Victoria

Best House Painters Victoria BC

Spring is in full affect here in Victoria BC. In a lot of ways it feels like summer with temps hitting the mid 20’s. The nice weather is making for people to look after their homes. Lots of gardening is done in the spring and summer. Many people are doing home renovations since they can work longer hours due to the longer days.

Many of those renovations are focused on painting and many people are looking for house painters in Victoria BC. That was why I thought it would be good to write a post about the best residential painters in the city.

It’s so hard to find out which painting company is the best in the city since they are so many. From small companies to big companies, you certainly have plenty of choices. But sometimes the paradox of choice can affect your decision making process. With too many choices we often get clouded and make the wrong decision.

Well we want to add another choice and option for you. The company is Islanders’ Choice Painting and they have been doing business in the Greater Victoria area for 5 years. They have a great reputation and the business owner Evan Seale is at the front of center. He personally comes to your home to give you a free quote and to run you through how his company works. This is a great way to build trust so you can feel comfortable about the job his team will do.

Islanders’ Choice Painting

24-1240 Newport Ave

Victoria BC, V8S 5E7

250-208-1787

Islanders’s Choice Painting Google Reviews

When it comes to choosing the right painter, you have lots of information at your disposable. You can read company websites, get testimonials from friends and read reviews online. In the end you have to meet with your contractor so you can get a sense if your trust them or not. Just because lots of other people had a good experience with a contractor, doesn’t mean you will.

I hope this post allows you to consider Islanders’ Choice Painting for your house painting project this summer in Victoria BC.

 

June 6, 2015 Home, Victoria Read more >

Best Auto Glass Repair In Victoria BC

auto-glass-reapir-colwood-bc

Finding the best auto glass repair shop in Victoria BC can be difficult. After all, who knows what company is the best? There is no way they could have possible gone to each shop and formed an opinion on who is the best. Regardless you want to still find out who people think is the top company to help with automotive glass repair or replacements.

Having a vehicle that needs a window repair or replacement can really mess with you life. In the case of when you need a new window or windshield all together, you have to give up your car for a day. This could have been caused to someone breaking into your vehicle or an act of god like a tree falling and smashing the window.

Another scenario is when a rock bounces up and chips your windshield. This is the ultimate annoyance. You wait a few days to see if the chip grows and turns into a spider web. If it does, you need to get it repaired or fixed as soon as possible. If you don’t, you run the risk of having to replace the windshield altogether.

In both cases you might be able to have the repair or replacement covered by your insurance company if you have comprehensive insurance. In this case, you want to look for an ICBC Express Glass Shop to help you with your claim. First Response Glass is such a shop and can take care of your claim from start to finish. This is wonderful service that allows you to enjoy your life rather then having to sort out things you don’t want to.

This is why we suggest First Response Glass as the best auto glass repair shop in Victoria BC. They have two locations to serve you in Saanich and Langford. See those locations below and give them a call if you need assistance with any auto related glass problems.

auto-glass-repair-victoria-bc

First Response Glass Ltd (Main Branch)

#2 – 4217 Glanford Ave
Victoria, BC V8Z 4B9
250-383-9300

First Response Glass Ltd (Westshore Branch)

894 Van Isle Way
Victoria, BC V9B 5R8
250-478-0872

April 29, 2015 Auto, Victoria Read more >

The Best Barber Shops In Victoria BC

Trying to find the best barber shops in Victoria BC? Hopefully I can help you with this blog post.

A few years ago I started to think about why I got my haircuts at a salon. I suppose I enjoyed my stylist. When I first moved to Victoria back in 2000, I tried to find a good stylist but didn’t have much luck. One of my friends suggested I go see his stylist and I did. For 5 years I saw the same women. But I started to look at how much my hair cuts were costing me. Once a month I went at a cost of $40 plus a $5 tip. That adds up to $540 a year. I was starting to think maybe I’d be better of going bald!

Not only it was the cost but it was the experience of the salon. I love women, don’t get me wrong. But when you get a salon full of them it’s a bit much for me. That and the pop music wears on me.

Overall, I needed a change and had heard some older friends who went to barbers. I scouted out the barbers they went to but for me, they were a bit too old school. Jimmy’s on Fort and the barber on Oak Bay by the old Bleathering Place tea room were a couple of places.

Like most I took to the web to see what other barber shops in Victoria BC.

One place I found and have been going to for years is Uomo Modern Barber.

Steve is the owner and is a great guy. He earned accreditation from the British Barbers Association. As for the shop, it’s not quite the old school feel but also not the upscale trendy barber that seems to be big these days with hipsters.

At Uomo I can get my hair cut and the back of my neck shaved for $25.

Uomo Modern Barber
1510 Haultain Street
Victoria, BC
V8R 2K2
250-595-1771

A few months back I needed a cut real bad and Steve was booked up. I’m on Instagram and search the #yyj hashtag from time to time to see what’s happen in this city. I couldn’t help but notice that another barber shop was tagging their clients hair cuts in Instagram with #yyj. Most of the barbers there were using a #250barbergang hashtag which is smart marketing. One barber in particular seemed caught my eye as his cuts seemed pretty tight and had a lot of detail to them

Status Barber Shop has been around for a few years now. For a while it has had the perception that it was an urban barber. I went in back in November and had a cut from Kane or WolfManTheBarber on Instagram. I’ve had two cuts from him and the attention to detail he’s puts into both cuts are impressive and I’m extremely pleased with my hair.

The shop itself has a good vibe with music playing, lots of barbers and clients. It’s a chill spot to hang out if you have to wait. As for the urban perception, I’ve seen men and women in hear from all ages and ethnic backgrounds.

Status Barber Shop
4-1010 Yates St,
Victoria, BC
V8V 3M6
250-590-7828

January 10, 2015 Services, Victoria Read more >

Best Storage Facility Victoria BC

There are lots of storage facilities in the city to choose from. But what one is the best storage facility in Victoria BC? Read on to find out.

At some point you are going to need to store some items at a facility. Whether you are downsizing your home, going through or home renovation or just need to de-clutter the home a bit, you’ll need one. That’s what brings you here.

U-Pak Mobile Storage Victoria

I was first introduced to the concept of mobile storage years ago when a company out of the United States sponsored a basketball tournament. The company was called PODS and what they did was bring a storage pod to your home. You would then load it up and when finished, call the company and they would pick it up.

Well, that is exactly how U-Pak Mobile Storage Victoria works. Not having to drive to the storage facility is one advantage of U-Paks storage service. But what else?

They use metal instead of wood storage units. If you care about your belongings going into the facility, you will want to be sure to store them in a wood unit. Why? Because metal units are air tight containers. This means if any moisture gets into the container, it can cause mould and can start to decay any items inside. Using wood units allows your belongings to breathe and if you are worried about them being waterproof, the units are wrapped in vinyl.

Another reason why U-Pak is the best storage facility in Victoria is that they store the wood units in their heated warehouse. Other storage facilities store them outside which means the temperatures will fluctuate throughout the year.

If those aren’t enough reasons to choose U-Pak for your storing needs, they also have the cheapest prices in town. That’s right. Their rates start at $89 a month.

Lastly, they are located just in Esquimalt which makes this very accessible shall you need to access your storage unit. Many facilities in the city are located well outside of Victoria making it a pain having to go to your unit.

 

So there you have it. The best storage Victoria BC facilities is without a doubt U-Pak Mobile Storage.

U-Pak Mobile Storage

878 Viewfield Rd

Victoria, BC

V9A-4V1

250-381-8725

 

December 23, 2014 Home, Victoria Read more >

Best Eggs Benny Victoria BC

I was driving by the Village Restaurant yesterday with a couple of friends when we got on the topic of who makes the best eggs benny in Victoria BC. I hadn’t been to the Village before strictly because they oversell themselves using the #yyj on Twitter and it spams my stream up. But the both of them said it was pretty good there but it wasn’t the best in Victoria BC. Not even by a long shot.

Who makes the best eggs benny’s in the city? Here are some of the places that I think do.

Shine Cafe

All three of us went on record as saying Shine Cafe makes the best eggs benny in the city.

I went there for the first time about 5 years ago. It was before a golf tournament and I was so impressed. All I could think about for the rest of the day was the benny I just had! Last time I was there a few months back I had the B-Rys which comes on cornbread topped with refried beans and has bacon, avocado drizzled with Chipotle hollandaise.

1550’s Pub

Although they are not a breakfast place and have only two bennys on their menu, there are both really good. They have a seafood benny that comes with shrimp and it’s damn good. Well worth trying if you live in the Cedar Hill area.

Jam Cafe

I already think Jam is one of the best breakfast places in the city. That’s partly because of their wide selection of savour choices. One of those choices is the chorizo benny they offer on their menu. It’s spicy and savour all at the same time.

Urban Cup

If you want to avoid the trendy places downtown to get a benny, try the Urban Cup on Shelbourne. Their bennys are simple yet delicious and you don’t have to wait in line. Great if you’ve been out the night before and need something to soak up the booze!

What are some places or bennys that I missed?

 

November 17, 2014 Food, Victoria Read more >

Best Nursing Care Homes in Victoria BC

At some point if your life you might need to find a nursing care home in Victoria BC. Whether it’s for yourself of for a loved one.

So you will no doubt want to find the best care home in Victoria BC to live at. There are a lot to choose from and we want to provide you with three of the best choices. Before you choose one you will no doubt want to visit the care home to meet the staff. Being comfortable with the staff will be the biggest factor in choosing your care home. You will also want to get a feel for the other residents there as you will be living with them in the common areas of the home.

To be clear though, these nursing homes are not retirement communities. Nursing care homes are residences yes. But they are for people who require the care of a nurse due to various health reasons. The care homes I am about to list offer 24 hour care services. They also put much focus on proper nutrition and exercise which is important when dealing with health issues.

Clover Point Care

care-home-victoria

Clover Point Care is managed by Trillium Care Services. It is located in the heart of Fairfield close to Dallas Road and has 14 luxurious cottage-like suites that were recently revitalized.

Clover Point Care

90 Linden Avenue,

Victoria, BC

V8V 4C9

250-590-7885

St Charles Manor

nursing-home-victoria-bc

St Charles Manor is much larger than Clover Point Care and would be ideal for someone looking to connect with people. It has 53 suites and is located in the quaint and charming neighbourhood of Oak Bay. Residents of St Charles Manor relish in our luxurious setting and upscale offerings.

St Charles Manor

1006 St. Charles Street

Victoria, BC

V8S 3P6

250-595-4255

Craigdarroch Care Home

Craigdarroch Care Home is much more quaint like Clover Point Care as it has 18 suites. It is located in Fairfield as well very close to Craigdarroch Castle and Government House.

Craigdarroch Care Home

1048 Craigdarroch Rd

Victoria, BC

V8S 2A4

250-595-3813

November 12, 2014 Health, Victoria Read more >

Best Victoria Pumpkin Carvings 2014

victoria-pumpkin-carvings-2014

First off, I hope everyone had an enjoyable Halloween! Every year there are so many creative costumes and pumpkins.

That’s what this post is about, creative pumpkins. The Pumpkin Art Tour on Oak Bay Ave looked amazing. From the looks of it, most of the work was done by a professional artist.

I want to focus on those who aren’t professionals in Victoria. I’m amazed at how talented and artistic people are in this city who don’t live in Fernwood. I mean, you only get one chance with a pumpkin. It’s not like you can bust out an eraser.

Myself, I’m terrible! And that’s why I’m so jealous of these amazing pumpkins.

Anyways, I’ll stop babbling and let you see the best of the best pumpkin carvings from Victorian’s this year. Thanks to everyone who has allowed their pumpkins to be published on the site. If you would like to submit your pumpkin, Tweet me or send me an email.

 

Clark Griswold

 

Dracula

#Dracula #vampire #halloween #pumpkin #jackolantern

A photo posted by @tikiwahine on


 

Diorama-Terrarium Pumpkin from Uniquely Cedra

Post by Uniquely Cedra.

 

Volkswagen Camper Van

Got my pumpkin carving on! #vw #halloween #yyj

A photo posted by Gillian Reay (@gillian_reay) on


 

Zelda

Boyfriends Link carving!

A photo posted by @jazleey on

Mickey Mouse

 

Cheshire Kelly

Cheshire Kitty #halloween #pumpkin #jackolantern

A photo posted by @tikiwahine on


 

Steamworks Pumpkin Ale


 

Wu Tang Clan

 

Stone Brewing Gargoyle

Stone Brewing Gargoyle #halloween #pumpkin #jackolantern #stonebrewing

A photo posted by @tikiwahine on


 

Christopher Poynter’s Angler Fish


 

Dragon Impact

The Dragon Impact Halloween Pumpkin! #yyj #DragonImpact #halloween #pumpkin #trickortreat #evilacres #evil #glow

A video posted by dragonimpact (@dragonimpact) on


 

League Of Legends


 

Edmonton Oilers

 

Starbucks


 

iPhone In Canada

iPumpkin in da house #Halloween #Apple #pumpkin #magical

A photo posted by Gary Ng (@iphoneincanada) on


 

Tess Lucas‘ Happy Pumpking

My pumpkin! #yyj #pumpkin #jackolantern #owl #pumpkincarving #halloween

A photo posted by Tess Lucas (@tlcreative) on


 

Donny Darko


 

Horse Rider from Emma Knits

My pumpkin! I think this is my best year yet.

A photo posted by Emma Galati (@knitfastdiecozy) on


 

Jackolantern


 

Scared Pumpkin


 

Toronto Raptors

 

Drillbit Carved Tim Taylor Style!

 

Saanich PD Patrol


 

Carey Newman


 

Ghost and Bat


 

Batman & Robin

A photo posted by Katie Mattice. (@kemtrailzz) on

Image courtesy Liz West via Flickr.

November 1, 2014 Victoria Read more >

Best Plumbers in Victoria BC

Who are the best plumbers in Victoria BC? It’s a common question many people from Victoria ask.

That’s the reason why you are here after all!

Well, we hope to give you a list of the best three plumbing companies in the city so you can solve your plumbing problems!

Best Plumbers In Victoria BC

I was playing squash last night with a friend who just raced from one of his rental properties. The water tank blew!

So of course it needed to be fixed as he had people renting the home off of him.

Like many homeowners, he has basic plumbing knowledge but he needed to call upon a Victoria plumber fast. Here are some companies you can call.

plumbers-victoria-bc

The Clear Choice Plumbing and Heating were our first call for plumbers in Victoria. We called them first based on their Google reviews.

535 Yates St, Suite 200

Victoria, BC 

V8W 2Z6

778-265-6446

Who did he call?

GoodSense Plumbing Victoria BC Furnaces Drain Cleaning Hot Water Tanks 250 213 8700 Plumbing Heating and Drain Cleaning Services Victoria BC

GoodSense plumbing offers 24 hour emergency services throughout the city on water tanks, drain cleaning and more.

Goodsense Plumbing & Drain Cleaning

202 Crease Ave

Victoria, BC

V8Z-1S9

250-213-8700

They also offer their services for new homeowners wanting to setup an efficient plumbing for their home. Read their reviews on Google.

Miles Plumbing

Miles Plumbing has been voted the best plumbers in the city by Victoria News. Like GoodSense they also offer a wide range of services to help you.

Read their reviews on Google to see what others have to say about their service.

Outside of these companies and Bridgeman Plumbing, no other companies have a solid amount of reviews to gauge an opinion on who are the best plumbers in Victoria BC.

But those reviews should be enough for you determine. I’ve always said that plumbers wouldn’t be in business very long if they were bad at what they did and ripped people off. It would be to easy for word to travel around a small city lie Victoria for people not to find out.

November 1, 2014 Home, Victoria Read more >

Best Health Clinics in Victoria BC

There are quite a few health clinics in Victoria BC. Most of them offer every medical disciplinary you can imagine.

Is it a good sign that a health clinic offers so many services? It can be as providing all services under one roof makes it easier to patients of the clinic to get more than one treatment if needed. So instead of a chiropractor recommending you to a physiotherapist half way across town, they can send you to one across the hall.

But you know that. And that’s why you are here. You want to know what the best health clinics in Victoria BC are.

Here’s our list:

Cook Street Village Health Centre

Health Clinic Victoria BC

CSV Health provides residents of Victoria a full compliment of  multidisciplinary health and wellness services from a team of talented health care professionals.

They are located just off of Cook St beside the Starbucks. Some of the services and medical practitioners they staff are:

Diversified Health

Diversified Health Clinic is a team of health practitioners in Victoria BC that use numerous therapies and modalities, years of clinical expertise, and a passion for wellness to quickly diagnose your health problem, maximize treatment results and accelerate healing.

Some of the services they offer are:

These two health clinics seem to be the only ones in Victoria BC offering such a wide range of services and practitioners.

October 29, 2014 Health, Victoria Read more >

Best Painting Companies in Victoria BC

You are here because you realize that trying to paint your home all by yourself is a hassle. Professional painters are just that, professionals. This is they livelihood afterall.

Some of the benefits you receive when you do hire a painting Victoria BC company are:

Time Saver

Doing it yourself is going to take a lot more time. From taping the edges to buying equipment, it’s not worth it. A professional painter can paint a house about 70% faster then you can on your own.

No Hassles

Depending on how much painting needs to be done, it could be a big hassle. Since you want to do a good job, you’re going to be slow and it’s going to take you more time. More time means more hassle. One of the biggest hassles leads us to our next benefit of hiring the best paining company in Victoria BC.

Equipment

Unless you have done this before, you are going to have no equipment to paint with. This means you are going to have to research and find out what is required. There is a lot of stuff that you will need. In the end the equipment alone is going to cost a lot. And what’s the point of buying all that equipment for painting your house once? A house painter in Victoria already has the necessary equipment to get your job done with no hassles and in far less time.

So who are the best painting companies in Victoria BC?

By looking at the Better Business Bureau, Google and Yelp reviews, here are the best:

Paintworks

victoria-bc-house-painters

Paintworks specializes in repainting projects from exterior to interiors for residential and commercial projects.

Moloney Painting

 

paintersvictoriabc

Moloney Painting has been a painter in Victoria BC since 1999. They do commercial and residential jobs for both interiors and exteriors.

White Knight Painting

Painters in Victoria BC

 

 

 

White Knight has been painting homes in Victoria BC for 15 years now

 

October 12, 2014 Home, Victoria Read more >