Royal Bay is an idyllic oceanside neighbourhood in the municipality of Colwood. The entire community was planned from scratch not long ago, complete with a park system and retail village at the heart, walkable streets, and thoughtfully built modern homes. But the highlight of Royal Bay is the West Coast lifestyle – urban comfort mixed with scenic landscapes. Royal Bay’s backyard features panoramic views of downtown Victoria, the Salish Sea, and the Olympic Mountain range.
In this article, we’re going to explore the history of Royal Bay, plans for the future, and the recent progress that’s been made to make this neighbourhood so desirable.
The History of Royal Bay
Before all the development, Royal Bay was known was Producer’s Pit, one of the area’s largest industrial sites and employers since 1910. Sand and gravel were extracted here for local construction needs and sold to nearby cities and states, an operation that produced 20,000 tonnes of aggregate per day at it’s peak.
In the 1960’s, remains of a wooly mammoth – a towering creature long extinct, were found in the gravel pit. The remains were rescued, part of which now live in the collection at the Royal BC Museum.
Producer’s Pit was decommissioned by the owner in 2007. The space was an eyesore for decades, while sitting on a beautiful piece of land just next to the ocean. It was time for Colwood to expand. By this time, plans were in place to build a charming West Coast neighbourhood complete with schools, parks, retails spaces, and modern homes.
Royal Bay Development Progress
A lot has happened in the past 15 years. Royal Bay has gone from being an industrial pit zone with sky-high piles of sand and gravel to an idyllic and highly desirable seaside community. Here are some of the development highlights in recent years:
Royal Bay Secondary School
The construction of Royal Bay Secondary School (RBSS) broke ground in Fall of 2013. Before opening two years later in the Fall of 2015, the price tag had reached $40 million. Today, the school is one of three secondary schools in School District 62 and has quickly become the second largest school on Vancouver Island behind only Belmont with 1,400 students.
In January of 2019, construction began on the Royal Bay expansion project. This $34 million expansion provided an additional 600 seats, 19 classrooms, 4 science labs, 2 digital animation rooms, gym, indoor turf field, 2 change rooms, 2 parking lots, and bus lane. When construction was finished in October of 2020, RBSS was the biggest on the Island.
Park Space
Royal Bay was designed with outdoor living top of mind. Greenways and pathways connect parks and residential streets, making park space extremely accessible for everyone. The Royal Bay development includes 80 acres of parkland and over 10km of trails, with Meadow Park at the centre. Here you’ll find a children’s play area, playground, a field, grassy picnic areas, and more.
The Commons Retail Village
The first retail complex, known as The Commons Retail Village, opened its doors in May of 2023 after breaking ground 2 years prior. The addition of this much-needed retail space provides convenience for Royal Bay residents, who previously would’ve had to leave the neighbourhood for groceries, restaurants, and basic services.
Pacific Capital Real Estate Group was the main development partner of GableCraft Homes for this project, which provided 76,000 sq. ft. of mixed-use space. Today you can find a range of services, restaurants, and other conveniences, such as:
Services
- Acera Insurance
- Next Level Childcare
- Scotiabank
- Royal Bay Dental Co.
- Pure Integrative Pharmacy
Groceries, Dining, & Liquor
- Cascadia Liquor
- Quality Foods
- Starbucks
- Noodlebox
- Barburrito
- Pizza Pizza
Modern Living
Since the Royal Bay development started in 2014, over 700 residences have been built. There are housing options for a range of different lifestyles, including single family homes, townhomes, and low and mid-rise condominiums. Homes feature quality design and finishes, but the highlight is the easy access to the ocean, plus stunning views of the city and mountains.
GableCraft Homes has built over 500 single-family homes in Royal Bay since its inception. An award-winning home builder known for green, energy-efficient homes, GableCraft has been a leader in the entire development. Other companies involved in the construction of Royal Bay residences include Pacific Capital Real Estate Group, Verity Construction, LIDA Homes, and District Group.
Future Plans for Royal Bay
Image credit to City of Colwood
Royal Bay has been an ambitious project, but its far from over. There are billions of dollars of development in planning, and it’s expected the population will skyrocket to roughly 22,700 people by 2028. Here’s a look at what’s to come:
Royal BC Museum
The Royal BC Museum is opening up a Royal Bay facility dedicated to collections, storage, and publicly accessible spaces and programs. Expected to open in 2026, the building complex will span 164,000 sq. ft. and ring in at around $270 million. Architect Michael Green us designing the space with mostly timber, and early artist renderings give off an ultra-modern appeal with plenty of public space.
Read the complete Royal BC Museum Service Plan through 2025.
Island Health Facility
Island Health is planning the construction of a long-term care facility in Royal Bay, complete with 306 beds. The facility will feature four 3-storey buildings in a village setting with a hair salon, bistro and coffee shop for residents’ use. This new seniors’ care facility comes with a price tag of $224 million, with the province chipping in for the majority. Completion is expected by the summer of 2026.
Royal Beach
Image credit to City of Colwood
In April of 2023, the Colwood Council approved the Royal Beach Parks Master Plan. Royal Beach will include nearly 50-acres of public parks and community amenities, plus 2,850 homes ranging from single-family houses and townhomes to 6- 12 story condominiums. Sitting on a 135-acre parcel of land, there is 1.4 kilometres of shoreline, which will make Royal Beach a beautiful place to live in the years to come.
Reliance Properties and Seacliff Properties will funnel $1.2 billion into the project in the coming years. At the centre of it all will be public plaza, pier, and amphitheater, which will help turn Royal Bay into a destination. And over the years, the new Royal Beach parks, greenspaces and trails will connect to the waterfront and to Royal Bay’s growing network. Soon enough, Royal Bay will be one of the most desirable areas in all of Victoria.
Read the complete Royal Beach Park Plan.
Elementary School
The Provincial government provide the Sooke School District with $8 million to purchase the land for a new elementary school at the north end of Royal Bay. This is great news for the fast-growing Royal Bay community made up of many families. The school will hold just under 500 students and is expected to complete in Fall of 2025.
Latoria South
The large parcel of undeveloped land next to existing Royal Bay is known as Latoria South. The City of Colwood approved the comprehensive plans in 2020, which include 2,100 new homes and an 80,000 sq. ft. retail village built by GableCraft Homes. Latoria South will divide into two major neighbourhoods – the Commons and the Quarry. Inside these neighbourhoods will be the elementary school mentioned previously, a fire hall, transit exchange, parks, and trails.
