Great Moments: Your stories, our history

Update Jan. 3, 2018: please note that UVic's 50 Anniversary website is no longer available. If you are a university administrator looking for a particular story, please contact webcoor@uvic.ca. 

So many great moments! The University of Victoria has witnessed many significant moments during its 50‑year history. Many of these have contributed to UVic’s development into a world-leading research-intensive university while others have helped UVic make a difference in the world. Many other great moments have been of a more personal nature, uniquely experienced by UVic students, staff, faculty and community members as the campus has grown and changed.

During 2012, members of the university and the local community nominated nearly 230 engaging achievements, individual reflections and events in preparation for the university’s 50th anniversary celebrations. From personal tales of graduation to epic discoveries on the ocean floor, the amount of interest in the history of the university and in the nominations themselves was inspiring. 

All moments in the database have been reproduced as they were submitted. They are organized by decade—from the 1960s through to the 2000s. The collection of Great Moments can be browsed by title, and many of the titles demand a closer look—from “RES-I-Dos” and “The Great Bus Pass Experiment,” to “The Russians Were Coming” and “Exploring Deep Sea Volcanoes.” Many stories feature historical photos.

If you would like to contribute your own memories about UVic, you can still post them to the 50th anniversary Facebook page at www.facebook.com/uvic50 or Tweet them at @uvic50 using the hashtag #greatmoments.