OUR DWTN

Bright, approachable and compassionate, the GNO Street Team will expand its safety-focused presence into quieter seasons, promoting inclusivity and confidence in Victoria’s nightlife scene. Through de-escalation, bystander training and proactive collaboration, the team ensures everyone can enjoy downtown safely.  

Look for the team in pink on Friday and Saturday nights from 11:30 p.m. to 3:00 a.m., January to March.

The map below shows the rough boundary the team will walk within. 

Fort Street has come alive at night with screenings of films by local artists, projected onto the windows of the Victoria Arts Council office. This project enhances safety and beautifies downtown with a splash of moving color, creating a unique space for art lovers and passersby.

Screening Details:

Thursdays through Sundays, 5 p.m. - 1 a.m.

February – Another Life, Chapter 2: "A lil sugar in my bowl..." 
In recognition of Black History Month, and in collaboration with CineVic, the VAC presents screenings by: Anya Behr, Kemi Craig, Rhonda Hackett and Kriss Munsya. 

March – Another Life, Chapter 3: "Women in Revolt!" 
In celebration of International Women's Day, a selection of films and videos by LES666 (aka: Lesley Marshall), Marina Roy, Nikki Wilkinson and Laura Gildner.

April – Another Life, Chapter 4: International Poetry Month 
In collaboration with Planet Earth Poetry, this month will present the work of Jaz Papadopoulos, Grace Salez & Judith Price, Judy Woo and Big Top Collective. 

Learn more about Another Life 

This cutting-edge workshop pairs artists with technologists to create interactive, motion-controlled art installations. Collaborating artists will work with Hololabs to produce a series of interactive art installations and games, transforming a vacant downtown space into a vibrant, creative playground for the public to enjoy.

Enjoy a one-night-only public exhibition and retrospective featuring works from Immersive Jam participants.

Date: Tuesday, March 11 
Time: 5–7 p.m. 
Location: Victoria Public Market 

Reserve a spot at the Immersive Jam Showcase

Step into a world of transformation. Four artists reimagine space through immersive installations and multi-sensory projections, challenging how we see change and renewal. This free public event invites you to engage, question and immerse yourself in a living, breathing artistic experience. Meet the creators, interact with their work and discover new ways to dream.

Showcases: March and April 
Monday-Friday: 6-9 p.m. 
Saturday: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. 

• March 10-15: BARDO – MOVE37XR Collective
• March 24-29: Approach & Recede – Leane Olson
• April 7-12: Resting Phase – Kemi Craig
• April 21-26: Echoes of the Ancestors: Indigenous Art & The Path to Reconciliation – Jeremy Frederickson with Elder Mark Atleo

Learn more about CTRL + ART + DREAM. 

This pedicab-turned-interactive-art-sculpture lets you create music and control LED lighting using retrofitted antique machines. Track its appearances online or request a visit for a spontaneous jam session.

See Monkey C Interactive’s event calendar. 

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The Victoria Storefront Pilot project aims to activate underused and vacant commercial spaces in downtown Victoria into vibrant hubs of creativity.

Phase 1 of the project is complete. A contractor was engaged to identify artist needs and opportunities for vacant or underutilized spaces and to develop a project plan. The objective of Phase 2 is to implement a one-year project to provide funding, networking and capacity-building resources to support artists implementing short-term projects in vacant or underutilized commercial spaces to develop or test their ideas and animate neighbourhoods.

Stay tuned for more information about the launch of Phase 2. If you would like to receive more information about this project, please email: amahimwalla@victoria.ca 

Learn what you can do to report, remove and prevent graffiti downtown on private and public property. 

The City's Feet on the Street program provides a visible presence in the core, with bylaw officers making regular downtown patrols where they engage with the business community and proactively enforce bylaws relating to nuisance activities. 

Under the OUR DWTN program, the City now has a dedicated OUR DWTN service person, who monitors and coordinates downtown cleaning and maintenance. This service person conducts regular downtown inspections and works with a larger cleaning crew to target areas of high need.

The Tam Kung Temple mural by artist Carolyn Wong is a celebration of art, history and culture. Located on Government Street near Fisgard Street on the south exterior of the Yen Wo Society building, this dynamic, storytelling mural includes elements of augmented reality by artist Mark Illing. Created as part of the OUR DWTN revitalization program with sponsorship from the Downtown Victoria Business Association and Sunbelt Rentals, the Tam Kung Temple Mural reflects the cultural heritage of Chinatown and the Tam Kung Temple, the oldest Chinese temple in Canada. 

OUR DWTN partnered with the Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) to host two OUR DWTN Scrub-Ups since 2023, which provided  businesses, staff and commercial office workers the opportunity to join together to refresh downtown. Council, City staff and the DVBA Team were on hand to help out.