
If you’ve ever been to Victoria in British Columbia, then you’ll probably agree with me that it’s one of the prettiest in Western Canada. I was struck by the serenity of the Inner Harbor, the majesty of the famed Empress Hotel overlooking it, the quaintness of the shops, and the beauty of its flowers and gardens.
Some of those very things are what the developers behind the Victoria International Marina and Port Victoria Yacht Club are banking on bringing them business. Opening next year, the marina is being developed specifically to attract the megayacht set, up to 135 feet LOA, and to heighten the vibrancy of Victoria Harbour.

In fact, the location, on the Songhees waterfront (named for the aboriginal people who settled there in the 1800s), was set aside purposely by the governments of Canada and British Columbia as well as the city of Victoria with the original Songhees developers. The illustrations here show what the Victoria International Marina developers have in mind: two symmetrical buildings, each resembling a yacht heading out to sea, flanking the 48-slip marina. Even the rooflines feature creative nautical design: When viewed from above, they’ll look like propellers.
Besides housing the yacht club, the buildings will boast a restaurant and lounge, a coffee house, ship’s store, and a concierge service. Even better, one will also be home to Canada’s first International SeaKeepers Society ocean-monitoring station. A kiosk will permit yacht owners, crew, and the general public to see video of ocean life and learn about the problems facing the health of the ocean, what scientists are doing to learn about them and combat them, and how they can get involved.
Leave a Reply