Breaking News - December 2025

BC Power Outage - Posted December 17, 2025

Reliance Properties has revised its proposal for 780 Blanshard Street, pivoting from a 20-storey hotel-condo tower to a 5-storey, 124 room hotel.  The new plan scraps the residential portion and the 16-storey addition atop the original 4-storey BC Power Commission Building. The original proposal included 98 condo units in addition to 69 hotel rooms while the new plans focus on 'heritage rehabilitation' of the 1949 built Art Deco office block and the addition of a new recessed floor with two small rooftop patios.  Reliance Properties has its hands full in the City of Victoria as they're behind plans for the tallest building on Vancouver Island, a new downtown district, completing a Dallas Road project and the never ending Northern Junk saga.

For details on  the new and original plans check out the BC Power Commission Building Project Page here on MappingVictoria.

M’akola at Mayfair Modifications - Posted December 10, 2025

On December 9, 2025 the City of Victoria posted on their Development Tracker a M’akola Development Services letter containing revised renderings for their 3075 Douglas Street proposal.  Located directly across from Mayfair Shopping Centre, the 23-storey rental housing building will provide 208 homes for Indigenous families, individuals, and Elders. 

M’akola Housing Society, a non-profit organization based in Victoria with over 40 years of experience providing safe, affordable, and high-quality rental homes for Indigenous Peoples will manage the property.  The proposal has already received the endorsement of the Burnside Gorge Community Association Land Use Committee.  

Check out MappingVictoria's 3075 Douglas Street Project Page to see the before and after renderings.  

Oak Bay Seniors Protest for Affordable Housing - Posted December 9, 2025

At least that's one alternative headline that could be garnered from the December 7, 2025 Times Colonist story with the official headline:

Seniors march in bathrobes to demand swift action to develop former Oak Bay Lodge site

It's rare to see people protesting for more affordable housing so full marks to the participants. I really need to get a Times Colonist subscription as the paper does a great job covering local housing and development issues.  Plus I've likely missed many stories about Oak Bay seniors demanding low-income rental projects, medical care homes, supportive housing and drug treatment facilities in their community.

Just because Oak Bay is on one of the wealthiest communities in the country with possibly the lowest new housing rate doesn't mean they don't care.  We need more affordable housing options at every stage of life - from young families, students to seniors requiring care.  One of the rally leaders noted how a two year wait list for husband's seniors care resulted in her family spending $13,000 to $17,000 per month for a private care facility for a total of over $300,000.  

Local authorities have been addressing the need for more seniors housing at breakneck speed.  It was just the other day in 2021 the Capital Regional Hospital District (CHRD)  conducted  two rounds of community consultation on the future use of the Oak Bay Lodge property.  They even produced a round one report in March 2021 and a round two report in September 2021.   As the ball began to roll the Times Colonist reported on February 3, 2024 Island Health was looking to hire a consultant to guide the redevelopment process of the Oak Bay Lodge site.  

More recently in a CBC September 3, 2025 interview, Oak Bay Mayor Kevin Murdoch referenced ongoing public consultations and an Island Health needs analysis and costing study completed with Colliers that is currently sitting with the Province for review and next steps.  

The background section of CHRD's March 2021 report noted:

"The Oak Bay Lodge was a regional healthcare facility located on a 3.9-acre property in Oak Bay, British Columbia. For over four decades, this facility cared for thousands of individuals who required long-term care or seniors-care supports. The 235-bed building closed in summer 2020 as part of a long-term plan."  

Part of long- term plan - I'm pleased to see the record set straight as rumours were rife during the COVID 19 pandemic that the facility was destroyed after being proposed as a temporary homeless shelter for those set adrift due to societal upheaval and strict distancing requirements for shelters.  

Mayor Proposes One Year Building Permit Holiday - Posted December 6, 2025

Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto is proposing a 12 month 'permit holiday' for developers and home builders saving the industry an estimated $6 million in fees.  Read all the details in Michael John Lo's December 6, 2025 TC story.

North Saanich + Housing Targets = New Mixed Use Community? - Posted December 3, 2025