One of the last bingo halls in the region and two older homes will fall to the bulldozers this week in Esquimalt as a developer clears the site for rental housing.
Ahead of the demolition, Denciti Development last month arranged for a nostalgic visit for two sisters who grew up in one of the single-family homes being torn down on Old Esquimalt Road.
Margo Fleck, 81, and Elizabeth Hayward, 70, were able to tour their childhood home with Denciti team members.
They are the remaining siblings of a family of six who grew up in the home. Their father worked at Dockyard down the road.
Fleck said their parents built the home in 1956 and it remained in the family for 45 years.
“It was such a wonderful experience to be able to visit again.”
During their visit, the sisters explored the house, discovering unchanged features like the black-tiled fireplace hearth that brought back fond memories.
“I used to dance by that fireplace while my dad watched The Lawrence Welk Show,” Hayward said.
They were also able to dig up flower bulbs in their childhood yard and replant them around their homes in Saanich.
Garry Fawley, CEO of Denciti Development, said when the company was asked by the former residents of 833 Old Esquimalt Rd. for one last look around, “we were happy to provide them with the opportunity.”
Denciti Development Corp. is building 135 apartments on the site in a building that ranges from four to six storeys along Esquimalt Road.
Construction of Esquimalt Terrace is expected to get underway in the spring after the site is cleared, with a scheduled completion date in 2026.
The former bingo hall property has had several previous lives, starting out as a school and also serving as a convenience store and Maverick Steak House, as well as Hawaiian- and Chinese-themed restaurants. It was most recently Soupa Cafe and a commercial kitchen.
Denciti Development Corp. acquired the property in a 2021 land assembly and received unanimous council approval for the new development late last year. With a mixture of one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, Esquimalt Terrace aligns with the township’s Official Community Plan, which encourages the development of homes for a variety of demographics.
Fawley said the project also responds to the pressing housing demand in Esquimalt, where the rental vacancy rate hovers around one per cent.
Mayor Barbara Desjardins said the development would create a significant number of new homes for Esquimalt, noting that it’s located on a main corridor for transit use, cycling and driving, with nearby schools, parks and other amenities.
