Money matters

If you're visiting from the U.S., almost every store and restaurant in Victoria will be happy to separate you from your Yanqui dollars. But you won't get the best exchange rate that way. (At the moment, we are so close to parity it wouldn't make that much difference.) And be prepared to get Canadian (OK, let's get the joke out of the way ... Monopoly) money back in change.
A better strategy is to head directly to the first ATM you see in Victoria and get as much Canadian currency as you think you'll need. You'll get the current bank rate, although your bank back home might charge you a fee.
But don't get more Canuck bucks than you'll need, because when you get back to the States, no one will accept them. (I couldn't even spend Canadian quarters at the Sea-Tac airport!) It's a pain to convert your money back to U.S. funds, so you might as well spend it here before you leave.
And in case you didn't know, the smallest Canadian bill is a five. We use one-dollar (loonies) and two-dollar (toonies) coins.