A new, 12-storey rental building being built on Quadra Street has caused contention between those neighbouring the construction and the development company.
Aryze Developments began building the ‘Estoya’ on the corner of Fisgard and Quadra Streets in October 2024, first beginning with the demolition of the former building on the site.
Just two months prior, one new resident, Alannah Moscardelli, moved in across the street unaware the area would be subject to such a large development.
As a student, Moscardelli says that the noise has been impacting her studies and her mental health throughout the process, but she understood the city needs more housing, so she tried her best to deal with the circumstances.
“So I like my sleep,” Moscardelli told Victoria Buzz, “It’s a huge reason why this has been so disturbing.”
In October 2025, as the new building began to be erected, she says that she started noticing the noise earlier and earlier.
Moscardelli then researched the permissible times for construction work, as per the City of Victoria’s bylaws, and realized that workers were often beginning before they were allowed to.
In Victoria, construction can only take place between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. on weekdays, and between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturdays.
As she was fed up and wanted nothing more than compliance with the City’s bylaws, Moscardelli reported the company to Victoria Bylaw Services as early as October 11th, 2025.
She then carefully documented 17 occasions in which the Aryze site was starting work well before the permissible timeframe. These incidents were documented over the span of just two months since her initial complaint.
On one occasion, November 26th, workers started at 4:15 a.m., and frequently started working around 7 a.m. on Saturdays, which Moscardelli says impacted her sleep significantly.
“Of course being woken up at 4 a.m. is discombobulating and it’s maddening when I’ve been trying to go through this process to have it stopped,” she said.
November 26th was also the day that the Bylaw Services contacted Moscardelli to let her know that after over a month, an officer had been assigned to her complaint and began investigating the matter.
“Unfortunately, due to a backlog of cases and limited resources, we are unable to immediately investigate all complaints,” wrote Michael Alton, Operations Supervisor for Bylaw Services in an email to Moscardelli.
“As a result, we prioritize cases based on the health and safety risks they pose to the public.”
Since a bylaw officer was assigned, the City has confirmed that eight fines have been issued to Aryze Developments, along with several warnings.
According to the City’s Noise Bylaw fine schedule, each of these fines would cost $350, or $300 if paid within 30 days.
Aryze’s response
Aryze Developments sent Victoria Buzz a statement in which they confirmed that Bylaw Services had identified instances in which construction was taking place outside of the permissible hours.
They noted that the issues have been addressed and corrective action has been taken to ensure compliance.
“Measures implemented include reinforcing approved work hours with all trades, strengthening on-site oversight and introducing additional noise monitoring,” wrote a spokesperson for Aryze in a statement.
“These expectations are now firmly in place.”
The last documented instance of work being conducted outside of the permissible hours was Saturday, January 10th.
Victoria’s Noise Bylaw
As this situation was developing, Victoria launched a public engagement campaign to see that the current Noise Bylaw is updated.
The Noise Bylaw sets standards to limit excessive noise from various activities, including construction, industry, hospitality, events and private waste collection.
However, the City’s noise regulations do not apply to all sounds and noises.
Some noises that are not covered by the scope of the bylaw are those from seaplanes, helicopters, emergency vehicles and cruise ships.
To make the soon-to-be revised bylaw work best for the people of Victoria, City staff has launched a survey that will help inform changes made to the current bylaw.
The City has launched both a community survey and business survey, which will be available online until January 31st.
Find the survey or more information on the Noise Bylaw online, here.
