FAQ

The timing, pace, and method of development of the Royal Bay community will follow a reasonable, market‐based approach. Build-out is anticipated within about 10 years, though development will be phased and the timing of each phase will be dependent on market conditions that support the planning and design of the community as well as on obtaining the appropriate City approvals.

Royal Bay is located on the west side of Metchosin Road and is owned by GableCraft Homes. Royal Beach is located between Metchosin Road and the waterfront and is owned by Seacliff Properties and Reliance Properties.

Spanning 158 acres, the land South of Latoria Boulevard is undergoing a massive transformation from a former gravel quarry into two distinct but interrelated neighbourhoods: the Quarry and the Commons, with over 2,000 new homes, parks and pathways, safe bike routes, an elementary school, and up to 190,000 sq.ft. of non-residential space, including a Cascadia liquor store, a Quality Foods grocery store, and other neighbourhood shops and services.

About 3000 homes of various types are planned for the Meadow, Commons, and Quarry neighbourhoods, including single-family, attached, townhomes, apartment condominium, and rental housing. 

The Commons and the Quarry are the next two neighbourhoods that are going to be completed as building in the Meadows wraps up.

The Commons is the mixed-use village centre of Royal Bay. The Quarry is primarily single-family and townhomes, along with the elementary school and significant parks and trails.

The Commons is a mixed-use neighbourhood at the centre of the community and will provide for commercial, residential, mixed-use developments, and potential institutional uses. Commons retail and commercial uses could range from 76,000 to about 190,000 sq. ft. based on market demand.

It includes:

• A neighbourhood retail village
• Quality Foods
• Cascadia Liquor
• Pure Pharmacy
• Starbucks
• Noodlebox
• Next Level Daycare
• Scotiabank
• Acera Insurance

Plans for the Quarry include:

• 800+ single-family and townhouses
• Seven acres for a 500-student elementary school
• New parks featuring a major community park with a sports and active recreation focus

A Future Frequent Transit Network Transit Exchange will be located at the north end of the Commons along Latoria Boulevard. This allows for a “loop system”—Latoria Boulevard / Metchosin Road / Ryder Hesjedal Way. The Transit Exchange will provide the Royal Bay community direct access to the regional network, reducing the need for single occupancy vehicle travel. Timing for transit service will be determined by BC Transit.

Future road network improvements are committed, with the developer funding extensive offsite improvements to the critical roads that access the community.

• 17 acres of the land south of Latoria Boulevard will be added to the already extensive network of neighbourhood parks, natural parkland, trails, and greenways
• Expanded network and eventual completion of the Perimeter Trail network
• A sports field and active recreation area are planned for Quarry Park
• Another large community playground will be included in Quarry Park
• Urban parks and green spaces will be included in the denser, more urban centre of Royal Bay in the Commons
• The community will benefit from renewal and restoration of these former industrial lands from a former mine site into vibrant community

Every day, more than 150 people work on site at Royal Bay, from almost 100 trade and supplier organizations. This is likely to grow two or three-fold as both commercial, institutional, and multi-unit residential construction joins single-family and townhouse construction programs. At the peak of development, it’s possible the site could host more than 500 direct construction jobs. Over the next five years, we could see up to 500 long-term employment jobs in the commercial, institutional, and civic uses planned for Royal Bay, with the first permanent jobs coming online in 2023.

An approximate annual $50 million is contributed directly into the local economy through direct spending on the housing and land development programs. This amount is rapidly growing, with the addition of new housing types, the active construction of the Retail Village Centre, the new Royal BC Museum starting in late 2022, and the development of multiple commercial and residential projects within the Commons. The buildout of the community will represent an investment of between $1 billion and $2 billion into the City of Colwood.

• One of the Westshore’s most recognizable landmarks, the Royal Bay quarry has played an important role in the community for more than a century.
• Significant investments in infrastructure have been made, including site regrading and remediation, roads, boulevards, sideways, environmental servicing, and invasive species removal.
• The vision for Royal Bay is set out in the Royal Bay Area Plan which was then reflected in the City of Colwood’s 2014 Official Community Plan.
• In 2018, the City of Colwood updated their Official Community Plan, which renewed and expanded on the vision for Royal Bay / Royal Beach to become a mixed-use waterfront community, offering a range of housing forms including detached, ground-oriented, attached and apartment homes, along with a variety of services and amenities.
• In 2020 the City of Colwood approved the land-use bylaws necessary to develop the lands south of Latoria Boulevard.
• Construction in Latoria South is underway with The Commons at Royal Bay projected to open in 2023.

The City of Colwood is responsible for the maintenance of boulevards on major streets (such as Latoria Blvd and Ryder Hesjedal Way). Like in any other municipality, owners are responsible for mowing the section of boulevard in front of their home as well as their front yard.

Royal Bay has implemented an extensive storm water management system that takes in run-off from Royal Bay and some of the surrounding areas. All the road run-off is treated before it makes its way to the ocean through a series of engineered storm water ponds and mechanical devices, which includes the waterway through Meadow Park. The rain gardens within the Meadow Park greenway are seamlessly integrated into the natural environment and are planted with shivering aspen and other deciduous trees that make a beautiful rustling sound when the breeze touches their leaves, and the tall grasses and native landscape plantings have become prime bird nesting areas.

Yes, Royal Bay does frequently experience a sea breeze that comes with living at the seaside, just as do other premier seaside locations in Victoria, such as Fairfield and James Bay. In mid-summer, it’s usually less windy, and as the project builds out, the wind will continue to be mitigated somewhat by buildings and the many thousands of new trees that have been planted. The flipside is a mild ocean-influenced climate where sheltered gardens do enjoy an early spring and late winter frost, and also slightly milder mid-summer heat conditions compared to other elevated Westshore locations.

Royal Bay Secondary school – currently 1400 students with 120 staff

• RBSS is one of the largest schools on Vancouver Island 
• There is a seven-acre site in Latoria south designated for a future 500 student elementary school
• K to 5: Sangster Elementary
• 6 to 8: Dunsmuir Middle School
• 9 to 12: Royal Bay Secondary
• K to 8 French Immersion: Ecole John Stubbs Memorial School

There is a parcel of land sold to the school district in The Quarry neighbourhood for an elementary school. However, the School District is in rapid expansion mode with new schools, including middle schools being built nearby. Dunsmuir middle school is easily accessed through a dedicated bike and walking path connecting up to Painter Rd. where it is situated.