Groundbreaking Marks Start of Victoria British Columbia Temple Construction

On a Saturday in August 2026, church leaders and invited guests gathered at 1151 Mantle Heights Road in Langford, British Columbia, to break ground on the Victoria British Columbia Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder James E. Evanson, a General Authority Seventy and member of the Church’s Canada Area presidency, presided over the ceremony and offered a dedicatory prayer. Local officials—including Langford Mayor Scott Goodmanson and North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas—were in attendance, as were members of the groundbreaking committee and other area elders.

Ground broken for Victoria British Columbia Temple, to be a ‘beacon of peace’ Victoria NewsTimes Colonist

The temple was announced by Church President Russell M. Nelson during the April 7, 2024 general conference, when he identified fifteen new temple locations worldwide. It will be the second temple in British Columbia (the first being the Langley temple dedicated in 2010) and the eleventh temple in Canada. The announcement followed decades of LDS settlement on Vancouver Island, beginning with the arrival of William Francis and Maria Judson Copley in 1875 and the first island baptism of Anthony Maitland Stenhouse, a member of the provincial legislature.

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• Planned footprint: 4.7 acres on a newly subdivided site along Mantle Heights Road.

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• Building size: approximately 11,400 square feet, single-storey, with a 250-seat patron waiting area.

Ground broken for Victoria British Columbia Temple, to be a ‘beacon of peace’

• Architectural features: granite-and-marble cladding, a spire overlooking Langford Lake, and landscaped gardens.

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• Membership context: the LDS Church reports about 211,000 members in Canada and roughly 31,000 members in British Columbia, organized into 73 stakes.

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Elder M.

Ground broken for Victoria British Columbia Temple, to be a ‘beacon of peace’

Victoria LDS spokesman Lyanne Sanderson emphasized the practical importance of a local temple, calling the event “historic” and noting that many members currently travel long distances—sometimes to the Langley temple or even to Cardston, Alberta—to attend sacred ordinances. Gary Anderson, president of the Victoria British Columbia Stake, called the new temple “a tremendous blessing” that will foster unity and spiritual growth on the island.

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• “Just as gardens nourish life, the temple will nourish and uplift the souls of all who enter. The effects of a temple will not be confined to its physical walls.” — Elder M. Shayne Olsen

Ground broken for Victoria British Columbia Temple, to be a ‘beacon of peace’

• “It’s a historic event, and it’s important to the average member because the time involved, particularly if you’re working, you just can’t get to a temple every day,” — Lyanne Sanderson, victoria LDS spokesman

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• “In other places, like Vancouver, we have high school kids who will go to the temple before school. We have an older member in Victoria who is 98 with so much energy still, but it takes a lot for her to travel over.” — Lyanne Sanderson, victoria LDS spokesman

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Construction is expected to take nearly three years, with geotechnical engineers and the general contractor beginning site work shortly after the groundbreaking. The Church has not announced a specific completion date. Prior to dedication, a public open house will be held to invite people of all faiths to learn about the temple’s purpose and features; afterward, the temple will be reserved for LDS members’ sacred ceremonies. Church officials have indicated that, as travel on congested highways becomes more challenging, additional temple locations in British Columbia may be considered in the future.

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