BROADMEAD VILLAGE (250) 881-8252 | OAK BAY VILLAGE (250) 595-2773
Licensed Optician
Hayley moved to Victoria in 2010 to start her postsecondary education at UVic. Through many twists and turns she found herself with a diploma in Community, Family and Child Studies, and a certificate in Mental Health and Addictions. In an attempt to learn new things, challenge herself, and grow in the process, Hayley took a leap and joined the artSEE family. Since then she has learned a lot from her colleagues, received her diploma in Optical Science, and in 2019 became a Licensed Optician.
By day, Hayley is the sweet, purple haired optical goddess we all know and love, but by night she becomes a hard-hitting roller derby skater with the Eves of Destruction Roller Derby League. Hayley spends her spare time playing pinball, and enjoying the rich craft beer culture here in Victoria.
TrinaBusiness Owner and Licensed Optician
Trina discovered her love of Optics in 1991, working part-time after school for an Optometrist. It launched her into a rewarding career as a Licensed Optician, helping people with their unique vision needs, a passion she continues to enjoy today. Trina enjoys the technical element of lenses and frame fitting and pairing it with the perfect frame for you. She likes to dig into troubleshooting challenging prescriptions and visual requirements. Trina curates the eyewear collections you’ll find at artSEE Eyewear and loves to discover and introduce you to new, up and coming independent frame designers.
Broadmead Store Manager and Licensed Optician
Meet Chrissy, the Broadmead Village Manager and Licensed Optician. She has been active in the eye care and eyewear world since 2000. So many years now! In 2007, she had the good luck and great pleasure to start working with Trina at artSEE Eyewear. It was a game changer. The opportunity to work alongside such skilled and experienced Opticians over the years has greatly elevated her abilities and overall Optical know how.
She can proudly say she loves being a Licensed Optician who is very mindful of all the optical, functional and fashion needs of her clients. Working at artSEE lets her artistic mind flourish in a world of so many specially designed frames and the super clientele that love to be fit with them. If you fancy the idea of coming in, sitting down and having someone personally select the best fitting glasses and stylistic frames for you, feel free to call and book an appointment. The process of choosing glasses and the best lenses for your vision can be daunting and confusing so sitting down in a consultation format can take all that away.
In her time out of the office she enjoys spending time with her kids, rock climbing/bouldering, focusing on a healthy lifestyle and being creative in her sewing and artwork.
Licensed Optician and Contact Lens Fitter
Born in Cornwall Ontario, Bob has been a Licensed Optician since 1994 and joined the artSEE Eyewear team in Feb 2018. He began working in the Optical field fresh out of high school when he started with an Optical Lab. Moving to Calgary in the early 80’s then to Victoria in 2011, he takes great pride in helping find the right eyewear for you! In his spare time, he likes to play, write and record his original music at his home studio. He also enjoys hiking, fishing and taking his dogs to the many walking trails in East Sooke. He looks forward to helping YOU find YOUR new look!
Licensed Optician, Contact Lens Fitter and Oak Bay Manager
Steve is a Dean’s List Graduate of Georgian College’s Dispensing Optician Program. A licensed Optician and Island resident since 1988, Steve has worked with Trina since 2001. Steve’s wide and varied work experience enables him to expertly ascertain his client’s eyewear needs and find solutions.
Licensed Optician
Twenty plus years ago Morgan started working at an optical retailer in the heart of Vancouver. It was in the fast paced retail market of Robson street that her love affair began with the world of optics & optometry.
Although she spent a few years of her early youth in Toronto, Morgan was born in Victoria & finished schooling in Vancouver, so when it came time to plant some roots of her own she happily returned to the island.
The industry is a perfect match for her as she can indulge both her inner nerd and fashionista with it’s ever evolving mix of science, health, technology, and fashion.
When not at the office she can be found at the quarter mile drag strip cheering on her husband, exploring the great outdoors with the friends, or rediscovering the world all over again through her favorite job called “parenthood”.
We Are Open!
As we enter the second wave of the pandenmic, we are adapting to ensure eveyone’s safety. As always we will continue to provide you with the best possible eye care service. To ensure everyone’s safety and maintain physical distancing, you simply need to book an appointment for your eyewear needs! Whether it be for an eyeglass adjustment, selecting new eyewear or browsing our collections, we are here to help!
What are our health and safety protocols? Learn more here
And what’s next? Explore our website!
We offer a 2-year warranty for manufacturer defects on frame and lenses *except packages.
Here’s How It Works:
Warranty for Online Purchases
Our online frame selection is a great opportunity to catch some sweet deals on older stock. The frames are in new condition and are of great quality, however, there is no warranty.
Our online frame selection is a great opportunity to catch some sweet deals on older stock. The frames are in new condition and are of great quality, however, there is no warranty.
Here’s how the return policy works…
Once we have received the return and processed it, we will contact you about your return.
Optometrist – Optimed Optometry Clinic
Originally from Delta BC, Dr. Meghan Hildebrand completed a Bachelor of Science degree at UBC. She then embraced the sub-zero winters of Waterloo, Ontario while pursuing her Doctor of Optometry Degree, graduating on the Dean’s Honour List. The days of walking to class in ice rain were rewarded by a four month Ocular Disease internship in Florida, where Dr. Hildebrand gained experience co-managing eye diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration and dry eye disease. She then moved back to the west coast, and made her home on Vancouver Island where she has learned to embrace the outdoor hobbies of hiking and camping (through some influence of her husband). She is thrilled to be working with the amazing team at artSEE, and conducts every eye exam with a smile, which has led to patients sending her their friends and family.
Optometrist – Optimed Optometry Clinic
Dr. Sara Buckley was born and raised in Victoria and received her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of Victoria in 2006. From there she attended the University of Waterloo and graduated with honours in 2010 with her Doctor of Optometry degree. In her final year at Waterloo she was awarded The Canadian Contact Lens Society Prize for proficiency in contact lens application.
Dr. Buckley has decades of experience in the eye industry – including dispensing eyeglasses while working at artSEE Eyewear prior to attending optometry school. Dr. Buckley’s optometric training includes an externship in therapeutics and ocular diseases in Muskogee, Oklahoma where she gained valuable experience in diagnosing and managing many eye conditions including glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration. She is knowledgeable at prescribing medications for treating eye infections and other ocular problems.
Dr. Buckley has not only been growing her optometry practice, but also her family! She’s the very proud mother of two energetic boys. In her time outside of work she loves making her kids laugh, cooking with her husband, and relaxing with a good book. She also has a love of travelling and hopes to one day continue exploring the world.
Dr. Buckley understands that every person’s eyes are unique and require individual attention. She is happy to answer any questions related to your eye health. Dr. Buckley loves seeing patients from 3 months to 100+! She looks forward to seeing you and your entire family.
We want you to love your eyewear! We offer complimentary servicing of your eyewear purchased at artSEE Eyewear for the lifetime of your glasses at both of our locations (Broadmead and Oak Bay). Please pop in for little tweaks, adjustments, replacement nose pads and cleaning at no charge.
We are passionate about helping our clients meet all of their eyewear needs and wants. Trina Mendria (local Victorian), has been building her business since 1998 on the basis of truly great service, a clear and deep understanding of lens optics, frame materials and of course a fabulous selection of high quality, unique eyewear that gives artSEE Eyewear its name. The Opticians that work alongside Trina share these same qualities. Together we have created an environment where clients can come in, feel comfortable, be confident they have the right information to make good choices, select from premium products and have an all around positive experience.
At artSEE Eyewear, we are focused on bringing you an inspired collection of quality eyewear. We search for collections that are truly crafted frames; smaller collections that are made by people who see their work as an art, not a logo. You are anything but ordinary, just like our team and the eyewear we carry. We have fun at what we do and are passionate about creating a memorable experience that lasts the life of your eyewear.
Bookkeeping and Office Administration
Ursula has been working with Trina since 2003. Born and raised in Germany, she started her career as a secretary of foreign languages after having worked as a flight attendant for Lufthansa for several years. She moved to Canada in 1998 after meeting her husband on a visit to Vancouver Island. artSEE Eyewear has given her the opportunity to excel and grow both professionally and personally, working in a team of great colleagues and enjoying a West Coast lifestyle. Some of Ursula’s passions are music and movement, alternative healing and spiritual practices, travelling and any way in which she can let her creativity flow. Ursula gets inspired by nature, art and her fellow human beings and loves exploring the world with all its cultural facets.
Assistant Office Manager and Optical Assistant
Rachel is excited to be a valuable member of the Optimed / artSEE team, working alongside experienced and caring professionals. As an individual, who loves to travel, work hard and learn, Rachel thoroughly enjoys interacting with patients and being involved in the admin/customer care side of the office.
Furthermore, being an art enthusiast and having graduated with a BA honours degree in Art History from the University of Victoria, she also has a keen eye for the aesthetic importance in the optical industry. Outside of artSEE Eyewear and school, you will often find Rachel biking, rock climbing and practicing yoga!
Lab Manager and Optometric Assistant
Born in Vancouver, raised in the Comox Valley, Amanda is a true island girl. She left Comox in 2013, relocating to the ‘Big City’ of Victoria in search of new opportunity. Amanda joined the artSEE team in 2014 and is truly amazed by what the optical world has to offer. She feels honoured to work alongside the fantastic team at artSEE and looks forward to continuing to learn and grow within the optical industry with a group that truly feels like family!
Many individuals who feel they have good vision are not aware of the importance of seeing an Optometrist on an annual basis. Seeing an Optometrist regularly is an important aspect of your health care. An eye doctor may be able to pick up eye diseases that don’t have symptoms, even if you have good eyesight. In fact, when doing a routine eye exam, an eye doctor can detect many health conditions at their earliest possible stages such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. This makes eye appointments all the more important as they may help assess your overall health, as well as the health of your eyes.
