Friday November 14, 2025 | LANGFORD, BC [Posted at 8:08 am]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
Despite the rainy weather yesterday, at least 75 people showed up for a next-phase outdoor fundraising event about a dilapidated old building being reshaped into The Forge.
Donors were recognized, but the $500,000 goal is only nearly half-way achieved.
The final outcome is that The Forge will be a place of support. community and healing for construction trades workers who have found themselves dealing with painkiller addiction or other challenges due to the load of their jobs.
Not yet much to look at, the old framework of a one-storye building at 2775 Spencer Road in the heart of Langford will be fully upgraded and also expanded (from 1,456 sq ft to about 2,200 sq ft) as a first-of-its-kind hub of connection, healing, and support for tradespeople facility.
Housing boom:
Langford has been driving the construction of housing hard since at least 2010, making it one of the fastest-growing municipalities in BC. Frankly, the rest of Greater Victoria is just catching up to the housing growth that Langford has set a standard for.
Langford’s new Official Community Plan and associated master plans and strategies are all filtered through a lens of the population doubling from 50,000 to 1000,000 in the next 25 years.
Trades workers:
But a lot of that construction has relied on the availability and hard work of a wide range of construction trades workers and related services. The sector is, overall, well paid — this attracts young men in particular who are looking for financial stability. What can many times happen, however, is the load of overwork which can lead to injury, and oftentimes the use of painkillers. Addiction can happen. Mental strain can be unrelenting too.
The Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) a few years ago pointed out to the provincial government about the high incidence of men of working-age ending up in the opioid addiction stats including overdose deaths. A program called Tailgate Toolkit was developed to help educate workers about mental and physical strain on the job and the support they can get.
Across Canada, the suicide rate in construction is more than three times the national average. In B.C., studies show that 30 to 50% of men who died of opioid related causes were trades workers.
“Tradespeople are at the heart of our communities, yet too many are struggling in silence,” says West Shore Developers Association (WSDA) President Ron Coutre. “These aren’t just statistics, they’re our neighbours, employees, family, and friends.
About The Forge:
The Forge in Langford is one example of a new upcoming facility to provide support to trades workers. It will be open to anyone who needs the services of a professionally-supported peer-driven recovery facility.
The Forge was created in response to the skilled trades’ mental-health and addictions crisis. Developed with input from tradespeople who have lived experience, The Forge will offer free counselling, recovery coaching, peer mentorship, and employment supports designed specifically for those working in construction and related trades.
The Forge was created to respond to the skilled trades’ mental health crisis. With input from tradespeople who have lived experience, the program is building supports that foster trust, reduce stigma, and connect workers to resources that help them on their path to wellness.
The approach is simple: tradespeople supporting tradespeople.
Who was there:
Donors, trades leaders, and community representatives gathered for the City of Langford’s event that was co-hosted by the West Shore Developers Association (WSDA).
Remarks at the podium were delivered by Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson and WSDA President Ron Coutre.
“It’s incredible to see how far this project has come in such a short time,” said Mayor Goodmanson. “When we first committed our support, we wanted to send a clear message to tradespeople that their well-being matters. Today, standing in front of this space that’s transforming before our eyes, that message feels stronger than ever. Now it’s about finishing the job together so the doors can open as soon as possible.”
“This is the trades community doing what it does best: building something meaningful with their own hands and hearts,” said WSCA President Coutre.
“We’re grateful to have helped play a small part in getting this started, but the real success will come when the whole community stands behind it. The Forge belongs to everyone who has ever picked up a tool or supported someone who has. Every contribution and every effort will help turn this vision into reality,” said Coutre.
Among those attending from the city were municipal councillors Kimberely Guiry, Lillian Szpak and Mary Wagner and CAO Darren Kiedyk and the city communications team.
Media doing coverage on site included CTV, Black Press and Island Social Trends.
A Westshore RCMP officer attended.
Fundraising progress:
To date, more than half of the region’s municipalities have stepped forward to match the initial $5,000 donations made by the WSDA and the City of Langford earlier this year. Together with private and industry contributions, more than $200,000 in funding and in-kind support has now been raised toward The Forge’s $500,000 goal.
This growing support — as stated at yesterday’s event — is an indication of a shared recognition of the mental health challenges facing trades workers and the urgent need for a dedicated, stigma-free space for help and healing.
The community, in fact, recognizes the importance of trades workers in making possible the continued growth of housing and urban infrastructure.
The Forge’s fundraising campaign aims to raise $500,000 to complete facility upgrades, furnishings, and outdoor gathering spaces that will transform the site into a welcoming, peer-driven gathering space for trades workers across Vancouver Island. Unlike a traditional drop-in facility, the Forge will be a professionally supported space focused on connection, education, and recovery. Its purpose is to strengthen the workforce and support individuals already engaged in treatment or returning to work.
How to donate:
The City of Langford and the WSDA are urging municipalities, businesses, and community leaders across Greater Victoria to support The Forge.
“We’re incredibly thankful to the donors and partners who believed in this vision from the beginning,” said Mike Manhas, Director of Philanthropy for The Forge.
“The trades community has carried a heavy burden in silence for too long. The Forge will change that. Our goal now is to complete the recovery of the property and open the doors to provide free, accessible mental health supports for tradespeople and their families.” Community support is vital to opening the doors to The Forge as soon as possible.
Donations can be made through the Construction Foundation of BC at cfbc.ca/enter-the-forge, with all funds going directly toward infrastructure and readiness costs.
Donations to the Capital Campaign will help transform this once-troubled site into a permanent hub of connection, healing, and support. Funds will go toward:
• Renovation and revitalization of The Forge clubhouse
• Accessible design
• Furnishings and equipment
• Technology and infrastructure
• Outdoor gathering spaces
Local history:
The building at 2775 Spencer Road is a former organized crime biker clubhouse. Being so close to a school and in a largely residential neighbourhood with some light industrial in the downtown core, it’s significant that the former use of the building was finally shut down.
The clubhouse was one of nine properties and three vehicles searched on Jan. 31, 2024, in a multi-jurisdiction operation, leading to the seizure of numerous drugs, including about 450 grams of fentanyl.
The building, which sits on a 7,400-square-foot lot, served as headquarters for the Savages Motorcycle Club, a group that the B.C. Combined Forces Enforcement Unit — which targets gangs — has identified as a support club for the Hells Angels.
The original announcement that the building would be revamped to house mental health and addictions services was made in July of this year.
Last year the building on a 7,400 sq ft lot went up for sale for $1.5 million and was purchased by the Construction Foundation of BC.
Positive shift:
Getting this building eradicated of its past and building it into something positive for a struggling sector of the community is a strong statement of community working together for the benefit of many.
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NEWS SECTIONS: LANGFORD | CONSTRUCTION | MENTAL HEALTH & ADDICTIONS | WEST SHORE RCMP | WEST SHORE LOCAL