Despite the name, the diocese comprises only the 32,630 square kilometres of Vancouver Island and the adjacent Gulf Islands in the civil Province of British Columbia.

Its see city is Victoria, and it presently maintains 45 parishes serving nearly 7,000 Anglicans according to the most recent statistics published by the ACC.

[3] The diocese was established in 1859, and is the oldest in the ecclesiastical province, once extending over the entire civil province of British Columbia, hence the origin of its name.

In 1866, there were two archdeaconries: H. P. Wright was Archdeacon of Columbia and Samuel Gilson of Vancouver.

[5] As part of the diocese's commitments to making indigenous land acknowledgements, the diocese around June 2021 began replacing its formal name referencing the colonial identity of British Columbia with the alternative name Anglican Diocese of Islands and Inlets on its website, in its newsletters, and other publicity materials.