Exocet

Congratulations on coming to UVic! Affordability and Victoria don't really mix well as far as housing and accommodations go. Coming from Alberta you will find housing to be shockingly expensive (unless you're used to living in downtown Calgary), so either be prepared to pay $900-1200+ for a one-bedroom (less for something like a basement suite), or think of looking for roommates if you need to live for less. Here's a link to a listing of off-campus housing maintained by UVic: http://housing.uvic.ca/ads/index.php?a=19 As for where to live? Anything in Oak Bay, Victoria proper (which includes the neighbourhoods of James Bay, Fairfield, Rockland, Fernwood, and many others) or the Southern reaches of Saanich and Gordon Head will keep you within a reasonable bus ride or bike to campus. UVic has one of Victoria Transit's (the bus system) major terminuses with nearly a dozen different routes serving it. Commuting-wise, avoid anything advertised as in the "West Shore" communities of Langford, Colwood, and Metchosin; these bedroom communities (think Sherwood Park in Edmonton, but not quite as far, but no real highways to get you into town or UofA) will all involve a 1hr or more commute by bus . Personally, I would also avoid anything from Esquimalt, View Royal, or Vic West as they are not always the nicest neighbourhoods and will be a bit of a pain as far as commuting goes. This is just my personal opinion as someone who grew up here in Victoria, though others may have different positive experiences. Once you've finalized your application with UVic, you could try contacting your department's graduate secretary to see if there are any other incoming grad students who are looking for housing. They might be able to pair you up with someone. @sdt13 and YotG It is indeed a beautiful campus, especially in the summer and late fall. It is, however, a relatively new University (founded only in 1963 I think) and many of it's main buildings were built in the Canadian institutional brutalist style, with plenty of concrete slabs and stucco in the older buildings. There has been a slow progression of new buildings, with the Social Science and Mathematics (SSM) building completed in the last 5-10 years being quite a nice, modern setting. PS: YotG, have you been accepted into the Economics MA at UVic, or will you be studying resource economics at another department? If you're in Economics try to get to know C.G. van Kooten, he's our main resource economics person, as well as Daniel Rondeau who does resource/environmental with a lot of game theory mixed in.