In autumn 2024, two Cadboro Bay Village businesses closed and named the Sinclair Road construction among their reasons. Gyro Beach Board Shop shut on September 30 after more than a decade across from Cadboro-Gyro Park. Weeks later, Olive Olio's served its last latte after 30 years in the village. Two years on, the roadworks are finished. Every business that has opened or announced itself in the village since then sells food: a dessert studio, an Italian provisions shop and a coffee roaster with plans for evening hours. Every one is a short walk from the grocery store that has anchored Cadboro Bay Road for years.
The village that comes out of the construction is more concentrated than the one that went in. It now centres on Pepper's corner and the stretch toward Penrhyn Street, and on the time people spend there.
The street that came out of two years of detours
The Sinclair Road Upgrades carried a budget of about $15 million. The project included new storm, sewer and freshwater infrastructure. Sinclair now has separated sidewalks and separated cycling lanes on both sides, three crossings with flashing lights and tactile walking strips, and a raised roundabout where it meets Cadboro Bay Road. When Victoria News described the plan in November 2024, the district expected 18 months to two years of work and a finish in spring 2026.
That estimate turned out close. The District of Saanich now marks construction complete. The last step was a decorative infill at the centre of the roundabout. Installation was rescheduled for weather and went in on Wednesday, May 27, 2026.
The roundabout piece explains how the village is being put back together. The district's project page says the contrasting centre treatment was part of the design from the start. It reinforces the roundabout's shape, slows turning traffic and discourages drivers from going straight through, while staying fully traversable for larger vehicles. The artwork itself came from the community. The Cadboro Bay Business Improvement Association went to Saanich wanting to beautify the village and hired a local artist. Saanich then worked the chosen design into construction it had already planned, together with the Cadboro Bay Residents Association.
The artist is Melissa Belliveau. She was born and raised in Victoria and works in clay sculpting, cake design, digital illustration and 2D animation. According to the district, the piece draws on the sea creatures of Cadboro Bay and the coastal character of the "Caddy Bay" community. The roundabout makes people slow down where Sinclair meets the village, and the merchants' association put its money into that spot.
What has opened since
Two businesses have opened in 2026, and both fall into categories the village did not have before.
Noble Berry Dessert & Kitchen Studio opened in May at 2560B Sinclair Road. Tasting Victoria previewed it on May 16, and its August 24 roundup reported that Noble Berry had opened its doors in May. The menu centres on berries, with cakes and sweets alongside pastries, salads and sandwiches, plus gluten-free and vegan options. Seating is limited, so it suits a stop on the way somewhere rather than a long sit.
The Italian Pantry is the second retail shop from Triestina Pasta & Provisions. It sits at 3826 Cadboro Bay Road, directly across from Pepper's. It stocks locally made pasta, olive oils, Italian sweets, tinned fish, cheese, charcuterie and gelato. Triestina's site names chef Massimo Buggini as the maker of its artisan pasta.
The Pantry's hours are worth knowing before you go, because it is closed early in the week:
| Day | The Italian Pantry, 3826 Cadboro Bay Rd |
|---|---|
| Monday and Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| Thursday and Friday | 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Saturday and Sunday | 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
The Thursday and Friday hours run until 7 p.m., which leaves time to stop in after work. Across the street, Pepper's Foods at 3829 Cadboro Bay Road keeps its doors open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. A full grocery and an Italian specialty counter now face each other across the road, so one parking spot covers both the weekly shop and the pasta, cheese and olive oil that go with it.
What is still coming
The biggest arrival has been announced but has not opened yet. Forecast Coffee Roasters has confirmed a café at 3840 Cadboro Bay Road, across from Moka House. Forecast started in Whistler Village in 2020 and now runs more than six locations across British Columbia. It roasts its own coffee and serves more food than most cafés: house-made pastries, brunch, sandwiches and sides.
Tasting Victoria reported on August 24 that the company was aiming for a September opening. A Forecast hiring post dated August 12 gave the timing as "Fall 2026." As of the last day of September, no opening announcement has been found, and the company's online list of locations does not yet include Cadboro Bay. For now, "fall" is the most accurate answer.
The plans already show how the space is meant to work. Forecast describes it as a character building with an interior by Studio Roslyn, the Vancouver design firm behind Parsonage, Superbaba and Whistle Buoy Brewing. The planned hours are 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with evening service on select nights. Founder Jim Salsubury described the layout to Tasting Victoria:
"The space centres around a generous seasonal courtyard patio, built for long lunches, slow mornings, a glass of wine to end the day, and everything in between."
That plan reaches past a morning coffee counter. Lunch and early evening are hours the village has mostly left to Smugglers' Cove Pub at 2581 Penrhyn Street, which opens at 11:30 a.m. most weekdays and serves breakfast on weekends.
How the village now fits together
Together, these businesses make a tighter map than the one before construction. On Cadboro Bay Road, Pepper's at 3829 faces The Italian Pantry at 3826, and Forecast's 3840 address is a few doors north, across from Moka House. Noble Berry is just off the main road on Sinclair, near the new roundabout. Smugglers' Cove is on the Penrhyn corner, and Cadboro-Gyro Park is at the foot of the village.
The closures in 2024 took out retail and a long-running coffee house. The Board Shop sold gear for the beach across the road, and Olive Olio's had three decades of regulars. CHEK's coverage of the Board Shop's closing quoted owner Sam Goski, who cited several pressures with the Sinclair Road work among them. Since then, the arrivals have all been dessert, provisions, and coffee with food. No published source yet names a new tenant for the former Board Shop unit, so the village's retail mix has not settled.
Seasonally, the park still sets the busiest dates in the village. This year's Cadboro Bay Festival ran on Sunday, August 9, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cadboro-Gyro Park, with live music, food trucks, vendors and ocean-conservation booths. Through fall and winter, the businesses on Cadboro Bay Road now carry the village on their own. With Pepper's open until 8 p.m. on weekdays, the Pantry open until 7 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and Forecast planning select evenings, more of the village will stay open after the beach crowd has gone home.
For now, here is what is open: Noble Berry on Sinclair since May, The Italian Pantry across from Pepper's Wednesday through Sunday, and Smugglers' Cove and Pepper's on their usual hours. Forecast's courtyard is still on the way, with the company giving its timing as fall 2026.
Cadboro Bay homeowners who are thinking about what the finished village means for a future sale or purchase can talk with FarupScott Group for a calm, local read on how changes like these play out on streets near the village. Connect With Us.
