A nostalgic video making the rounds online is transporting viewers straight back to Vancouver Island in the 1980s.
It is packed with scenes that longtime locals will instantly recognize.
At the start, cars can be seen rolling off the MV Queen of New Westminster, one of BC Ferries’ iconic vessels that first entered service in the 1960s. For many, it is a familiar sight that has not changed all that much, aside from the cars themselves.
The video then shifts to some of Vancouver Island’s most well-known attractions, including Butchart Gardens, described in the clip as “floral art.” Decades later, much of what is shown still exists today.
But not everything in the video has stood the test of time.
One of the most fascinating moments highlights Fable Cottage Estate in Cordova Bay, a whimsical, fairytale-like attraction filled with handcrafted details, lush gardens, and animatronic gnomes. Once a beloved stop for visitors, it closed in the early 1990s and no longer exists, with the site now home to a townhouse development.
From there, the footage moves into Victoria’s Inner Harbour, where not much appears to have changed. The buildings remain largely the same, but the streets are filled with classic cars of the era, and buskers line the waterfront just as they do today.
The Fairmont Empress also makes an appearance, covered in the ivy that once climbed its exterior walls, a detail many still remember.
There is even a glimpse of a vintage double-decker tour bus, another reminder of how long tourism has been a major part of Victoria’s identity.
One of the more memorable parts of the video is the narration itself.
Victoria is described as the “big city” of Vancouver Island, praised for its calm, sophistication, and distinctly European feel. At one point, the narrator even claims the city “outdoes the British themselves,” calling it the most British city in all of Canada.
Decades later, that reputation still lingers, though today’s Victoria blends that historic charm with a much more modern identity.
What makes this video so compelling is the contrast.
Some places, like Butchart Gardens and the Inner Harbour, feel almost frozen in time. Others, like Fable Cottage, have completely disappeared.
Overall, the video captures something that still defines Vancouver Island today. A slower pace, natural beauty, and a charm that continues to draw people in from around the world.
If anything, it is a reminder of just how special this place has always been.
Watch the video below:
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