News & Events

It seems there is no place quite like Our Place, and I feel truly blessed to have the chance to work alongside such dedicated and compassionate people. When I first came to Canada — from Ireland via the UK — 15 years ago, I debated at length whether to make a life in Victoria or […]

Ever since he was a teenager, Jordan Cooper has been working on the frontlines of poverty, homelessness, addiction, and the unpredictability of severe mental illness. With no other place to go, the people who huddle on the sidewalks and boulevards in front of Our Place on Pandora can be easy to dismiss as beyond our […]

A Changing Landscape By Grant McKenzie Our Place is not the same today as it was the day before, and it won’t be the same tomorrow. In this strange and difficult time, my heart breaks with sorrow at the vulnerable people struggling to survive with yet another obstacle in their path, but my heart also […]

At 63, Stingray is finally finding a measure of peace in his life. A violent childhood led to a violent adulthood, but he has discovered a new purpose in giving back to those still suffering from addiction. “The addicts listen to me,” he says, “because I’ve been there. I know exactly what damage drugs can […]

Art is someone who feels deeply for others, and when he heard the stories of people struggling with basic mobility, he knew he needed to do something. “I know why Our Place refers to the people it serves as ‘family’,” he says. “They deserve to have dignity, and that’s something I can help with.” Art […]

Robert is no stranger to diversity. Life has placed many obstacles in his path, and yet he battles them all with a joke on his lips, and a smile on his face. Sitting in his wheelchair in the Our Place dining room, enjoying that day’s lunch, Robert is quick with a quip: “There were times […]

In Victoria, the sight of a returnable bottle or a discarded paper cup being placed in the trash can ruin someone’s perfectly nice day. “No!” The person whose day is ruined will scream. “Don’t you love our planet?” Well, at Our Place, not only do we love our planet, but we also see an opportunity […]

Special moments never used to mean anything to Blanche. Memorable days just didn’t exist for a woman whose daily drive was focused on pure survival. “When I found myself out on the streets, I lost hope,” she says. “When you lose hope, then everything else goes with it.” But this year is decidedly different. This […]