There’s a particular feeling that comes with finding a favourite spot in a city you are still getting to know. It’s the moment a place stops feeling like a tourist stop and starts feeling like yours. That’s exactly what happened to me at Citrus & Cane, which just made the move from the edges of downtown Victoria to a new home right in the heart of it, at 606 Trounce Alley. I loved their previous location on Douglas and couldn’t wait to visit their new digs.

Citrus & Cane is a tropical cocktail bar spread across three levels, with an oval bar at the centre of it all and big windows that let in far more natural light than you would expect from a nightlife spot. The building itself has real character, and the team has leaned into that rather than covering it up. It feels lived in, in the best way, while still being polished enough to make a great first impression.

The drinks are the real draw. This is a rum forward menu built by people who clearly know what they are doing, with house made syrups and fresh juice in almost everything they pour. Whether you gravitate toward a classic daiquiri or something a little more adventurous, there’s a cocktail here that will surprise you in a good way. I ordered something off the tropical list and it might be the best drink I have had in the city this year.

I think about places like this a lot when I’m working with relocation clients and first time buyers. When you move to a new city, or even a new part of your own city, it is not just about finding the right home. It’s about finding the places that make you feel like you belong there. I moved from Toronto to Victoria myself, and I still remember how much it mattered to find a handful of spots that felt like mine before the rest of the pieces fell into place.

Citrus & Cane is one of those places I would point a client toward if they were settling into downtown Victoria and wanted a starting point for exploring the neighbourhood's evening life. It’s walkable from so much of what makes downtown special, and it has the kind of warm, easy hospitality that makes a new city feel a little less new.

If you are house hunting downtown, or you already call this neighbourhood home, put Citrus & Cane on your list.

Jacqueline Ross, REALTOR®
Your Van Isle Home
call/text: 250-415-5656
jac@yourvanislehome.com
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There is a particular kind of energy in a room full of women who have decided to show up for themselves. It is warm and loud and a little bit contagious. That is exactly what I walked into on June 10th at the Victoria Pickleball Centre in Langford, and I have been thinking about it ever since.

Pickleballooza is a Women's 55 Plus Rally Tournament organized by The Local Inc., and this year it brought together one hundred women for a full day of pickleball, live music, and the kind of community connection that is genuinely hard to find. I was proud to be a sponsor, and I was there in person for the whole day with a hydration station stocked with Good Life Juice Skye High electrolyte drinks and fresh lemon, lime, and cucumber infused water. I wanted every player to feel taken care of, and I think we pulled it off.

I also had a gift basket giveaway at my booth, generously donated by two local partners I am so grateful for: Victoria Olive Oil Co. and Gourmet Foods. The basket was beautiful, the entries came in all day, and the energy around it was a reminder that people love a reason to connect, even if it is just stopping by a table to fill out a form.

If you want to see how the day came together, I put together a highlight reel that captures the setup, the players on the court, and a few of the moments in between. You can watch it here: Pickleballooza Recap

What I did not expect was how much I would take away from the conversations. I spoke with women who were thinking about downsizing, women who were curious about different neighbourhoods, and women who just wanted to know what the market is doing right now. These are the conversations I live for, and they happen naturally in spaces like this one, away from the formality of a showing or a listing presentation.

One of the things I try to do in my work is help people find not just a home but a place where they belong. That question, "will I find my people here?", comes up more often than almost any other. Days like Pickleballooza are part of my answer. Vancouver Island has a community of active, engaged, generous women who show up for each other, and if you are thinking about whether this is the right place for your next chapter, I would invite you to take that as a very good sign.

A heartfelt thank you to The Local Inc. for creating this event, and to every woman who stopped by my booth to say hello. I already cannot wait for next year.

If you have questions about downsizing, relocating, or what life on Vancouver Island actually looks like day to day, I am always happy to talk. There is no pressure and no agenda, just a conversation with someone who has been through the transition herself and genuinely loves helping others navigate it.

Reach me anytime at 250-415-5656 or through yourvanislehome.com.