year. U-Haul locations in this city saw 51.5 percent of truck rental customers coming into the city as opposed leaving.
Tips from the Moving Experts: Living in & Moving to Victoria
Victoria welcomed 25 percent more U-Haul arrivals year-over-year, while its departures were up 12 percent over the same period. The overall spike in U-Haul traffic made one of Canada’s most beautiful destinations a bustling place for do-it-yourself movers.
While U-Haul migration trends don’t correlate directly to population or economic growth, the growth cities data is a strong gauge of how well cities are attracting and keeping residents.
Incorporated in 1862, this city has aged well. Even though it has a lot of old-world charm with its double-decker buses, Victorian architecture, gardens and horse-drawn carriages, it has new-world attractions as well. The city is surrounded by a wealth of stunning ocean views and mountain vistas. More than 3 million people visit Victoria every year to take in all the natural beauty and appealing weather.
As the capital of British Columbia, this city is a centre for business development. It’s anchored by the Inner Harbour and is considered the economic heart of the region. Downtown serves as the employment and entertainment hub for the 360,000 residents of Greater Victoria.
“I am not surprised at the growth for Victoria,” U-Haul Company of Vancouver & Vancouver Island president Michelle Benson said. “We currently have a hot job market with all the new buildings being developed. The word is out that the job market is going to be hot for the next five years with the building permits in place.
“Many people are returning from Alberta as their job market slows. Also, the low dollar value is helping small business in Victoria. We are a tourism destination and with the dollar down, Canadians travel here instead of heading south for the winter.”
This city, which was named the U-Haul No. 9 Canadian Destination City for 2014, is the third of four British Columbia cities to make the Top 10 Growth Cities list for 2015. Continue following the countdown on myuhaulstory.com through March 4 to see the No. 1 city revealed.
Additional photo credits: Parliament Building at Night (thumbnail image) and Horse Drawn Carriage (featured image) by Tourism Victoria and Tyler Ahlgren, respectively.
More on Victoria
- Downtown is home to Canada’s oldest Chinatown (and second oldest in North America after San Francisco). It also boasts the world-renowned Inner Harbour, the luxurious Fairmont Empress Hotel and the British Columbia Parliament Buildings.
- This city was ranked the No.1 Island in the Continental U.S. and Canada in the 2015 Travel & Leisure World’s Best Awards.
- Do-it-yourself movers in Victoria have the convenience to two full-service, U-Haul-owned stores in the city: U-Haul Moving & Storage at Queens Ave. (644 Queens Ave.) and U-Haul Moving & Storage of Victoria (776-790 Topaz Ave.). There also are six Victoria businesses in the U-Haul dealer network ready to meet the customer’s moving needs.
Quotable
- “Lifestyle and climate keep people coming and staying in Victoria. We have great weather all year long. Victoria is a very picturesque city with lots to do. You can be a tourist in your own town with a small budget. It’s also known as the fittest city in Canada with cycling, walking, hiking and kayaking. It has been ranked among Canada’s best places to retire. The New York Times recently published this area of Canada as a must-see destination in the world.” — Michelle Benson, president of U-Haul Company of Vancouver & Vancouver Island
What was your favorite thing about visiting or living in this city? Share in the comments!
