Victoria Public Market

One of the grandest commercial buildings in Victoria’s downtown now holds a market. The Victoria Public Market is at 1701 Douglas Street, inside the former Hudson’s Bay Company store, a Georgian-style block on the corner of Douglas and Fort streets that opened in 1921. The Hudson’s Bay Company had a long connection with the town, because it founded Fort Victoria in 1843, and the store was meant to be a statement of that heritage in stone and steel. Work began before the First World War, and construction was held up by the war itself and by hard economic times, so the building was not finished until the early 1920s.

The architects were the Victoria firm of Burke, Horwood and White, and the department store was thoroughly modern for its time, with elevators, central heating and cooling, and large display windows at street level. Its four storeys of pale stone, regular windows and classical detail give it a calm, formal presence on the street, a contrast with the busier streets of the Inner Harbour a few blocks away. The building has since been repurposed several times, and the market occupies the ground floor.

Inside, the focus is local food. Vendors have included bakers, cheesemakers, butchers, coffee roasters and makers of preserves and prepared meals, along with growers selling produce from farms around Greater Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula, where the market-garden tradition runs deep. Locally brewed beverages, from craft beer to cider and kombucha, are part of the mix, and there is space to sit down and eat. The vendors change over time, so the selection on any given day is not guaranteed, and it is a good idea to check which stalls are trading before making a special trip.

A Saturday summer market has run in the surrounding space, with local vendors and community activities, and hours and programming vary by season. Admission is free.

It makes a good midday stop for lunch or a picnic to take to Beacon Hill Park, and it is close to the Parliament Buildings, the Royal BC Museum and the Fairmont Empress. Those interested in architecture should look up at the stonework from outside, and local-food lovers should go hungry. Confirm current opening times on the market's website or social channels.