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I remember the fire that took out the then-derelict Victoria Plaza Hotel in May 2019. I was a talk-show host on CFAX, which at the time was on Broad Street, only a few metres from the flames. The smell was something else.

We had to pack up and vacate for a couple of weeks. We ended up broadcasting from the Empress and the Hotel Grand Pacific.

Good to see that seven years later, there’s an initiative to build another hotel on that downtown parcel of land.

— Mark

Today’s approx. read time: 5 minutes

Today: 🌤️ 26 / 12

Tomorrow: 🌦️ 18 / 12

Friday: 🌦️ 17 / 12

7-day forecast

In April 2024, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced it was going to open a temple in the Victoria area—and now we know where.

The 11,400 square-foot place of prayer will be built on a 4.7-acre (1.9-ha) site on Mantle Heights Road, off Leigh Road.

“While the Temple is called the Victoria, BC Temple, it is actually intended to serve all members of the Church on Vancouver Island,” said Graham Sanderson, a spokesperson for the Victoria BC Temple.

“There are about 2K members in Greater Victoria and about the same number north of the Malahat—I would say somewhere between 4K and 5K in total.”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has 211K members across Canada in approximately 500 congregations. 

The Langford location will be home to the church’s 11th temple in the country and its second in BC, following one built in Langley in 2010.

“For the members on the Island, it means we will not need to experience the time and expense of travelling to and from the mainland and often the cost of accommodation while over there,” Sanderson said.

“Having our temple here means we can experience that peace and tranquility on a much more frequent basis.”

A groundbreaking ceremony will be held on Saturday, Aug. 22, with Elder James E. Evanson from Taber, Alta., presiding.

“We will be having an open house when the building is completed in a couple of years, where everyone on the island, of any faith, will be welcome,” Sanderson said.

Missing man: Kedron Ellis, 35, last seen June 6 in Victoria. [RCMP]

Thetis Lake Regional Park washrooms closed for repairs. 

Saanich road closure: Bellevue between Cook and Maywood through Friday, 8:30am-3:30pm.

Pendray-Belleville closed eastbound from Quebec to Oswego through November. 24/7. [City of Vic]

Quadra northbound lane closure, just south of Finlayson, through Friday. 9am-2pm. [City of Vic]

Saanich Police survey open until July 20.

Driving today? Check the current traffic situation via Google.

On the water today? Check the tide times for Victoria.

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Redbrick, a tech company based in Victoria, is working on a proposal for a new hotel at Pandora and Government, reviving the site of the former Victoria Plaza Hotel, which burned down in 2019 after sitting empty for years.

Long before it was the Victoria Plaza, it was the Westholme Hotel, which opened in 1911. Redbrick is looking to honour that history with a return to the name, creating a new era of Westholme more than a century later.

“Victoria is where Redbrick was built,” said Tobyn Sowden, CEO of Redbrick. “After 15 years downtown, we see Westholme as an opportunity to contribute to the next phase of growth in the city.” 

Redbrick purchased the property—located in the heart of the city’s Old Town, across from the McPherson Playhouse and Centennial Square—in January and has teamed up with Victoria developers Aryze to create the design.

"Victoria has a real gap in hotel supply, yet this property—already zoned for hotel use—has been sitting empty for nearly a decade," said Chris Quigley, VP of development at Aryze.

Destination Greater Victoria’s 10-year plan—released last year—outlines a need for at least 2K hotel rooms in the downtown core. The Victoria Plaza lot was included as one of six sites identified for hotel development.

The site has been zoned for a hotel for several years and was nearly developed by its previous owner, Ocean Gate. However, those plans were scrapped after the city’s five-storey height restrictions blocked its proposal for a 12-storey building. Ultimately, Ocean Gate said it did not think it could build an economically viable hotel with the limitation and sold the site to Redbrick.

Redbrick said it’s now in the early stages of design and is looking to speak to nearby businesses, neighbours, and municipal leaders before it applies for rezoning and development permits.

Redbrick is asking community members to reach out directly to [email protected] or sign up for project updates—including feedback and engagement sessions—at westholmehotel.com.

Shawnigan Retreats offers the perfect cozy retreat for family gatherings or romantic getaways. Nestled by the serene Shawnigan Lake, these luxurious accommodations feature a sauna, hot tub, games room with ping pong, cards, and board games, and even a private pickleball court. Enjoy nearby hikes through breathtaking nature and unwind in comfort. With space for up to 18 guests, Shawnigan Retreats promises an unforgettable experience.

Explore Shawnigan Retreats and plan your getaway today. Learn more about Shawnigan Retreats.

⚽ World Cup: Canada vs. Switzerland at 12pm today. [Langford Station] / [Market Square] 

🎺 27th Annual Ska & Reggae Festival starts today at Ship Point. 

🍸 Pink Martini plays the TD Victoria JazzFest at the Royal Theatre tonight.

💼 Come As You Are: Low-barrier Job Fair tomorrow on Yates.

🧒 New Childcare Centre Open House in Langford on Saturday.

☀️ Experience Summer, Served on June 27 from 1–4pm at Rally at Royal Bay (3515 Producers Way), featuring pickleball pros, entertainment, food, drinks, and more.*

*Sponsored Listing

Langford is looking for a development partner for a medical building, housing
The city has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with the South Island Primary Care Society to provide medical attention to up to 12,500 patients. The project’s goal is to house 10-14 doctors in a new building at 3213 Happy Valley, the former trolley hall site, and an adjacent property. Langford has issued a request for proposals (RFP) to select a partner to design and construct a mixed-use building that would include 4,500 square feet of medical space and 2,400 square feet of commercial space. [Langford] 

Bay Centre gets new owners with plans to revive the shopping mall
Montreal-based real estate company Leyad has taken ownership of the shopping centre, purchasing it from Manulife. The purchase price was not disclosed (in 2015, Manulife bought it for $100M). The new owner says it plans to expand the variety of stores in the mall's main section and is exploring non-traditional retail options for the former Hudson’s Bay space. Leyad says locals could notice changes as soon as 2027. [CTV]

Man arrested after 2 separate attacks downtown last Thursday
In the first incident, at around 10pm, police said a man was struck and robbed of cash and other belongings as he was walking along Douglas near Fort. The second was an hour later at Fort near Cook. According to the police report, a man forced open the door of a parked vehicle, struck the person inside, and tried to pull them from the vehicle. Vincent Edward Abraham, 31, faces charges of robbery and assault causing bodily harm and robbery and assault with a weapon. [VicPD]

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🍹WiC Victoria Summer Social: In support of BCCA's Honour the Work program. Raffle and donations to help grow the next generation's interest in joining the construction industry. CFB Esquimalt Wardroom. Today. 4:30-8pm. [Info]

🗣️ Garden City Harmony: A drop-in choir for everyone, singing indie, pop, rock, and folk songs in simple harmony—no experience necessary. Cameron Bandshell. Today. 5-7pm. [Info]

🪕 The Western Thistles with Poppa Don Gernie: Catch this evening of clawhammer banjo, fiddle tunes, and heartfelt originals at The Coda. Tonight. 6:30–8:30pm. [Info] 

🪧 Maintain the Pressure Protest: No pipelines, no handouts for Big Oil. Climate Justice Victoria marks the anniversary of the 2021 Heat Dome. 852 Fort. Tomorrow. 11am. [Info]

🎶 Sara Rose Hébert: The singer will perform at the lunchtime concert series at Fort Common. Tomorrow. 12–1pm. [Info]

🧘 All Levels Flow Yoga: Drop in for a free outdoor flow yoga class with One Yoga—bring your own mat if you can—at Ship Point. Tomorrow. 12–12:45pm. [Info]

🎼 The Victoria Rock Choir: 150 singers plus a live band perform classic rock. All proceeds go to The Cridge Centre charity. United Commons (formerly First Metropolitan). Tomorrow. 7:30-9:30pm. [Info]

🚴 Great Ride of Return: A 10-km fundraiser for the Gaza Sunbirds, the para-cyclists delivering aid against all odds to displaced Gazans. BroadView United. Sunday. 2pm. [Info]

Tuesday’s headlines: Community leaders condemn alleged attack on Victoria imam; Ross Bay Pub to close on Friday; Greater Victoria family pleads for return of father’s urn. [June 23]

Historic statuette unscathed after Tam Kung Temple fire. [Times Colonist]

World Cup scoring for Victoria businesses, although hoteliers are not seeing it. [CHEK]

NYT best seller: A Screaming Life by Victoria’s Adem Tepedelen and Soundgarden guitarist Kim Thayil ranks No. 7 in non-fiction on the New York Times Best Seller list. Read Mark Brennae’s feature on Tepedelen here. 

Wolf eel: See a “very large, very orange” female wolf eel off the coast of Nanaimo. [Facebook video]

Otto Charcuterie to open a permanent location on Fort. [Otto]

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