News & Events

Dan’s Story

Dan was your average teenager. His parents divorced when he was around 5, he played high school football, loved music and played in a band. And like a lot of teenagers, he also smoked pot. No big deal for some, but for Dan it was the beginning of a life-long addiction. “Everything snowballed from there,” […]

Devon’s Story

It only takes one hour a week to give Devon a reason to keep on fighting. It’s during those precious 60 minutes that she gets to see her 2½-year-old daughter. “She’s my everything,” says Devon, her eyes alight with love. “She’s so full of life and so intelligent. She’s a non-stop chatterbox and absolutely loves […]

One Hour of Hope

It only takes one hour a week to give Devon a reason to keep on fighting. It’s during those precious 60 minutes that she gets to see her 2½-year-old daughter. “She’s my everything,” says Devon, her eyes alight with love. “She’s so full of life and so intelligent. She’s a non-stop chatterbox and absolutely loves […]

Finding hope in the moment through Spiritual Care

It’s hard not to get emotional talking to Jordan Shaw, Our Place’s Spiritual Care Worker, as he describes what he experiences and the people he has come to know. From the man with a 6-year-old’s mental capacity because of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder who lives on our streets, to the person who was discharged from […]

Bruce’s Story

Housing changed everything for Bruce. Not only did it get him off the streets, but it gave him the courage to change his life. Born in Zimbabwe to military parents, Bruce describes his early childhood as “a bit of a disaster.” His mother struggled with addiction to the point where his older brother was born […]

Home Sweet Home

“This building is an absolute dream to operate,” says Aarmin Purewal, Operational Manager of Housing and Shelters at Our Place, and Site Supervisor of the building in question – Our Place’s brand new permanent supportive housing facility. Funded by BC Housing, in partnership with the federal government and the Capital Regional District (CRD), the building […]

Moments of Hope and Belonging

As the pandemic becomes part of our collective history, Our Place is shifting direction back to our roots and returning to our core values: unconditional love, safety, teamwork, hope and belonging. These values have guided us for nearly 55 years, and now as programs and services can return safely to all locations, a renewed sense […]

Peers Helping Peers

A huge asset to Our Place is our team of dedicated volunteers. Within that group of 300+ volunteers you’ll find a group called Peers Helping Peers (PHP), a program supported by Island Health. Twenty Our Place family members commit to volunteering 10 to 20 hours a month. They serve many roles, mentoring fellow volunteers in […]

Normand’s Story

Normand — known on the streets of Victoria as The Poet — is a man who feels immensely. His thoughts come to him in poetry, the words complete with intense emotion. Born in Quebec some 62 years ago, Normand was the 4th of 7 children, but always felt like an outsider. “My childhood was very […]