When Esquimalt and Victoria residents ring in the new year, they will have more than one reason to celebrate.

Esquimalt will turn 100 years old in 2012, and to mark the occasion municipal council will don their best historic fashions for the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 New YearB次元官网网址檚 Day lev茅e.

Residents are also invited to dress up for the traditional lev茅e, one of more than a dozen open houses hosted that day throughout the Capital Region.

B次元官网网址淚 just thought it would be fun and exciting to do something special at the lev茅e, and how much more special would it be to start off the year in 1912 garb,B次元官网网址� said Mayor Barb Desjardins.

Likewise, the City of VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 lev茅e will get a festive boost to kick off the first of many celebrations marking the municipalityB次元官网网址檚 150th anniversary.

In addition to cups of java and baked goods, anniversary balloons, stickers, pins and mugs will be handed out in honour of the anniversary.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 an early reminder to people that weB次元官网网址檒l be celebrating this year,B次元官网网址� said Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe, who will be acting mayor during the lev茅e.B次元官网网址� ItB次元官网网址檚 an incentive to get up early.B次元官网网址�

The Jan. 1 lev茅es began in Canada in 1646 and Victoria in the 1800s. The word lev茅e has French origins, meaning B次元官网网址榯o rise,B次元官网网址� especially from sleep.

In addition to open houses hosted by several municipalities on the South Island, military reserve units in Victoria and Saanich are once again welcoming the public on the first day of the new year.

At Government House, more than 1,000 people will pay a visit to B.C.B次元官网网址檚 Lt.-Gov. Steven Point and his wife Gwendolyn.

In Saanich, the event will again feature young musicians from the Greater Victoria school districtB次元官网网址檚 string orchestra, and coffee, tea and cookies will be served.

But the time may come when the lev茅e will need to be modernized to appeal to a wider cross section of residents.

B次元官网网址淵ear to year I see these things ebb and flow (in attendance numbers),B次元官网网址� said Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, adding the lev茅es are typically attended by elderly residents.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 open to suggestions on how it could change.B次元官网网址�

The Langford Legion is keeping up the lev茅e tradition for the West Shore, which has the ever-popular B次元官网网址渕oose milkB次元官网网址� drink on offer.

Lev茅es across Greater Victoria

- HMCS Malahat, The Wardroom, 20 Huron St., 9 to 10 a.m.

- City of Victoria, City Hall, 1 Centennial Square, 9 to 10:30 a.m.

- Government House, 1401 Rockland Ave., 10 a.m. to noon.

- Canadian Scottish Regiment, Bay Street Armoury, 715 Bay St., 10 to 11 a.m.

- 11 Victoria Field Ambulance, 11 Service Battalion and 12 Military Police Platoon, Lt.-Gen. E.C. Ashton Armoury, 724 Vanalman Ave., 10:30 a.m. to noon

- District of Sooke, council chambers, 10 a.m. to noon p.m., 2205 Otter Point Rd.

- Corporation of Oak Bay, Monterey Recreation Centre, 1442 Monterey Ave., 1 to 2:30 p.m.

- Township of Esquimalt, municipal hall, 1229 Esquimalt Rd., 1 to 2 p.m.

- District of Saanich, municipal hall, 770 Vernon Ave., 1 to 2:30 p.m.

- Royal Canadian Legion in Langford, 761 Station Ave., 1:30 to 3:30 p.m.