I believe that Victoria has the cleanest air of any western North American city.
On the tip of Vancouver Island, breezes 
blow whatever pollution may be in the air east toward Vancouver. 
Yes, there are cruise ships, ferries, and remnants, no doubt, from China coal mining, but Victoria has by far the best conditions for mostly clean air year-round.
It's my opinion that no place on earth is totally clean.
Here the terrain is favorable to clean air: Oxygenating trees... 
Low human population, low number of cars and trucks and planes, low amount of industry, and a high amount
of environmental correctness and action.
The biggest cab fleet of Priuses.
No smoking within 6 feet of establishments.
The highest rate of people who bike and walk to work in Canada are in Victoria.
Today I passed a solar powered waste basket on a busy downtown street, which crushes the garbage via sunlight.
So what if it rains? Lucky for me, it hasn't since I arrived. I'm looking forward to sharing my gorgeous nature shots with you soon.
For anyone from Los Angeles, beyond clean air and no traffic, the most special part of Victoria is the space.
No more fighting for a parking place, seat at the movie theatre, or waiting in line for groceries.
On the other hand,if traveling alone you might miss those in-your-face people crowding you.
While Victoria is clean and charming, and people here are very polite, the formality seems to create a wall between people. For sure, I've encountered a few gregarious souls with a quick hello and laughter but in my experience they're the exceptions in an otherwise staid environment.
Maybe like any new place one has to get used to the differences, acquire a taste for something new, or maybe as a community goes, I'm a fish out of water--one of those in-your-face Americans with a quick smile and "hello," which is occasionally met in kind.
Probably I should have brought one of my own fish here to play, so we can swim together upstream.
