NeroDavola

I did my BA and MA at western. You do not want to live any significant distance from campus. Public transit is a nightmare, and cycling lanes are non-existent. It took me the same time to bike to school as it did to bus, and I had to avoid busy streets for fear of losing my life. Also, the drivers seem to have been trained by the Japanese imperial navy circa 1943 -- and being in the snow belt only makes that worse from nov-apr. Try to live north of dundas st. And west of Adelaide if you don't have a car or gun, respectively.

Good bar/club scene, but generally lacking in pubs/cafés where you can hear the person next to you. Actually, the grad club (on campus) was one of the better pubs. The school is really good, and the campus is gorgeous. The gym is fantastic and the librarians are awesome. Take full advantage of these things!

If you have any questions, feel free to pm -- I lived there for 22 years.

I got an admit for 2014 MPA at UVic! I speak only from second-hand hearsay, but the smallish school and co-op intense programs are said to make for a really collegial environment. Cheers!