The Victoria harbour means something different to everyone. It’s where people work, travel, gather and spend time together. It’s a working harbour, a place of connection, and a defining feature of our community landscape.
As the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority develops a long-term Integrated Plan for the harbour, we want to hear what matters to you.
Everyone has a harbour story. What’s yours?
You can record a voice note, share a photo, or take the survey. Whether you have 30 seconds or a little longer, your connection to the harbour matters. Please share your input by October 15, 2026.
Record a voice note: Tell us what the harbour means to you, in your words. Record a brief voice memo telling us about your connection to the harbour.
Share a photo: Show us the harbour through your eyes. Share a photo, or a video, of a favourite waterfront place, a harbour memory, an experience, or even a moment happening right now.
Take the survey: Have more to say? Help us look ahead. Take our 10 to 15-minute survey to share your perspectives and priorities for the harbour’s future. This is the most in-depth way to provide feedback at this stage of the Integrated Plan.
Why we’re asking
The harbour is an important part of life in Greater Victoria, and people experience it in many different ways. Facts, data, and technical expertise will help inform the Integrated Plan. But so will the experiences and perspectives of the people who live, work, gather, and spend time here.
What we’re looking for
- A favourite harbour memory
- A place you return to again and again
- Working on or around the harbour
- Spending time here with family or friends
- Something you value about the harbour today
- What you hope future generations will experience
About the Integrated Plan
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority is developing a new Integrated Plan to help guide the harbour’s future through 2050. The harbour is changing rapidly, and factors such as climate change, regional growth, economic pressures, aging infrastructure, and changing community needs will all impact how it functions in the decades ahead.
The Integrated Plan will bring these considerations together into one long-term picture. Rather than looking at individual projects or places in isolation, it will consider how the harbour’s infrastructure, environment, economy and community connections work together. The goal is a practical path forward that supports a vibrant, resilient and sustainable harbour for generations to come.
This work is rooted in GVHA’s vision of becoming Canada’s most k̕ʷamk̕ʷəm (vibrant) and xʷčičtəs (harmonious) harbour, and builds on GVHA’s long-term relationships with the Songhees Nation and xʷsepsəm Nation and our shared connection to the lək̓ʷəŋən territory.
Your input and the planning process
This early phase of the Integrated Plan is about listening. What we hear will help the planning team understand community priorities, opportunities and challenges as it considers the harbour’s long-term direction. Community input is one part of that work. It will be considered alongside technical, financial, regulatory and operational factors.
We will share further opportunities to participate as the project progresses. We’ll also report back on what we heard and how community input is informing the Integrated Plan.
What happens next
After this current engagement closes, we’ll bring together what we heard through the survey, stories, photos, videos, and other conversations. We’ll share the key themes and explain how community input is informing the next stage of planning.
There will be more opportunities to participate as the Integrated Plan develops. Check back here for project updates, engagement results, and future opportunities to have your say.
Frequently asked questions
What is an Integrated Plan?
An Integrated Plan is a long-term plan that brings together the different elements that shape a place, including infrastructure, environment, community connections and future growth.
Rather than considering individual projects or areas in isolation, the Integrated Plan examines how different places and systems interact and how they may need to adapt over time.
For the harbour, the Integrated Plan will bring these considerations into one shared path toward 2050.
Why is GVHA developing an Integrated Plan?
The harbour is evolving. Climate change, regional growth, economic pressures, changing community expectations, and aging infrastructure create new opportunities and challenges.
The Integrated Plan gives GVHA an opportunity to look at these considerations together and make thoughtful long-term decisions about the harbour’s future.
It will help identify priorities and guide future planning and investment while balancing community, environmental, operational and economic needs.
How can we get involved?
You have three ways to participate:
● Share a quick thought: Answer one question about what the harbour means to you through a short voice response.
● Share a photo or video: Show us a place, memory or experience that represents your connection to the harbour.
● Take the Integrated Plan survey: Spend 10–15 minutes sharing more detailed feedback about your priorities and perspectives for the harbour’s future.
How will my input be used?
Community feedback will help the planning team understand what people value about the harbour and identify community priorities, opportunities, and concerns.
Your feedback will be considered alongside technical, financial, regulatory and operational factors as the Integrated Plan develops.
Not every idea will be part of the final plan, but we are committed to sharing back what we heard and how community input is informing the process.
What areas does the Integrated Plan cover?
The Integrated Plan focuses on GVHA’s 11 waterfront properties around the Victoria harbour, including cruise and terminal facilities, Inner Harbour locations, marine industrial areas and visitor-serving waterfront lands.
Who is developing the Integrated Plan?
GVHA engaged Worley Consulting to support the development of the Integrated Plan. Worley’s team of engineers, planners and scientists leads the technical planning and design work in collaboration with GVHA, including engagement to inform the Plan.
How long will the Integrated Planning process take?
Developing the Integrated Plan will take several years. This is an early opportunity to share what matters to you. As the work progresses and ideas take shape, there will be additional opportunities to learn more, provide feedback and help inform the harbour’s future.