Greater Victoria’s newest community meeting place, the Craigflower Community and Performing Arts Centre in View Royal, officially opened on Thursday to the sound of bagpipes and well wishes from 150 dignitaries and guests.
The 10,000 sq. ft building will host a range of events, including art exhibitions, musical performances, meetings and weddings. It will also be the base for the Victoria Highland Games Association, the driving force behind its design and construction.
The circular design of the building was inspired by brochs, roundhouses from the Iron Age found in Scotland. The structure features both walls of stone and walls of glass. It serves as an architectural counterpoint to nearby Craigflower Manor, the oldest public building still standing in British Columbia, built by Scottish carpenters in 1856. The property the centre sits on is owned by the province, and both the manor and nearby schoolhouse are recognized as National Historic Sites.
“We entered into a 30-year tenure agreement with the provincial government in 2014 to manage the property — but with a provision,” said Jim Maxwell, president of the Victoria Highland Games Association. “We wanted to revitalize the property by building a community centre and to use the revenue from the new facility to maintain the manor as an historic house museum, making it completely self-sufficient in its operations.”
He expects the 4,500 square-foot hall, with its professional-grade sprung dance floor, to be especially popular with dance groups.
“We are centrally-located and planned ahead to ensure that the design would appeal to various groups looking for a venue,” he said.
The $5.5-million cost of construction included more than $484,000 from the Canada Community Revitalization Fund, as well as more than $2.8 million through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Heritage branch in the Ministry of Tourism, Arts Culture and Sport provided $750,000 in provincial funding. The remaining costs were covered by the Victoria Highland Games Association and private donations.
Maxwell hopes new facility will present youth with a Scottish background an opportunity to regain their culture, with plans for a youth pipe band to be based there.
The centre can accommodate up to 300 people, with multi-purpose meeting rooms, administrative offices and a planned catering kitchen.
Guest speakers at Thursday’s opening included B.C. Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport Lana Popham, Esquimalt-Metchosin MLA Mitzi Dean and View Royal Mayor Sid Tobias.
“They all seemed happy to be at an event where everybody worked together on a project to benefit the community,” said Maxwell.
The centre’s first major event will be the sold-out Victoria Highland Games Association’s Robbie Burns Dinner on Saturday.
The all-volunteer Victoria Highland Games Association is a registered non-profit society and the largest Scottish and Celtic cultural organization in Greater Victoria. For more information on the Craigflower Community and Performing Arts Centre, go to victoriascottishcentre.ca.
