Headlines News
New Victoria Fire Department headquarters officially opens

April 26, 2023, Victoria – The City of Victoria’s new state-of-the-art, post-seismic Victoria Fire Department headquarters is officially open. The 3,762 square-metre downtown facility replaces the 2,480 square-metre former Fire and Rescue headquarters that has served Victoria since 1959.

The new public safety facility meets B.C. Building Code standards for buildings designed to remain operable post disaster. This means it was built to a seismic design load that is significantly higher than typical buildings.

The new public safety building is one of the largest mixed-used fire hall developments of its kind in Canada that combines affordable housing and fire department operations. The fire hall is part of a new 12-storey, mixed-use development that includes 130 units of purpose-built, affordable homes for low and moderate-income seniors, families and individuals.

The city owns the first three levels of the building where the Victoria Fire Department operates. In addition, B.C. Emergency Health Services will occupy 297 square metres of space to operate a stand-alone, two-ambulance bay, downtown location for paramedics under a planned 20-year lease agreement.