What is being built, what has stalled, and what the numbers actually say — from Sooke to Port Hardy. Every project below was checked against a primary source before it was published. Nothing here is estimated or inferred.
§ 01 — HOUSING STARTS, FIRST HALF 2026
Greater Victoria fell a fifth. Duncan tripled.
Vancouver Island is not one housing market. In the first six months of 2026 the south island pulled back hard while the Cowichan Valley and Nanaimo ran the other way.
Victoria CMA
1,872
-20%vs H1 2025
from 2,339 in H1 2025
Duncan CA
225
+200%vs H1 2025
from 75 in H1 2025
Nanaimo CA
459
+118.6%vs H1 2025
from 210 in H1 2025
Campbell River
164
-11.4%vs H1 2025
from 185 in H1 2025
Greater Victoria
Victoria CMA — 13 municipalities, not the City of Victoria.
Shown on their own scale — at Victoria's scale these bars are unreadable. Port Alberni and the Comox Valley are excluded: no comparable H1 2025 figure exists for either.
The two panels above use different vertical scales and must be read separately — they are not a shared axis. Half years are only ever compared against half years.
Greater Victoria housing starts, 2023–2025
Full calendar years. 2025 was a recovery year — the downturn is a 2026 story.
BC Hydro to build B.C.'s first utility-scale battery storage project near Duncan
Duncan / Cowichan Valley
BC Hydro has selected a site adjacent to its existing Vancouver Island Terminal Substation near Duncan for B.C.'s first utility-scale battery energy storage system, delivering at least 100 megawatts of flexible capacity. BC Hydro already owns the land and will own and operate the facility, but will use a competitive process to procure design, construction and potentially long-term maintenance. A request for supplier qualifications was set to be issued July 30, 2026, with a request for proposals expected later in 2026.
VALUE
At least 100 MW capacity; no capital cost disclosed by BC Hydro
TIMING
RFQ issued July 30, 2026; RFP expected later in 2026; targeted in service by 2030
BC Hydro starts investigative work for 7.4 km Victoria-to-Saanich transmission cable replacement
Victoria and Saanich
BC Hydro is replacing a 7.4-kilometre direct-buried, oil-filled 1976 transmission cable between Horsey Substation in Victoria and Goward Substation in Saanich with a higher-capacity oil-free cable built inside a duct bank, serving roughly 140,000 Greater Victoria customers. Beginning August 4, 2026, crews will spend up to three months investigating more than 100 locations along the route, removing small sections of asphalt to locate underground utilities and assess ground conditions. The route runs Summit Avenue, Douglas Street, Alpha Street, Burnside Road and Interurban Road.
VALUE
7.4 km of cable; 100+ investigation locations; serves ~140,000 customers. No cost published.
TIMING
Investigative work Aug 4 to approx. Nov 2026 (Interurban Rd in Aug/Sept, Burnside/Alpha/Douglas/Summit in Oct); construction as early as summer 2027, approx. three years; cable in service 2029/2030
Victoria to Esquimalt 230 kV cable replacement in final year, in service fall 2026
Victoria and Esquimalt
BC Hydro is replacing approximately 2.7 kilometres of 230 kV underground transmission cable between Horsey Substation off Topaz Avenue in Victoria and Esquimalt Substation off Dominion Street, swapping a direct-buried mineral-oil-filled cable for an oil-free cable inside a duct bank. The scope includes street construction, shoreline trenching, and a submarine crossing along the bottom of the Gorge Waterway. Construction started in early 2025 and active work in 2026 covers the Gorge Waterway, Viaduct Park, Banfield Park and Esquimalt Substation, with a marine closure of up to ten days planned from August 17, 2026.
VALUE
Approx. 2.7 km of 230 kV cable. No cost published.
TIMING
Construction began early 2025; marine closure from Aug 17, 2026; targeted in service fall 2026
Campbell River dam seismic upgrades: $1.88B across John Hart, Ladore and Strathcona, all under construction
Campbell River
All three BC Hydro dams on the Campbell River system are in active construction for seismic and water-discharge upgrades, with a combined budget of $1.88 billion. John Hart Dam ($923 million, construction since July 2023, completion 2030) involves placing upstream and downstream earthfill berms, seepage barriers, anchoring the concrete dam and replacing spillway gates. Ladore Spillway ($379 million, underway since early 2025, completion 2028) covers three spillway gate replacements plus hoist and control systems. Strathcona Dam Water Discharge Upgrade ($575 million, began fall 2025, completion 2029) builds a new low-level outlet structure and replaces the spillway. Brewster Lake Road across John Hart has been closed since July 2023 for roughly six years, and the Strathcona dam road closed in fall 2025 for about four years.
VALUE
$1.88 billion combined ($923M John Hart, $379M Ladore, $575M Strathcona)
TIMING
John Hart 2023-2030; Ladore 2025-2028; Strathcona fall 2025-2029
North Langford Substation sited at Langford Heights Business Park, still in early planning
Langford (West Shore)
BC Hydro has identified 2161 Caribou Drive in the Langford Heights Business Park, near Millstream Road, as the site for a new North Langford Substation. Once built it would serve an additional 40,000 to 70,000 homes and become the second-largest substation in the Capital Regional District. BC Hydro states the facility size and the power line routes have not yet been determined and the overall schedule has not been finalized; community engagement has not begun.
VALUE
Would serve an additional 40,000-70,000 homes. No cost published.
TIMING
Early planning as of 2026; earlier BC Hydro and provincial statements targeted in service by 2030
Salt Spring to North Pender submarine cable enters final phase, in service fall 2026
Salt Spring Island and North Pender Island (Southern Gulf Islands)
BC Hydro is installing 11 kilometres of submarine cable between Welbury Bay on Salt Spring Island and Port Washington on North Pender Island, laid along sandy sections of the ocean floor in Captain Passage and Swanson Channel. Civil construction on both Pender and Salt Spring was completed in 2025. Overhead power line upgrades are underway through summer and fall 2026, with submarine cable installation and in-service both scheduled for fall 2026. The cable improves reliability for Salt Spring, Pender, Saturna, Mayne and Galiano islands.
VALUE
11 km of submarine cable. No cost published.
TIMING
Civil construction completed 2025; overhead line upgrades summer-fall 2026; cable installation and in service fall 2026
Second Gulf Islands cable project: Beaver Point to Thieves Bay realignment, upland civil in 2027-2028
Salt Spring Island and North Pender Island (Southern Gulf Islands)
Separate from the Welbury Bay cable, BC Hydro is realigning an existing submarine cable that currently runs from Beaver Point in Ruckle Provincial Park to Irene Bay, redirecting it to run between Beaver Point and Thieves Bay along the sandy floor of Swanson Channel, closer to the area of highest use on North Pender Island. Cable route identification and civil/cable design work continue through 2026. Overhead power line upgrades on both islands are planned for winter 2026 to spring 2027, followed by intertidal and upland civil construction in 2027 or 2028.
VALUE
No cost or length published
TIMING
Design through 2026; overhead line upgrades winter 2026-spring 2027; intertidal and upland civil construction 2027-2028; in service targeted fall 2027 or 2028
Province and BC Hydro launch 'Powering Growth' plan for 20% demand growth by 2030
Province-wide, includes Vancouver Island
On June 15, 2026 the Province announced 'Powering Growth, Fueling Opportunity', a plan responding to electricity demand projected to grow about 20% by 2030 and roughly 50% by 2050, with peak demand up 44%. It includes a $1-billion, three-year Power Smart 2.0 conservation program, Revelstoke Unit 6 (500 MW), modernization of Revelstoke units 1-4, and upgrades to the Lower Mainland-to-Vancouver Island and Interior-to-Lower Mainland transmission corridors. The Duncan battery storage project is the first battery investment advancing under this plan.
VALUE
$1 billion over three years for Power Smart 2.0; Revelstoke 6 adds 500 MW
TIMING
Announced June 15, 2026; Power Smart 2.0 targets 2030; Revelstoke 6 peak construction 2029
BC Hydro opens Vancouver Island's first 400 kW EV fast-charging station in Nanaimo
Nanaimo
BC Hydro opened Vancouver Island's highest-powered EV charging site at Rock City Centre, 2980 Island Highway in Nanaimo. It has two 400-kilowatt chargers capable of adding roughly 100 kilometres of range in about three minutes, plus two 180-kilowatt chargers with power sharing so up to eight vehicles can charge at once, supporting CCS, NACS and CHAdeMO connectors. BC Hydro says its provincewide 2026 focus is building more hub sites with multiple chargers along highway corridors and in densely populated areas.
VALUE
Two 400 kW and two 180 kW chargers; up to 8 vehicles simultaneously. No cost published.
Mount Underwood wildfire destroyed 56 BC Hydro poles near Bamfield; permanent repair still pending
Bamfield / Huu-ay-aht First Nation, west Vancouver Island
The Mount Underwood wildfire knocked out power to more than 500 customers in Bamfield, the Huu-ay-aht First Nation and surrounding communities from August 11, 2025. BC Hydro confirmed 56 poles destroyed and roughly 70 spans covering nearly 20 kilometres needing restringing. Crews installed 63 new poles and 65 new spans along a six-kilometre corridor including two kilometres of steep forested cliffs and unstable rock, restoring power on August 23, 2025 ahead of schedule. A 1.5-kilometre section remained inaccessible due to slope instability and was given a temporary fix, with permanent repairs planned once geological conditions stabilise.
VALUE
56 poles destroyed, 63 new poles and 65 spans installed over a 6 km corridor
TIMING
Outage began Aug 11, 2025; power restored Aug 23, 2025; permanent repair of the 1.5 km unstable section not yet scheduled
BC Hydro's $3B-plus, 10-year Vancouver Island capital program (framing document)
Vancouver Island (province-wide plan)
BC Hydro committed to building more than $3 billion in capital projects on Vancouver Island over a decade as part of a roughly $36-billion provincial 10-year capital plan. Named island components include a new Langford-area substation serving 40,000-70,000 additional homes by 2030, replacement of end-of-life underground transmission cables serving Victoria, Esquimalt and Saanich to increase capacity by more than 60%, seismic upgrades to the John Hart, Strathcona and Ladore dams, undersea cable replacement near the Gulf Islands, a voltage conversion and system upgrade at Port Alice, a Woss substation replacement, and distribution capacity increases in north and south Nanaimo, Bear Mountain and Langford Heights.
VALUE
More than $3 billion on Vancouver Island over 10 years, within a ~$36 billion provincial capital plan
TIMING
10-year plan spanning roughly 2024-25 to 2033-34; most named island projects targeted operational by 2030
The Beachlands passes $150M in infrastructure spending as $1.2B Colwood build-out advances
Colwood (Greater Victoria)
Seacliff Properties and Reliance Properties report surpassing $150 million in infrastructure investment at The Beachlands, a 134-acre waterfront community in Colwood zoned for 2,850 homes. Since construction began in 2024 the partners have completed site servicing and more than 1.8 kilometres of roads, sidewalks, bike lanes and underground utilities. The Origin component — two six-storey condo buildings plus 16 townhomes, valued at $54.5 million — is scheduled for completion in 2027.
VALUE
$1.2 billion total project; $150 million infrastructure to date; $54.5 million Origin phase; 2,850 homes
TIMING
Construction started 2024; next 12 acres of park improvements began summer 2026; Origin completion 2027
Langford approves 317-unit, two-tower rezoning at Peatt and Sunderland roads
Langford (Greater Victoria)
Langford council voted unanimously on Feb. 2, 2026 to approve the rezoning for two downtown towers of 13 and 22 storeys containing 317 residential units, ground-floor commercial space and a four-storey parkade. Mayor Scott Goodmanson called it the first major building greenlit by the current council. The site's Official Community Plan designation of 'City Centre – Downtown' permits up to 28 storeys.
VALUE
317 residential units; 13 and 22 storeys
TIMING
Rezoning approved Feb. 2, 2026; construction start not stated
Colwood council gives third reading to ~310-unit Latoria Road complex
Colwood (Greater Victoria)
Colwood council approved third reading on May 11, 2026 for a rezoning at 532, 538 and 542 Latoria Road that would allow four six-storey residential buildings totalling almost 310 units across roughly five acres. The bylaw received first and second readings in March 2026. A development permit application still has to come back to council before construction can proceed.
VALUE
~310 units; four six-storey buildings on ~5 acres
TIMING
Third reading May 11, 2026; development permit still pending; developers get two years to commence construction once permits are issued
Victoria greenlights 22-storey, 156-unit conversion at 741 Fisgard Street
Victoria
Victoria's committee of the whole approved a rezoning and development permit on July 8, 2026 for a 22-storey building at 741 Fisgard Street at Blanshard, containing 156 residential units, four ground-floor commercial units and four floors of underground parking. The approval amends a 2007 master development agreement that had required office space, and raises the permitted height from 58 to 78 metres. The applicant is contributing $200,000 to the housing reserve fund and $250,000 to park development.
VALUE
156 residential units + 4 commercial units; 22 storeys; $200,000 housing reserve and $250,000 park contributions
TIMING
Committee approval July 8, 2026; requires ratification at council; construction start not stated
Ground broken on The Alma, a 42-unit rental building in Victoria's Fairfield-Broughton area
Victoria
Developers broke ground April 15, 2026 on The Alma, a six-storey purpose-built rental building at 837 Broughton Street in Victoria. The project contains 42 one-bedroom units of 450 to 550 square feet. Completion is expected in fall 2027 with first residents moving in later that year.
VALUE
42 one-bedroom rental units; 6 storeys
TIMING
Groundbreaking April 15, 2026; completion expected fall 2027
Esquimalt approves rezoning for 34-unit, six-storey cohousing building
Esquimalt (Greater Victoria)
Esquimalt council unanimously approved a rezoning on July 13, 2026 for 1140 and 1148 Esquimalt Road, allowing a 34-unit, 22-metre, six-storey strata cohousing building. The unit mix is seven one-bedroom, 22 two-bedroom and five three-bedroom homes with shared indoor and outdoor amenity space. The project replaces two existing four-unit residential buildings.
VALUE
34 units; 6 storeys / 22 metres
TIMING
Rezoning approved July 13, 2026; construction timeline not stated
Habitat for Humanity Victoria announces 26 townhomes on Irwin Road in Langford
Langford (Greater Victoria)
Habitat for Humanity Victoria announced on June 9, 2026 a 26-unit townhome development on Irwin Road in Langford's Westhills neighbourhood. Phase one delivers 16 homes in a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom units including accessible units, funded in part by a per-door grant from the City of Langford's Affordable Housing Reserve Fund. CEO Carmen Rempel said the organization hopes to break ground later in summer 2026, pending approvals.
VALUE
26 townhomes total; 16 in phase one
TIMING
Announced June 9, 2026; groundbreaking hoped for later in summer 2026 pending approvals
Aryze and Songhees Nation propose 54-unit, six-storey building on Oak Bay waterfront
Oak Bay (Greater Victoria)
Aryze Developments, partnering with the Songhees First Nation, has proposed a six-storey, 54-unit building at 951 Beach Drive on Oak Bay's waterfront. The mix is 43 two-bedroom and 11 three-bedroom units. A public open house was held May 21, 2026 and the proposal awaits an Oak Bay council decision.
VALUE
54 units; 6 storeys
TIMING
Open house May 21, 2026; council decision pending as of June 2026
Duncan council advances scaled-back five-storey, 17-unit building on Third Street
Duncan (Cowichan Valley)
Duncan council approved a development variance on June 8, 2026 allowing a five-storey, 17-unit residential building at 261 and 263 Third Street and Lukatis Lane to move forward. The proposal was scaled back from an original six-storey, 24-unit design following Advisory Design Panel recommendations, and now meets minimum parking requirements. The next step is a revised design submission.
VALUE
17 units; 5 storeys (down from 24 units / 6 storeys)
TIMING
Variance approved June 8, 2026; revised design submission next
North Cowichan rezones Highland Avenue property for 20-unit townhouse development
North Cowichan (Cowichan Valley)
North Cowichan council adopted Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 4050, 2026 on May 20, 2026, rezoning 5850 Highland Avenue from Residential One and Two-family (R3) to Highland Avenue Comprehensive Development Zone (CD27) to facilitate a 20-unit townhouse development. Final conditions including covenant registration were met April 14-15, 2026.
VALUE
20 townhouse units
TIMING
Bylaw adopted May 20, 2026; construction timeline not stated
North Cowichan gives second reading to 18-lot, ~57-unit Crofton subdivision on Adelaide Street
Crofton, North Cowichan (Cowichan Valley)
North Cowichan council passed second reading of a rezoning bylaw for 1438 and 1448 Adelaide Street in Crofton — nearly five acres — that would facilitate an 18-lot subdivision containing approximately 57 units in a mix of three- and four-unit buildings. Council voted to postpone third reading after Coun. Christopher Justice said he still had questions about the end product, with Mayor Rob Douglas supporting the delay to allow more resident feedback on density.
VALUE
18 lots / ~57 units on ~5 acres
TIMING
Second reading passed; third reading postponed as of July 6, 2026
Purdey Group's ~161-unit Mill Bay proposal stalls at CVRD board
Mill Bay (Cowichan Valley)
A roughly 160-unit development proposed by Purdey Group at Handy Road and Mill Bay Road — 22 townhouses in four three-storey blocks plus up to 139 apartments in two five- to six-storey buildings on 1.2 hectares — has stalled. The CVRD board declined first and second readings of OCP Amendment No. 4721 and South Cowichan Zoning Amendment No. 4722 on June 24, 2026 and referred them back to committee. The developer publicly criticised the process as 'circular,' citing repeated deferrals and requests for more studies.
VALUE
~161 units (22 townhouses + up to 139 apartments) on 1.2 hectares
TIMING
Public information sessions April 30, 2026; readings declined June 24, 2026; committee July 15, 2026; back before the board July 22, 2026
TELUS Living Nanaimo opens with 195 rental units downtown
Nanaimo
TELUS Living Nanaimo held its grand opening July 23, 2026 at 235 Wallace Street in downtown Nanaimo, delivering 195 purpose-built rental housing units after roughly three years of construction. Mayor Leonard Krog said the city aims to add 4,000 to 5,000 residents downtown. Coverage also references a further 163 units nearing completion on Wallace Street at Campbell Street and three planned six-storey buildings on Chapel Street.
VALUE
195 rental units
TIMING
Roughly three years of construction; opened July 23, 2026
95-unit, six-storey Northfield Road project by Hazelwood Group clears Nanaimo design panel
Nanaimo
A six-storey, 95-unit residential building plus a two-storey commercial office building proposed for 2124 Northfield Road in Nanaimo went before the City of Nanaimo's design advisory panel on May 28, 2026. The panel recommended the project proceed to the next stage of the application process with 11 design and landscaping recommendations. Units range from studios to three-bedroom-plus-den.
VALUE
95 residential units; 6 storeys, plus a two-storey commercial building
TIMING
Design advisory panel May 28, 2026; construction timeline not stated
Nanaimo council approves 43-unit rental building at 1901 Northfield Road
Nanaimo
Nanaimo city council unanimously approved a rezoning application and development permit on May 25, 2026 for a four-storey, 43-unit rental building at 1901 Northfield Road. The mix is studio, one- and two-bedroom units. A parking variance was granted allowing 43 spaces instead of the standard 62, with residents receiving discounted BC Transit ECOPass transit passes for nearly three years. The permit issues only on final adoption of the rezoning.
VALUE
43 rental units; 4 storeys
TIMING
Approved May 25, 2026; permit issues on final rezoning adoption; construction start not stated
Nanaimo approves 29-unit Lost Lake co-housing development
Nanaimo
Nanaimo council unanimously approved a 29-unit multifamily co-housing development at 5180 Universal Place on June 22, 2026. The project comprises five buildings of two to three storeys. Council debated a parking reduction from 50 to 39 spaces, with several councillors raising concerns about spillover parking and existing traffic on Lost Lake Road.
VALUE
29 units across five buildings
TIMING
Approved June 22, 2026; construction timeline not stated
Nanaimo advances social-housing pre-zoning overlay covering more than 2,000 parcels
Nanaimo
Nanaimo council gave first and second reading on June 22, 2026 to Zoning Amendment Bylaw 2026 No. 4500.256, creating a Social Housing Zone overlay, and sent it to a public hearing held July 16, 2026. The overlay would apply to roughly 2,158 of the city's 30,098 parcels — about 7 per cent — across downtown, seven secondary-urban centres and mixed-use and residential corridors, granting added density and height where at least 20 per cent of units are social housing rented at least 20 per cent below market.
VALUE
Overlay proposed for ~2,158 parcels; minimum 20% social housing requirement
TIMING
First and second reading June 22, 2026; public hearing July 16, 2026
Waterfront Properties Corp. scales Parksville Englishman River proposal back to 330 units
Parksville (Oceanside)
Waterfront Properties Corp. has scaled its proposal at 1465 Greig Road in Parksville back from 405 to 330 multiplex units and townhouses. First reading of the zoning and development amendment bylaw is scheduled for September 9, 2026. The package includes $500,000 indexed to inflation toward the city's water infrastructure, traffic upgrades, funding to relocate the fire department training tower, and 105 acres proposed as an ecological donation to the BC Parks Foundation. The nearest building would sit 277 metres from the Englishman River.
VALUE
330 units (down from 405); $500,000 water infrastructure contribution; 105-acre ecological donation
TIMING
First reading scheduled September 9, 2026; construction unlikely to start for about two years; build-out over roughly a decade
66-unit waterfront project at 3022 Island Highway West advances in Qualicum Beach
Qualicum Beach (Oceanside)
A revised proposal for 66 units across three three-storey buildings with underground parking on a forested lot at 3022 Island Highway West, about 1.5 km west of the Memorial Avenue roundabout, was referred to a future Qualicum Beach council meeting for public hearing notification. The requested height variance was reduced to 11.44 metres from a previously proposed 26 metres. Councillors raised no major concerns, with Coun. Anne Skipsey calling it 'quite an improvement.'
VALUE
66 units; three 3-storey buildings
TIMING
Referred to public hearing as of February 2026; construction timeline not stated
Courtenay passes three readings for 131-unit townhome rezoning on Headquarters Road
Courtenay (Comox Valley)
Courtenay council gave first, second and third readings on April 29, 2026 to Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3219, rezoning 4680 and 4694 Headquarters Road from Residential Small-Scale Multi-Unit Housing (R-SSMUH) to Medium Density Multi-Residential (RM-1) to permit a 131-unit development, primarily townhomes. The proposal includes a conservation area, tree protection, intersection improvements and community amenity contributions. No public hearing was held because the proposal is consistent with the Official Community Plan. Final adoption is conditional on lot consolidation, site survey completion, development agreement registration and Ministry of Transportation and Transit approval.
VALUE
131 units, primarily townhomes
TIMING
Three readings April 29, 2026; adoption conditional on several outstanding items
Campbell River adopts rezoning for 28-unit townhouse development at 140 Petersen Road South
Campbell River
Campbell River council adopted Zoning Amendment Bylaw No. 3996, 2025 at its February 10-12, 2026 meetings, rezoning 140 Petersen Road South from Residential Multiple One (RM-1) to Residential Multiple Two (RM-2) for a 28-unit townhouse development. The applicant must still apply for a Major Development Permit, and a Section 219 restrictive covenant restricts development until specified conditions are met. The city notes the site is within the Urban Containment Boundary and targets 'missing middle' infill housing.
VALUE
28 townhouse units
TIMING
Bylaw adopted February 2026; Major Development Permit application still required
Sidney has two multifamily applications in process, including a 75-unit building on Third Street
Sidney (Saanich Peninsula)
The Town of Sidney's active development application tracker lists a zoning amendment, development permit and variance application for a four-storey, 75-unit multifamily building at 9972 Third Street, with staff reports filed in February, April and June 2026 and a Notice of Zoning Amendment Bylaw issued. A separate application at 9989 and 9991 Fifth Street proposes a four-storey, 30-unit multifamily building with underground parking, with a staff report to the July 13, 2026 council meeting.
VALUE
75 units / 4 storeys (Third Street); 30 units / 4 storeys (Fifth Street)
TIMING
Both applications in process through 2026; no approval or construction dates published on the tracker
Langford's stalled 'The Scene' towers site ordered repaired after collapse risk identified
Langford (Greater Victoria)
The excavated site for 'The Scene' — two towers of 18 and 24 storeys with a common podium at 2748 Peatt Road and 2745 Scafe Road — has sat largely idle since shoring was installed under a January 2023 excavation permit. An independent study by WSP Canada found a risk of sloughing along the southern excavation wall abutting a neighbouring strata. Langford issued a remedial action order February 12, 2026; the deadline passed February 25 with no work started, and the developer began required backfilling and buttressing February 26, 2026. Heavy vehicles remain banned from the strata's road pending resolution.
VALUE
Two towers, 18 and 24 storeys
TIMING
Rezoned January 2022; excavated January 2023; foundation permit April 2024; minor footings poured October 2024; no substantive activity since; remedial backfill work started February 26, 2026
Seacliff's 726-acre, 2,200-home Sandstone project files first subdivision application in south Nanaimo
Nanaimo (Cinnabar Valley / Duke Point)
Seacliff Properties submitted its first subdivision application for Sandstone, a 726-acre master-planned community straddling the Trans-Canada Highway in south Nanaimo that would eventually add 2,200 homes and over 3 million square feet of industrial space. The initial phase covers 10 industrial-zoned lots south of the Duke Point Highway. Seacliff VP Georgia Desjardins described the filing as 'a critical step' after roughly five years of planning approvals. The company anticipated starting industrial construction by late 2025 and residential construction in Cinnabar Valley in 2026, over a roughly 20-year build-out generating an estimated 1,200 construction jobs annually.
VALUE
726 acres; 2,200 homes; 3+ million sq ft industrial; ~1,200 construction jobs/year
TIMING
First subdivision application June 2025; industrial construction targeted for late 2025; Cinnabar Valley residential anticipated 2026; ~20-year build-out
Victoria housing starts fell 91% year-over-year in June 2026; B.C. starts down 46%
Greater Victoria / province-wide
CMHC's June 2026 release reports 83 actual housing starts in the Victoria CMA, down from 960 in June 2025 — a 91% year-over-year drop. British Columbia as a whole was down 46% in actual starts. Deputy chief economist Kevin Hughes said CMHC expects the environment of high costs, weak demand and elevated unsold inventory to keep holding back new construction through 2026.
TIMING
June 2026 data; full-year 2026 forecast below 2025
New-home starts down 20% across Greater Victoria; Langford down 62%
Greater Victoria (Langford, Colwood, Victoria)
The Victoria Residential Builders Association reports 1,872 new homes started in Greater Victoria January–June 2026, down 20% from 2,339 in the same period of 2025. Langford — the region's supply bellwether — fell 62% to 329 starts from 860. Colwood was down 11% to 306. VRBA's January forecast cited the highest supply of unsold units in 35 years.
Langford highrise site stalled two-plus years; city ordered emergency repair of collapsing excavation wall
Langford (2748 Peatt Rd. / 2745 Scafe Rd.)
The Scene, an 18- and 24-storey twin-tower project rezoned in January 2022 and excavated in January 2023, has sat largely dormant since. Engineering firm WSP Canada found the southern shoring wall at risk of sloughing next to a neighbouring strata, and Langford issued a remedial action order on February 12, 2026 giving the developer two weeks to fix it. No work had started by the February 25 deadline; repairs began February 26, hours before the city was set to do the work itself.
TIMING
Rezoned Jan 2022; excavated Jan 2023; foundation permit Apr 2024; minor footings Oct 2024; remedial order Feb 2026
B.C. Budget 2026 shuts the Community Housing Fund, stranding affordable-housing projects province-wide
Province-wide, including Vancouver Island
Budget 2026 (tabled February 17, 2026) reallocated roughly $1.4 billion from B.C.'s housing strategy, cancelling the current Community Housing Fund intake and indefinitely postponing future intakes. UBCM said the closure applied retroactively, hitting projects already in process. The Tyee later reported a BC Non-Profit Housing Association estimate of about 4,000 units across 49 projects affected — 486 cancelled, 1,484 paused indefinitely, 1,533 in limbo — with non-profits averaging $432,500 in unrecoverable pre-development costs per application.
VALUE
$1.4 billion reallocated from housing strategy
TIMING
Announced February 2026; intakes postponed indefinitely
58-unit Chemainus affordable-housing project shelved after provincial funding freeze
Chemainus / North Cowichan (2988 Elliott St.)
North Cowichan's planned 58-unit affordable-housing complex on the former Chemainus elementary school site was put on hold after the province confirmed the BC Community Housing Fund would stop accepting applications. Mayor Rob Douglas told council on February 18, 2026 that the municipality would not be able to submit its application. The project, announced in 2023, was to serve low- and moderate-income families, seniors and people with disabilities.
TIMING
Announced 2023; application halted February 2026; no new timeline
69-unit Duncan affordable-housing project on Dobson Road cancelled
Duncan (Dobson Road, south of Trunk Road)
A six-storey, 69-unit affordable-housing building with ground-floor commercial and a daycare, planned on three Dobson Road lots in Duncan, was cancelled after the province eliminated the Community Housing Fund in its February 2026 budget. Duncan council had already adopted the rezoning bylaw in 2025 and a development permit had been issued; the project was awaiting BC Housing funding confirmation. Duncan CAO Peter de Verteuil said the developer may pursue the site at a smaller scale without affordable housing.
BC Housing freezes funding for 30-unit Lakewood Manor seniors housing in Lake Cowichan
Lake Cowichan (58 Renfrew Ave.)
Lakewood Manor, a four-storey, 30-unit affordable seniors housing development by the Cowichan Lake Elder Care Society with Wiser Projects, was put on hold after BC Housing froze funding in the wake of the province's indefinite pause of the Community Housing Fund. Construction had been expected to begin in 2027. The society said its building designs were already complete.
TIMING
Construction was targeted for 2027; now on hold indefinitely
North Cowichan shelves two new Village transitional-housing sites after provincial funding freeze
North Cowichan / Duncan
North Cowichan suspended plans for two new transitional housing sites modelled on the Village on Trunk Road in Duncan — modular sleeping cabins with 24-hour wraparound services — after the province closed funding for such initiatives in its February 2026 budget. Social planning director John Horn said the province is not funding additional programs at the moment and the municipality would stay in the queue. A related BC Housing development on White Road is expected to provide about 50 units.
$178M, 510-bed UVic student housing pushed from 2029 to 2034 by provincial budget
Saanich (UVic, 3800 Finnerty Rd.)
The province deferred funding for UVic's 510-bed student residence in Budget 2026, pushing completion from fall 2029 to 2034. The $178-million project — $121 million provincial, $57 million UVic — was to break ground in spring 2026 and would add 360 beds in 90 four-bedroom units plus 150 graduate studios. On May 4, 2026 Saanich council unanimously approved a development variance permit to keep the file alive and directed Mayor Dean Murdock to ask the province to reinstate funding.
VALUE
$178 million ($121M provincial, $57M UVic)
TIMING
Original: construction spring 2026, completion fall 2029. Revised: completion 2034
153-bed, $134M Campbell River long-term care home delayed indefinitely in Budget 2026
Campbell River
Campbell River's planned 153-bed long-term care facility — announced in 2023 with construction originally expected to finish in 2027 — is one of seven B.C. long-term care projects delayed by Budget 2026. The budget no longer lists a completion year for any of the seven. The province cited long-term care costs of up to $1.8 million per bed as unsustainable and said it wants a standard modular design before proceeding. Capital cost was roughly $134 million, including a $53.6-million contribution from the Comox Strathcona Regional Hospital District.
VALUE
~$134 million capital cost; $53.6M regional hospital district share
TIMING
Originally targeted for completion 2027; no completion year now listed
B.C. Budget 2026 cuts capital spending, resequencing hospitals, care homes and student housing
Province-wide (incl. Vancouver Island)
Budget 2026 capped capital spending at $38 billion over three years, reducing 2026 capital spending to $18.7 billion from a forecast $20.4 billion and declining to $16.1 billion by 2028. Delayed projects include seven long-term care facilities, Burnaby Hospital Phase 2, the BC Cancer Burnaby McCarthy Centre and UVic student housing. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey said: "These are not cancellations, this is a recognition that the province needs to strategically resequence projects to address fiscal pressures."
VALUE
$18.7B capital in 2026, down from $20.4B forecast; $16.1B by 2028
Nanaimo cancels Hammond Bay/Brickyard roundabout after cost jumps from $550K to over $800K
Nanaimo (Hammond Bay Road at Brickyard Road)
Nanaimo's finance and audit committee was told on June 17, 2026 that the planned roundabout at Hammond Bay and Brickyard roads would not proceed. Costs had risen from a February 2026 estimate of $550,000 to more than $800,000. Engineering director Paul Rosen said the city still believes the roundabout is good infrastructure but "we don't believe enough value is there." Mayor Leonard Krog called cancelling it the sensible position. About $350,000 from the active-transportation budget will be redirected.
VALUE
$550,000 original estimate; $800,000+ revised
TIMING
Cost re-estimated February 2026; cancelled June 17, 2026
Nanaimo puts $3.3M Millstone trunk sewer upgrade on hold after tenders came in near double budget
Nanaimo (East Wellington to Westwood)
The City of Nanaimo has paused the Millstone Trunk Sanitary Sewer upgrade after tender bids came in at nearly double the roughly $3.3-million budget. The project would replace about one kilometre of 600 mm asbestos cement pipe with 900 mm capacity. Engineering manager Philip Stewart told the finance and audit committee on July 15, 2026 that agricultural land reserve restrictions complicated permitting and soil handling, and the shallow, flood-prone pipe location required costly anti-flotation measures. Staff will run a value-engineering exercise over the summer and re-budget in the 2027–2031 financial plan.
VALUE
~$3.3 million budget; bids near double
TIMING
Paused July 2026; re-budgeting expected in 2027–2031 financial plan
BuildForce forecast: Vancouver Island residential construction employment to fall 15% by 2035
Vancouver Island / province-wide
BuildForce Canada's B.C. forecast projects residential construction employment declining 13% province-wide by 2035 versus 2025, with housing starts falling sharply in the earliest years of the outlook and single-detached hit hardest. On Vancouver Island specifically, residential employment is projected to fall 15%, while non-residential employment stays roughly flat as ICI gains offset engineering-construction losses. BuildForce also flags a need for 48,200 additional workers against 46,700 retirements by 2035 — a projected 7,400-worker deficit.
TIMING
2025–2035 forecast; non-residential investment peaks 2027
ICBA survey: B.C. contractors now scrambling for work, not workers
Province-wide
The Independent Contractors and Businesses Association's 2026 outlook survey found securing new projects is contractors' top challenge for the first time, cited by 46%, ahead of declining margins (42%) and people shortages (39%). One in five expect less work in 2026, forecasting an average 25% decline; 23% have made or plan layoffs, averaging 22.5% of workforce. On residential, 34% expect the slowdown to persist and 28% expect it to worsen, against 12% expecting improvement. ICBA president Chris Gardner: "Contractors are no longer scrambling for workers, they're scrambling for work."
Province lets developers defer 75% of development charges to occupancy, then widens DCC waiver powers
Province-wide
Effective January 1, 2026, B.C. allows developers to pay 25% of development charges at permit approval and defer the remaining 75% to occupancy or up to four years, whichever comes first — replacing rules in place since 1984 that required one-third up front and full payment within two years. Bonds may now be used instead of irrevocable letters of credit. On April 1, 2026 the province went further, introducing amendments letting local governments and TransLink reduce or waive DCCs for additional project categories to be set by future regulation, stating the goal is to lower upfront costs "in today's uncertain economic environment."
TIMING
Deferral in force Jan 1, 2026; expanded waiver amendments introduced April 2026, categories via future regulation
Approved 102-unit Nanaimo apartment faces environmental challenge over blasting beside rare fen; city says it cannot pause the project
Nanaimo (3400 Barrington Rd., Rock City area)
A development permit approved in January 2026 for a six-storey, 102-unit residential building at 3400 Barrington Rd. is under public challenge after new ecological information emerged about an adjacent peatland fen — the rarest wetland type in the province. Critics say removal of roughly 437 trees plus extensive bedrock blasting and excavation would disturb the wetland's water flows. Nanaimo planning and development director Jeremy Holm said the city has no ability to pause the project at this stage and the developer is working through building permitting while providing additional information.
TIMING
Development permit approved January 2026; building permit in process as of July 2026
National construction costs still climbing as tariffs and labour shortages bite
Canada (incl. B.C.)
Statistics Canada's Building Construction Price Index for Q1 2026 shows residential construction costs up 0.6% and non-residential up 0.5% quarter over quarter, with year-over-year growth across the 15 surveyed CMAs of 2.8% residential and 3.6% non-residential. StatCan attributed the pattern to subdued demand for new projects, ongoing material sourcing constraints and persistent skilled labour shortages, and noted steel tariffs introduced in 2025 contributed to price pressure in metal-related divisions.
Victoria council pauses $12.1M Centennial Square revitalization amid budget squeeze
Victoria (Centennial Square)
Victoria council voted 8-1 to pause the redesign of Centennial Square as it sought savings in the 2026 budget. The $12.1-million project had already been trimmed by $2.5 million to free funding for the city's Community Wellness and Safety initiative. Mayor Marianne Alto said residents had signalled more pressing priorities such as public safety. Councillor Jeremy Caradonna, the lone vote against, argued delay would only drive costs up. The city had already spent about $750,000 on design work by DIALOG since the project began in 2018.
VALUE
$12.1 million (reduced by $2.5M); ~$750,000 already spent on design
B.C. investing $56.5 million to resurface Vancouver Island highways in 2026
Vancouver Island-wide (Nanaimo, Duncan, Comox Valley, Campbell River, Parksville-Qualicum)
The Province announced $102.5 million for 2026 highway resurfacing across the south coast, of which $56.5 million is allocated to Vancouver Island. Named packages are Highway 19 Duke Point Highway plus Nanaimo-area side roads (33 km), Highway 1 from Drinkwater Road to Chemainus River Bridge plus Tzouhalem Road and West Shawnigan Lake Road (23 km), Highway 19A at Royston Road plus Campbell River-area side roads (28 km), and Highway 19 passing lanes between Craig's Crossing and Buckley Bay (54 km). Work runs through summer and fall 2026 with reduced speeds and delays in active zones.
VALUE
$56.5 million (Vancouver Island share of $102.5 million south coast total)
Duke Point Terminal expansion under construction at Port of Nanaimo
Duke Point, Nanaimo
DP World broke ground on an expansion of the Duke Point deep-sea terminal that nearly doubles berth length from 182 metres to 325 metres and raises annual cargo-handling capacity to 280,000 TEUs. The scope includes a 26,000 sq ft covered pulp storage area and replacement of the existing diesel quay crane with two fully electric cranes. Public funding confirmed in the release is $46.2 million from the federal National Trade Corridors Fund and $15 million from B.C.'s Regional Port Enhancement Program.
VALUE
$46.2M federal (NTCF) + $15M Province; total project value not stated in the release
Province shelves Goldstream median barrier widening on the Malahat
Highway 1, Goldstream Provincial Park, Malahat (Langford/Cowichan)
On Feb. 5, 2026 the Province announced it is not proceeding with the Goldstream median barrier widening project, citing the need for additional analysis of environmental impacts in a sensitive area of Goldstream Park. Funding previously earmarked for the work will be reallocated to other transportation priorities. Flexible centreline delineators remain in place, and the ministry will update its Highway 1 Malahat Safety Review, including crash data, later in 2026.
VALUE
Not stated in the release
TIMING
Cancelled Feb. 2026; Malahat safety review update due later in 2026
New Highway 1 bus-on-shoulder lanes open at Colquitz River Bridges
Highway 1 at Burnside Road, Saanich (between Tillicum Road and McKenzie Interchange)
One new bus-on-shoulder lane opened in each direction on Highway 1 at the Colquitz River Bridges as of May 19, 2026. The $33.5-million project ($23.5M provincial, $10M federal) also included seismic upgrades to the bridges, new drainage systems and native vegetation restoration. More than 300 buses a day use the corridor.
The Province is converting and widening 3.7 km of Highway 1 between the McKenzie and Colwood interchanges for continuous northbound and southbound bus-on-shoulder lanes, plus new active-transportation bridges and RapidBus stops at key interchanges. The budget is $95 million ($67M B.C., $28M Canada). Construction started March 20, 2025 and is anticipated complete in late fall 2027. Rock blasting east of the Helmcken Interchange was scheduled to resume mid-to-late July 2026 for roughly six to eight weeks, with nightly westbound lane closures.
VALUE
$95 million ($67M B.C. / $28M Canada)
TIMING
March 2025 to late fall 2027; blasting phase July-September 2026
Highway 14 Idlemore Road intersection upgrade heading to tender in August 2026
Highway 14 at Idlemore Road, Sooke
The Province is planning a new signalized four-way intersection on Highway 14 at Idlemore Road with pedestrian crosswalks, about 700 metres of asphalt resurfacing, shoulder widening, curb and gutter with paved sidewalks, left-turn slots, a parent parking lot for Saseenos Elementary drop-off, improved school bus access and upgraded transit stops. The project page lists tender scheduled for August 2026 with construction beginning fall 2026.
Seven Vancouver Island paving and bridge packages listed on BC Bid
Nanaimo, Duncan, Campbell River, Comox, Qualicum, Port Alberni, North Cowichan, Salt Spring Island
The ministry's unofficial tender documents page currently lists multiple Vancouver Island packages, including Project 17256-2026 (Central Island Nanaimo area, Hwy 19 and side roads, 90 lane km), 17251-2026 (Duncan area, Hwy 1, W. Shawnigan Lake Rd and Tzouhalem Rd, 59 lane km), 17258-2026 (North Island, Hwy 19A Royston Rd, Oyster River and Comox side roads, 54 lane km), 17260-2026 (Qualicum area, Hwy 19 hot-in-place, 108.4 lane km), 17188-2026 (Salmonberry Bridge No. 07982, Pacific Marine Road km 33), 17206-0000 (Hwy 1 North Cowichan median fencing, James St to Beverly St) and 17148-0000 (Devine Dr, Salt Spring Island slope failure).
BC Ferries building new lay-by berth at Crofton, repairs at Vesuvius
Crofton (North Cowichan) and Vesuvius (Salt Spring Island)
BC Ferries began construction in May 2026 on a new lay-by berth at Crofton to support anticipated two-ship service, along with utility upgrades and maintenance to the existing berth and trestle. Vesuvius terminal gets repairs and upgrades to its existing berth and trestle structures. The project timeline shows utility upgrades and lay-by berth construction through spring-summer 2026, with trestle and berth repairs running fall 2026 to summer 2027. Two new Island Class vessels on the route are expected to add 20 per cent capacity.
VALUE
Not disclosed
TIMING
Construction began May 2026; completion anticipated summer 2027
Nanaimo Harbour and Descanso Bay ferry terminal upgrades and electrification wrapping up
Nanaimo Harbour and Descanso Bay (Gabriola Island)
BC Ferries is completing berth life-extension work and vehicle-loading improvements at Nanaimo Harbour and Descanso Bay, including a new wider apron with a relocated hinge point at Gabriola to improve low-tide loading. A separate terminal electrification project supporting Island Class battery-hybrid vessels is expected to have electrical upgrades complete in July 2026. As of the July 22, 2026 update, Nanaimo Harbour work was nearing completion, with the marine contractor returning late July to mid-August for deficiency work, and Gabriola construction due to finish mid-to-late July.
$165M Departure Bay pump station and forcemain expansion begins staging in Nanaimo
Hammond Bay Road, Nanaimo
The RDN and City of Nanaimo are proceeding with the Departure Bay Pump Station and Forcemain Expansion Project, estimated at more than $165 million. It installs four kilometres of new sewer forcemain along Hammond Bay Road from the pump station at Departure Bay Beach to the wastewater treatment plant on McGuffie Road, plus pump station renewal. The existing system is over 50 years old and carries about 75 per cent of Nanaimo's wastewater. Early off-roadway work is set for summer 2026, with major construction from early 2027 through 2031.
VALUE
More than $165 million
TIMING
Off-road work summer 2026; major construction early 2027 to 2031
Campbell River awards $5.78M Erickson Road renewal to Windley Contracting
Erickson Road, Campbell River
Campbell River council approved a $5.78-million tender to Windley Contracting on March 12, 2026 for Phase 1 of the Erickson Road Renewal project. The work replaces watermain and storm sewer along about 1.1 kilometres from west of Nature Park Drive to the Larwood Creek crossing, removes outdated asbestos pipe, installs new hydrants, valves and manholes, and adds pedestrian sidewalks. Construction was set to start early-to-mid May 2026 with completion later in 2026. The project is funded from the city's 2026 financial plan.
VALUE
$5.78 million
TIMING
Council award March 12, 2026; construction May 2026 to late 2026
Knappett Industries building Third Street-Fitzwilliam utility and complete-street upgrade in Nanaimo
Third Street and Fitzwilliam Street corridor, Nanaimo
The City of Nanaimo awarded the Third Street-Fitzwilliam corridor renewal to Knappett Industries Ltd. The project replaces aging watermains and sanitary sewers, adds a rain garden beside Cat Stream and other stormwater features, and rebuilds the surface with raised cycling lanes and sidewalks on both sides of Third Street. Intersections at Howard, Watfield and Georgia avenues get new crosswalks and pedestrian signals, and the Pine Street intersection is being reconstructed. Construction began November 2025 and is expected to finish late fall 2026.
CRD installing 3 km large-diameter watermain along East Saanich Road
East Saanich Road, Central Saanich to North Saanich
The CRD is installing a large-diameter water supply main along an approximately three-kilometre corridor from East Saanich Road at Wallace Road in Central Saanich north to Dean Park Road, then west to a CRD reservoir near Griggs Terrace. Local distribution mains and service connections are being replaced at the same time. Pipe installation started the week of January 26, 2026 at the south end; work in North Saanich was anticipated from the week of June 22 through October, with roughly six to eight months of construction activity and testing and tie-ins running through the end of 2026.
Federal-municipal funding confirmed for Saanich's Brett sewer lift station and forcemain upgrade
District of Saanich (Greater Victoria)
Ottawa announced $1,290,000 through the Build Communities Strong Fund - Direct Delivery stream toward the Brett Sewer Lift Station and Forcemain Upgrade, with the District of Saanich contributing $1,935,000 for a total project value of $3,225,000. The work covers detailed design, decommissioning of the existing lift station and construction of a modern replacement facility with increased capacity. The project begins in 2026-27.
VALUE
$3,225,000 total ($1.29M federal, $1.935M District of Saanich)
Greater Victoria Harbour Authority cancels Ogden Point shore power project
Ogden Point, Victoria
GVHA cancelled its long-planned shore power installation at the Ogden Point cruise terminal after a feasibility study found the project was not financially viable. Three scenarios were priced between $92.5 million and $159 million; even the cheapest required a large electrical substation and a 7.5-kilometre power cable extension from Topaz Park to Ogden Point. Against $31.5 million committed by Transport Canada and the B.C. Ministry of Transportation, GVHA faced a $61-million shortfall it said it could not fund as a self-financed non-profit without compromising assets including the breakwater, Lower Causeway and Fisherman's Wharf.
Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District advances push for an alternative highway to Port Alberni
Port Alberni / Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District
The ACRD board voted to carry forward three alternative highway route options: Routes 1A and 1B via Bamfield Main Road and Nitinat (129-149 km from Port Alberni) and Route 4, the Haggard Connector via Horne Lake connecting to Highway 19 north of Qualicum Beach. The district budgeted $75,000 for lobbying, to be spent only once consensus is reached on a preferred route among municipalities, First Nations and stakeholders. Board chair John Jack said the region is not yet united behind one option; director Mike Sparrow said the ministry has indicated a preference for 1A and 1B.
VALUE
$75,000 budgeted for lobbying (no construction budget exists)
TIMING
Consensus-building phase in 2026; no construction timeline
CRD commits decade-old $1.7M reserve to Island Rail Corridor feasibility work
Victoria to Courtenay corridor (Capital Regional District lead)
The CRD board agreed on March 11, 2026 to direct $1.7 million — grown from $1.2 million collected between 2013 and 2015 — to the Island Reconciliation Corridor Initiative. The money is intended to fund project coordination, a full technical feasibility study and efforts to secure federal contributions. The corridor runs just under 300 kilometres between Victoria and Courtenay with connections to Parksville, Port Alberni and the Nanaimo waterfront. The initiative, announced in December 2025, is exploring passenger rail between Victoria and Langford under Esquimalt and Songhees leadership.
Courtenay opens Arden active transportation bridge
Courtenay, Comox Valley
The City of Courtenay opened the Arden Active Transportation Bridge on July 15, 2026, connecting the First Street and Lake Trail Road cycling and pedestrian corridors. Planning began in 2023 and the bridge was completed ahead of the 2026/2027 school year. Construction was funded from the city's approved annual Cycling Network budget.
Nanaimo Airport borrows for the first time to fund runway and terminal program
Cassidy, Nanaimo Airport (YCD)
Nanaimo Airport secured a $7.2-million federal grant against a $14.2-million request and took on $7 million in borrowing — the first in its history — to advance infrastructure work, with debt repayment expected within five years. Completed work includes runway approach lighting, runway, taxiway and apron improvements; the lighting upgrade lowered the minimum descent altitude from 441 feet to 250 feet and eliminated weather cancellations in the Jan. 23 to Feb. 24 window. Planned work includes a terminal expansion with larger departure and arrivals areas, more airline counters, expanded baggage handling and border services capacity for about 170 passengers. Passenger traffic is roughly 375,000 a year against a 2019 peak of 491,000.
VALUE
$7.2 million federal grant; $7 million airport borrowing
TIMING
Recent work complete; terminal expansion planned, no fixed date
Quw'utsun Valley Hospital reaches 90% construction complete in North Cowichan
North Cowichan / Duncan, Cowichan Valley
The 204-bed replacement for Cowichan District Hospital is 90% built, with the exterior structure largely complete and interior fit-out and landscaping underway. The Province puts the regional investment at $1.4 billion. It will have seven operating rooms and a 45-bed emergency department, and is described as B.C.'s first fully electric hospital, built to LEED Gold.
VALUE
$1.4 billion (Province's stated regional health investment)
TIMING
Construction anticipated complete by end of 2026; patient opening mid-2027
Victoria General Hospital to build $75.6M energy centre, construction starting summer 2026
Victoria (View Royal), Capital Region
Island Health announced a new energy centre at Victoria General Hospital to modernize and strengthen the hospital's power systems and support future campus growth. The Province, through Island Health, is contributing $52.9 million and the Capital Regional Hospital District $22.7 million.
Port Hardy Hospital gets $45M upgrade, construction to start summer 2026
Port Hardy, North Vancouver Island
The Province announced $45 million in upgrades to Port Hardy Hospital, including an emergency department expansion with a building extension and ambulance canopy, long-term care conversion rooms, a sacred space and Indigenous health office, expanded maternity and laboratory services, a morgue expansion and added parking. Funding is $39M provincial, $5M Island Health and $1M from the Regional Hospital District of Mount Waddington.
VALUE
$45 million
TIMING
Construction anticipated to start summer 2026, phased over roughly three years, complete late 2029
Island Health starts concept planning for a new Nanaimo hospital patient tower
Nanaimo
Island Health has begun developing a concept plan for expansion of the Nanaimo Regional General Hospital campus, including a new patient tower and enhanced cardiac and acute care services, alongside an integrated care plan. No dollar figure or construction timeline has been announced; the province described it as a first planning step.
TIMING
Concept planning stage as of February 2026; no construction date announced
Construction underway on $311M BC Cancer centre at Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
Nanaimo
Construction started in October 2025 on a new BC Cancer centre on the NRGH site, funded at approximately $311 million by the Province through Island Health, the Nanaimo Regional Hospital District and a $10 million BC Cancer Foundation contribution. The centre will include four linear accelerator vaults, a CT simulator, a PET/CT scanner and an oncology ambulatory care unit, and is expected to open in 2028. Related parking works include a new surface lot and a three-storey parkade.
Camosun College breaks ground on $154.7M, 429-bed student residence at Lansdowne campus
Victoria / Oak Bay, Capital Region
Camosun College held a groundbreaking on 1 June 2026 for a six-storey, 429-bed residence at its Lansdowne campus on the Oak Bay side along Foul Bay Road — the college's first student housing. The Province is contributing $151.7 million and Camosun $3 million. The building targets LEED Platinum and includes study rooms, lounges, a coffee shop and crisis accommodation space.
VALUE
$154.7 million
TIMING
Under construction as of June 2026; opening expected early 2029 (originally targeted fall 2027)
$220M, 2,000-seat secondary school announced for north Langford; construction targeted for 2027
Langford, West Shore (SD62 Sooke)
The Province announced a new secondary school in north Langford with 2,000 student spaces at a cost of nearly $220 million, including science labs, a gym and theatre, and EV-ready parking, designed for roughly 91% lower carbon emissions than a typical LEED Gold building. Construction is expected to start in 2027.
VALUE
Nearly $220 million
TIMING
Announced October 2025; construction expected to start 2027
Snuneymuxw members vote to open te'tuxwtun reserve lands in Nanaimo to mixed-use development
Nanaimo (Fifth Street / Wakesiah Avenue, adjacent to VIU)
In a 9 May 2026 vote, Snuneymuxw First Nation members approved a mixed-use designation for more than 41 hectares of the te'tuxwtun reserve lands at Fifth Street and Wakesiah Avenue, part of a roughly 78-hectare holding near Vancouver Island University. Permitted uses include housing, commercial, institutional, light industrial, recreation and parks. Petroglyph Development Group will lease the land and sublease parcels to businesses and developers.
TIMING
Land-use designation approved May 2026; no construction timeline announced
Rivers Edge: $80M, 200-unit rental development under construction on Cowichan Tribes land in Duncan
Duncan (222 Cowichan Way), Cowichan Valley
Khowutzun Development Corporation is building Rivers Edge, two six-storey buildings totalling 200 rental homes on Cowichan Tribes reserve land in Duncan, with commercial space, a cafe, underground parkade and community amenities. The Canada Infrastructure Bank provided an $8.9 million loan specifically for enabling infrastructure — site preparation, utility upgrades and connections, roads and streetscaping, and EV charging.
VALUE
$8.9 million CIB enabling-infrastructure loan; development widely reported at ~$80 million total
TIMING
Under construction; occupancy reported as targeted for fall 2026
Malahat Nation water and wastewater build backed by $57.8M Canada Infrastructure Bank loan
Malahat / Mill Bay corridor, South Cowichan
The Canada Infrastructure Bank is financing replacement of Malahat Nation's water treatment plant and construction of a new wastewater treatment system. The CIB reports the project is under construction and will enable roughly 350 new homes plus commercial development, with an estimated 470 direct and indirect jobs and $55 million in GDP during construction.
VALUE
$57.8 million CIB loan (CIB project page lists $57.6 million including $900,000 in acceleration funding)
TIMING
Financial close reached 2025; under construction, 27-year loan term
Songhees and Esquimalt Nations form G3V with Pomerleau to chase major Greater Victoria infrastructure
Esquimalt / Greater Victoria
Songhees Development Corporation, Esquimalt Nation and Pomerleau announced Group of 3 Ventures Limited Partnership (G3V), a majority Indigenous-owned business targeting major infrastructure in Lekwungen territory. Its first focus is defence infrastructure, starting with environmental remediation supporting the Department of National Defence's A Jetty Project in Esquimalt, delivered with Defence Construction Canada.
TIMING
Announced July 2026; first work is A Jetty environmental remediation
Province's Community Housing Fund pause kills or stalls four Cowichan affordable-housing projects
Duncan / North Cowichan / Chemainus, Cowichan Valley
After the Province indefinitely paused its $3.3-billion Community Housing Fund in the February 2026 budget, a 69-unit six-storey affordable housing project on Dobson Road in Duncan (with commercial space and ground-floor daycare) was cancelled. A 58-unit development on the Chemainus Elementary School site is on hold, two transitional housing sites on Trunk Road in North Cowichan were shelved, and a 28-unit project on Vian Street for adults with disabilities is affected.
TIMING
Fund paused February 2026; project cancellations reported May 2026
North Cowichan's 2026 capital program: child care centres, trunk main and road rebuilds
North Cowichan (Duncan, Crofton, Chemainus, Genoa Bay)
North Cowichan's major projects list shows several active or imminent capital jobs: the Kingsview Child Care Facility ($18,047,176, design through early 2026 with construction in 2026), the Crofton Eagles Nest Child Care Centre ($5.44 million, tendering for construction in 2026), the Boys Road Trunk Main Replacement ($11.4 million), Canada Avenue Utility and Road Upgrades Phase 2 (25 May 2026 to spring 2027, coordinated with the City of Duncan), and Genoa Bay Road Rehabilitation ($2.7 million, summer to late fall 2026).
VALUE
$18.0M Kingsview child care; $11.4M Boys Road trunk main; $5.44M Crofton child care; $2.7M Genoa Bay Road
Industrial land shortage is choking Island manufacturers, economic summit hears
Vancouver Island (summit reporting, Nanaimo and south Island focus)
At an Island economic summit, Nanaimo-based VMAC Global Technology described millions of dollars of equipment sitting in storage while it waited on permitting and industrial space to expand. Speakers said zoning bylaws written in the 1980s no longer match modern industrial needs, and cited one permitting process that took 3.5 years for a 5,000-square-foot building addition. Speakers included Acciano Development, Island View Land Management and Vancouver Island University.
Royal BC Museum PARC Campus nearing opening in Colwood's Royal Bay; Maple Reinders built it
Colwood (Royal Bay), Capital Region
The Province awarded Maple Reinders Constructors Ltd. a $204.8-million design-build contract for the Royal BC Museum collections and research building in Colwood, part of a roughly $270-million total project. The 15,200-square-metre (164,000 sq ft) mass-timber, LEED Gold facility sits on an eight-acre Royal Bay site and will house over seven million artifacts plus the BC Archives. It is now named the Royal BC Museum PARC Campus, with construction completion anticipated late 2025 and public opening in 2026.
VALUE
$204.8 million contract; ~$270 million total project
TIMING
Construction began 2023; completion anticipated late 2025, public opening 2026
306-bed Western Communities long-term care home under construction in Colwood
Colwood (Royal Bay, near Metchosin Road and Latoria Boulevard), Capital Region
The Province's health capital projects page lists the Western Communities long-term care home in Colwood as under construction, with 306 beds including hospice and a specialized brain-injury unit. Earlier announcements put the project at $224 million ($157M provincial, $69M Capital Regional Hospital District), laid out as three-storey buildings in a village format with an adult day program and 37 child care spaces.
VALUE
$224 million (per 2023 announcements)
TIMING
Listed as under construction; earlier announcements targeted a 2027 opening
Nanaimo Aquatic Centre closing for $13.4M upgrade through 2026
Nanaimo (741 Third Street)
The City of Nanaimo is upgrading the Nanaimo Aquatic Centre with a new accessible water feature and splash play elements, replacement of end-of-life HVAC equipment serving the pool hall, and a guest services renovation. Total project budget is $13.4 million, including $3.9 million from the provincial and federal governments.
VALUE
$13.4 million (incl. $3.9M provincial/federal)
TIMING
On-site work began March 2026; full facility closure 20 July to 4 October 2026, reopening 5 October; construction wrapping up through early 2027
Snaw-Naw-As First Nation buys 13.5 acres for a farm and food-processing hub near Nanoose
Nanoose Bay area, central Vancouver Island
Snaw-Naw-As First Nation, through its Nanoose Economic Development Master Limited Partnership, purchased a 13.5-acre property to build a community food security and farm hub combining greenhouse and field production, orchard agriculture, food processing and eco-tourism. Island Coastal Economic Trust contributed $200,000 through its Capital and Innovation program. Development was expected to start in March 2026.
VALUE
$200,000 Island Coastal Economic Trust contribution (total project value not stated)
35 Indigenous affordable homes open in Port Alberni's Citaapi Mahtii development
Port Alberni (4210 Cedarwood Street), Alberni Valley
A four-storey wood-frame building at 4210 Cedarwood Street in Port Alberni delivered 35 affordable rental homes, from studios to four-bedroom units, primarily for Ahousaht First Nation members. The site includes a playground, outdoor gathering space and a cultural centre. BC Housing contributed $6.4 million ($4.2M from the Building BC Community Housing Fund plus a $2.2M cost-pressure grant) and nearly $460,000 in annual operating funding; the City of Port Alberni provided land valued at about $600,000.
