City services and 311

Canadian municipalities concentrate non-emergency contact in a single service line. Where a city runs 311, that number reaches every municipal department, and the people answering can route a request to the right one. For Victoria that is City of Victoria.

Numbers and contacts

• Police non-emergency (Victoria Police Department)250-995-7654

  Dial 911 for life-threatening situations and crimes in progress.

  Official page

• Victoria Police Department headquarters850 Caledonia Ave., Victoria, BC V8T 5J8

  Front desk open 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday.

  Official page

• City of Victoria general inquiriesVictoria does not operate a 311 line; departmental phone numbers are listed on the City contact page

  The contact page lists phone numbers for each City department.

  Official page

• Transit agency (BC Transit - Victoria Regional Transit System)BC Transit - see the fares and schedules pages for the Victoria region

  Victoria's inner-harbour ferries are a separate private service, not part of the transit system.

  Official page

Official city services

These go directly to the municipality’s own pages for the services residents use most. Fares, fees, hours and collection schedules change, so each link is the live source rather than a snapshot copied here.

• BC Transit Victoria fares and passes — Fares and costs for the Victoria region.
• BC Transit Victoria schedules and route maps — Route schedules and maps for the Victoria region.
• Waste collection and curbside collection — Curbside garbage, recycling and yard waste.
• Snow clearing — City snow clearing and winter road maintenance.
• Building permits — Building and inspection services for the City of Victoria.
• Greater Victoria Public Library — Serves Victoria and neighbouring municipalities.

Getting a request acted on

A municipal request is only as useful as its location. Whatever the issue — a pothole, a broken streetlight, missed collection, a water main leak, an unshovelled sidewalk — the details that get it fixed are the same:

• The exact address, or the nearest intersection, plus which side of the street.
• What the problem is and when you first noticed it.
• A photo, where the problem is visible — most cities accept attachments online.
• Whether it is on public property or private. Cities can only act on what they own, and this is the most common reason a request is closed without action.
• A reference number. Keep it: it is what you quote when you follow up.

What is not the city’s job

A surprising share of complaints go to the wrong body. In most Canadian cities, the following are handled by someone else entirely:

• Police, fire and medical emergencies — 911. Not the city service line.
• Highways and provincial roads — the province, not the municipality. City crews maintain local roads only.
• Electricity, natural gas and telecoms — the utility or the provider. See the driving and utilities information for who regulates them in British Columbia.
• Landlord and tenant disputes — a provincial tribunal, not the city.
• Schools and hospitals — school boards and regional health authorities.