MAPPING VICTORIA - Colwood

Royal Bay Master Plan

Master Plan Info

Development began in 2016 and was preceded by Royal Bay Secondary School completed in 2015
An elementary school is also planned for Royal Bay
3,400 homes in total are planned for the 240 acres site and will be home to 10,000 people

Developer

Path Developments (formerly known as GableCraft Homes)
Developer Project Website

Colwood Resources

Royal Beach Park Master Plan April 12, 2023

Architect

Various depending on the phase

Context

Located on a massive former oceanside gravel pit in Colwood
Adjacent to the master planned Beachlands community also largely built on the former gravel pit along the oceanfront

Status

January 2026 - Livabl update on the 10 Royal Bay communities and their status
Royal Bay is also home to the mass timber construction Royal BC Museum PARC Campus (Provincial Archives, Research, and Collections) which will be completed in 2026. Construction Updates
It will house the Province’s collections and BC Archives. and be open to the public allowing visitors to view artifacts, displays, access the BC Archives and watch and watch researchers at work through accessible lab areas, and engage with museum staff on site.

Media and Images

May 26, 2023 Times Colonist story on the opening of The Commons Retail Village in Royal Bay and past and future site development
June 9, 2016 Times Colonist story on ground breaking for Royal Bay

All following images are © PATH Developments

Phases Now Selling

Producers Rowhouses

Echo Townhomes

Quarry Villas

Bella Park Condos

Location

Royal View Interactive Map of the community

Historical Context

For an excellent historical overview of the area check out Grant Keedie's April 28, 2020 article. He details the geological, indigenous, European explorer and industrial history of the land now known as Royal Bay.

"Twenty one thousand years ago a glacier that advanced from the north into Saanich Inlet melted away into a large fresh water lake. The lake burst through to the south sending millions of tons of sands and gravels across the landscape creating what is known as the Colwood Delta."

The Times Colonist reports "it was once the largest aggregate mine in Canada, supplying sand and gravel for the construction of thousands of homes in Seattle, Vancouver and Victoria for more than a century." Mining began in the 1890's and then on a large scale from 1909 by the Producers Rock and Gravel Company. The 100 year lease expired in 2009 and the operation closed ahead of this date in 2007.

The 2004 Geology and Aggregate Production of the Colwood Delta report by the British Columbia Geological Survey notes:

"The Colwood Delta, which is arguably Victoria's most significant geological feature, has played an important role in the development not only of Victoria, but also Vancouver and Seattle."

2007 - source

1915 - source

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