Program

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See here for the draft conference program: Program 2026 ECSA-Canada Biennial Conference (version: 13 May 2026)

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​​Venue

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The conference will be held on the Main campus of the University of Victoria, which is eight kilometers from downtown Victoria and easy to reach by public transit. Most of the conference is held in the David Strong Building. A map of the University Campus and parking can be found here. 

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An interactive map of campus can be found here.

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Public Transit

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*For public transit in Victoria - you can get a Day Pass from the bus driver for C$6 cash. This will give you access to all Victoria buses for the day. We recommend to have $6 cash on hand when you first use the bus in Victoria (whether at the ferry terminal or downtown) to purchase a Day Pass. Single fares (without transfer) are $3.

 

From downtown Vancouver & YVR to downtown Victoria: You can take the SkyTrain (Vancouver metro) from YVR to Bridgeport station (approx. 5-10min) (approx C$6, paid via debit or credit card). From Bridgeport station, take the 620 Ferry Express bus (approx. 40min) to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. 

 

From Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to Downtown Victoria: Once on the other side (in Swartz Bay), take the 70/70X bus (approx. C$6, paid via cash, see note above) directly out front of the terminal to the Legislature Exchange stop (approx. 45min-1hr). This stop is downtown Victoria and is very close to all the conference hotels (5-10min walk).  Note that the bus system on Vancouver Island is separate from the bus system on the Mainland, so you do need to pay again. Once you have a bus pass for the day on Vancouver Island it is good for the whole day (C$6).

 

From Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to UVic: Take the 70/70X bus (approx. C$6, paid via cash, see note above) to Royal Oak Exchange (approx. 30min). Walk 5min East to the bus stop at the corner of Elk Lake and Royal Oak. Take the 39 UVic bus to UVic (approx. 15-20min).

 

From Downtown Victoria to UVic: There are a number of public buses (4/7/11/14/15) that run directly from downtown to UVic. These buses cost approx. C$6 (paid via cash, see note above) and take about 30-40min to get to UVic. Please consult the BC Transit website for more information on schedule and routes.

 

​Taxi/ride share

From YVR to Twassassen Ferry Terminal: You can take a taxi/ride share from YVR to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal. The ride will be approx. 40min and can cost around C$40-60 depending on time. 

 

From Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal to Downtown Victoria/UVIC: You can take a taxi/ride share (approx. 40min) for around C$60-80 to downtown Victoria or to UVIC for around C$80-100. 

 

From Downtown Victoria to UVic: You can take a taxi/rideshare (approx. 20min) from downtown Victoria to UVic for approx. C$25-30. 

 

Note: If doing any kind of mix of public transport and rideshare/taxi, we advise getting a taxi/ride share from YVR to Tsawwassen and then taking the 70/70X bus from Swartz Bay to downtown Victoria since the trip from YVR to Tsawwassen is more complex than that of Swartz Bay to downtown Victoria.

 

Other Options for Travelling from Vancouver to Victoria:

 

BC Ferries Connector – This is a service that provides a coach bus you get on at YVR which takes you directly to the ferry. On the ferry you will meet another bus (same company) and that bus will then drive you to downtown Victoria (Bus Terminus – Crystal Gardens Conference Centre). The price is around $81 (not including ferry ticket). The bus schedule is in line with the ferry schedule, so you may have to wait a bit at YVR to get on that bus.