Regarding the Rain:

Victoria sometimes seems to be a city of transplants.  Everyone here started off somewhere else - they're members of the Canadian Navy who were transferred to the base here;  they're students attending the university;  retirees who want to live somewhere warm while staying in Canada;  provincial government workers who got sent to work at the capital; eco-nuts who want to live somewhere "green" but still be in a city. 

Long story short, the people that love it here are the people that started off somewhere else.  The people that hate it here grew up here.  Generally speaking.

I love the recent transplants, especially those from up north or from eastern Canada (in B.C., everything right of the rockies is "eastern Canada", mind you).  Especially their reactions to Victoria "winter".  During december, they laugh at Victoria's reaction to mild snowfall, making comments about just how "wussy" Victoria is - and it's a fair thing to comment about.  If it snows, even an inch, you'll see every grocery store raided for vital supplies like water, canned goods, and toilet paper.

Like it was the freakin' apocalypse.

But the transplants point and laugh, and by January 2nd inevitably say "well, now that winter's over...." 

And then January really gets into full swing.  Rain that slams down sideways.  Wind screaming in from the coast.  Gray skies loom overhead.   Frozen fingertips, frozen toes. 

And then the transplants begin to contemplate the true nature of Victoria's "mild winter".  Because yeah, it doesn't snow.  But once you get caught in a few January rainstorms, you'll find yourself wishing for some "good ol' fashioned Ontario snow".