About the guide
How we choose
Best in Victoria is an independent guide written by locals. Here’s exactly how a business makes a list — and what never influences it.
What we look for
Reviews
Strong ratings across a meaningful number of Google reviews — read for patterns, not just scores.
Track record
Years serving Greater Victoria, ideally under the same ownership.
Credentials
Licensing, certification and insurance where the trade requires it.
Local reputation
Who neighbours, contractors and regulars actually recommend.
How we research a guide
- Build a long list. We start with every business we can find in the category across Greater Victoria.
- Read the reviews. We look for consistent patterns across reviews rather than a single score.
- Ask around. Neighbours, regulars and other trades tell us who they actually call.
- Check the basics. Licensing, insurance and how long they’ve been operating.
- Write it up and date it. Every guide shows the date it was last reviewed.
Disclosure policy
Businesses can’t pay to be included or to change their position on a list. If we ever earn money from a link or a partnership, it will be clearly labelled on the page where it appears.
Updates & corrections
Businesses close, move and change hands. If something in a guide is out of date — or you own a business and want to correct a detail — send it through our suggestion form and note “correction” in your message. We review every request.