VICTORIA, B.C., June 23, 2026 - Fifteen years after launching in downtown Victoria, Redbrick, a BCorp Certified group of companies, is investing in the city’s next chapter through Westholme, a landmark hotel to be proposed for the corner of Government Street and Pandora Avenue.

Founded and headquartered in Victoria, Redbrick has operated in the downtown core since 2011, growing into a group of companies with more than 200 team members. Over the past 15 years, the company has invested in people, companies and initiatives that contribute to the long-term strength of the local economy and community. Westholme brings that commitment into focus as a locally led investment shaped by Redbrick’s long-standing presence.

A hotel redevelopment application has been active at 603 Pandora for several years. Under Redbrick’s new ownership, the site is now in the preliminary stages of redesign with a new project team and in collaboration with local developer, Aryze. This highly visible downtown site, once home to the historic Westholme Hotel, has long been connected to gathering and community in Victoria.

First opened in 1911, the original Westholme Hotel helped anchor this stretch of Government Street as a place where locals and visitors came together.

The prominent downtown site has been fenced off since 2019, when a fire destroyed the previous building. Located near Centennial Square and Victoria’s emerging Industry, Arts and Innovation District, 603 Pandora sits at a key downtown nexus with potential to support more year-round activity, local business vitality and visitor capacity. Future plans will explore opportunities for public facing spaces and street level uses that support both visitors and local life downtown.

“Victoria is where Redbrick was built,” said Tobyn Sowden, CEO of Redbrick. “It’s where we live, work and continue to invest. After 15 years downtown, we see Westholme as an opportunity to contribute to the next phase of growth in the city, guided by the same mindset that has shaped Redbrick from the beginning: creating lasting, meaningful impact.”

Victoria 3.0 positions the city as a future-ready, globally connected economy focused on resilience, innovation, inclusivity and long-term sustainability. To support that vision, regional planning and hospitality studies identify a need for additional hotel capacity, including approximately 2,000 net new hotel rooms over the next decade. Westholme would help respond to this need by adding year-round accommodations to the downtown core that support visitors, residents, businesses and the broader community.

"Victoria has a real gap in hotel supply, yet this property—already zoned for hotel use—has been sitting empty for nearly a decade," said Chris Quigley, VP of Development at Aryze. “We’re excited to be working alongside Redbrick—a fellow local B Corp who shares a strong vision for not only welcoming more visitors to our city, but delivering an exceptional landmark design that will shape our region’s future potential.”

Westholme remains in the early stages of planning. Redbrick and Aryze are currently focused on early conversations with surrounding businesses, civic leaders, community members and neighbours ahead of a future rezoning and development permit application.

Redbrick is encouraging community members to sign up for project updates at westholmehotel.com to stay informed about upcoming engagement opportunities, feedback sessions and key proposal milestones, or reach out directly to community@westholmehotel.com.

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About Redbrick

Redbrick builds, acquires, and operates innovative companies, providing the strategic guidance and shared resources that enable them to scale. Operating through a Shared Services model with expertise in finance, people and culture, and marketing, Redbrick fuels the success of its portfolio—Animoto, Delivra, Duplex, Leadpages, Paved, and Shift—while supporting long-term sustainability. Headquartered in Victoria, BC, Redbrick is a Certified B Corporation and has been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Small and Medium Employers for seven consecutive years.

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