Victoria should take a page out of Bergen’s book on student life and wellbeing
Images via muchbetteradventure.com, tourismvictoria.com. Collage by Sage Blackwell.
Do you ever think, “I wonder what my life would look like if I had picked a different university?” Before August, I hadn’t considered it. Victoria feels like the perfect place for students — until you leave.
Recently, I moved from Victoria to Bergen, Norway, to study abroad for the autumn semester. After just a few weeks here, I found myself comparing the two cities. They share many similarities — damp oceanic climates, coastal settings, and lush forests. Although the two cities have much in common, student life looks notably different. Victoria would benefit from Bergen’s youth focus, which offers student discounts on everything from haircuts to beer.
The University of Victoria (UVic) offers student accommodation on campus. The prices, however, are a far cry from student-friendly. A double dormitory room costs approximately $1281 CAD per month, excluding the mandatory meal plan. Alternatively, Sammen, Norway’s student welfare organization, offers a double dormitory for just 3553 NOK (about $489 CAD) per month. The Sammen dormitories include kitchens, allowing students to budget groceries and cook for themselves. Norway and Canada have notoriously expensive private rental markets, with a one-bedroom apartment costing around $2000 CAD per month, both in Bergen and Victoria. Bergen, however, offers affordable alternatives, whereas Victoria fails to protect its students with subsidized options.
The Victoria rental market is extremely competitive, and consequently, students are often subject to exploitative landlords. The conditions of affordable homes are concerning, often poorly ventilated. A 2022 survey by the UVic Student Society found that 38 per cent of participants had “lived in housing they consider unsafe.”
Many student houses have a mold problem, and many landlords take advantage of students who lack the time, resources, and knowledge to hold owners accountable for its removal.
While Victoria bylaws state that a landlord must “take all reasonable steps to prevent mold,” and eliminate mould if reported, actually enforcing this policy is difficult, because the Rental Tenancy Act (RTA) requires landlords and tenants to file disputes, which can be time consuming.
Tenants can choose between a participatory or expedited court hearing, based on the emergency and immediate danger of the dispute. The wait time for a participatory hearing is determined by the volume of applications, therefore making a wait time unclear — and tenants are legally required to continue paying rent while waiting. Landlords and property management corporations routinely take advantage of students who are preoccupied with their studies and often not in a position to seek out legal advice.
In contrast, Sammen goes above and beyond to help students have proper, well-maintained living conditions. Janitors are available to help with any repair, and it is completely free to treat pests, such as bedbugs. Providing accessible resources is essential to maintaining students’ living standards, and it is incredibly frustrating to feel unsupported by the Victoria RTA.
This isn’t to say that all Norwegian landlords are above-board, of course, or that the rental market here is perfect. The point is that Bergen has alternatives for students, like Sammen, which are sorely missed in Victoria.
The concern for student safety and security extends beyond housing. In a 2022 survey, the Victoria Police Department found that 79 per cent of Victoria residents felt unsafe in the downtown core at night. While this concern affects everyone, I’ve noticed that a significant proportion of nightclub goers are university students. If downtown Victoria is unsafe at night, we are a key demographic facing danger.
In Bergen, spaces like Bergen’s Kvarteret — a student-led culture house — provide a strong sense of community, and a safe, go-to option for social events. Because of the bar’s association with the school and student societies, it removes the feeling of anonymity many people feel in nightclubs, encouraging responsible behaviour from patrons.
The safety of students should be a priority, both in housing and nightlife. Where Victoria struggles with unaffordable housing, unsafe rental conditions, and a lack of student-run spaces, Bergen creates affordable accommodations, community-focused initiatives, and a strong culture of student welfare. There are places to turn if your well-being is compromised, and I’d like to see Victoria mirror this level of care.
Bergen shows us what life can look like when cities and universities invest in their students. UVic has over 22 000 students, and yet, in many instances, we aren’t protected. Victoria needs rental bylaws that directly address the needs of its student population. Or, alternatively, UVic could provide a rental portal with vetted properties and tighter restrictions. Victoria has the foundation to be a great place to study, but it does not embody a true “student-friendly city” — at least, not yet.
