Victoria approves asking Province for update on former Bastion Square courthouse

In this week’s committee of the whole meeting, Victoria Councillor Susan Kim brought forth a motion that would seek answers from the BC government on the status of the former courthouse in Bastion Square. 

The historic building was constructed in 1889 and served as Victoria’s first courthouse. It operated until 1962, when the new Provincial Law Courts building was finished on Burdett Avenue. 

After the court operations moved, the Maritime Museum of BC moved in and was in the former courthouse from 1965 until 2014. 

The building has been vacant and boarded up since 2015.

Related:

• Then and now: Get to know the past, present and future of Bastion Square’s courthouse (PHOTOS) 

• Victoria councillor seeks update on future of Bastion Square’s former courthouse 

Councillor Kim and the Bastion Square Revitalization Association are worried that the building’s lack of formal protection and public access could lead to “demolition by neglect.”  

“If this building were owned by a private landlord, something likely would have been done already, but because it’s owned by the Province, we haven’t really had that conversation,” said Kim. 

“You could argue that the Province is acting like a derelict landlord.”

The building is a heritage registered building provincially and is a national historic site, but is not currently protected from demolition because it has not been registered as a provincial historic site. 

In 2023, Victoria Buzz was told by the Ministry of Citizen’s Services that the cost of repairs was the main reason the building had been unoccupied for nearly 10 years.

The repair cost to have the building be accessible again would need to include a complete seismic/structural update. 

The Province said in 2023 that their goal was to revitalize 28 Bastion Square in a way that could deliver the best value to the government and the people of BC; however, nothing has been done since then. 

Councillor Kim’s motion sought to have Mayor Marianne Alto write to the Province for an update on the building’s future and to push them for progress on its revitalization. 

During the discussion, all city councillors spoke to the history of the building and how important it is to Victoria’s story. 

“This building is a very, very important building,” said Councillor Marg Gardiner. “This building cannot be lost, there’s so much history in it.”

The motion was passed unanimously on Thursday, June 11th.