A no messing around guide to the coolest things to eat, drink and do in Vancouver and beyond. Community. Not clickbait.

Wilkie

Welcome to the Vancouver Lexicon. Its purpose is to pin down the patois of the City of Vancouver by recording its toponyms, nicknames, slang terms, personalities, places, and other Van-centric things. Full A-Z here.

Wilkie | place, colloquial | A legendary prison in Victoria, BC. Though it has been given many names over the years, it is most commonly referred to as “Wilkie”, which is short for Wilkinson Road Jail. At its launch in 1914, the sprawling property was known as the Saanich Prison Farm. Starting in 1919, it functioned as the Colquitz Provincial Mental Hospital for the Criminally Insane, back when farm labour was considered therapeutic. In 1964, it switched back to regular criminal incarcerations as the Oakalla Prison Farm (Vancouver Island Unit). It is now officially the Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre. The new name (that only paper-pushers ever employ) was adopted in 1971, shortly before farming operations ceased. After many renovations, the imposing facade – with its crenelated battlements and turreted towers – is all that remains of Wilkie’s original construction.

Usage: “When we were kids we’d sometimes hear about prisoners breaking out of Wilkie and causing all kinds of crazy shit…”

One of the Most Beloved Players to Ever Wear a Canucks Uniform

“I was there when Gino scored a penalty shot goal against Calgary. The way the crowd erupted, you’d think we had just won the Stanley Cup!"

How a Climate Change Event Created a Local 'Cause Célèbre'

"Is Barge Chilling Beach a good first date or nah?"

How Generations of Underaged Partiers Have Avoided Cops and Cover Charges in BC

"On our way up to Jones Lake on Sunday we had to wait for a slow convoy of hungover bush party survivors to pass..."

How Vancouverites Know a Targeted Hit on a Gangster Has Just Gone Down

"Like sunshine after rain and dawn after dark, a report of a burning vehicle usually means a gangster has just been shot at."