VRBA names 2026 CARE Awards gold winners on Vancouver Island

The Victoria Residential Builders Association announced the gold winners from its 35th annual CARE Awards in Victoria on Sept. 25, recognizing standout projects, builders and industry leaders across Vancouver Island. The event highlighted 52 awards, plus honors for sustainability, community impact, apprentices and student carpentry.

Why it matters: - The CARE Awards highlight the projects, builders and trades shaping West Coast home design and construction on Vancouver Island. - The awards also signal where the industry is placing value: sustainability, affordability, innovation, community impact and skilled labor development. - VRBA uses the event to reinforce its broader push for professionalism, education, consumer protection and housing affordability.

What happened: - The Victoria Residential Builders Association announced the gold winners at the 2026 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence Awards of Vancouver Island on Friday, Sept. 25, at the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, British Columbia. - The 35th annual event presented 52 awards. - More than 200 builders, designers, trades and suppliers attended. - Project of the Year — Single Family went to M. Knight Construction and Jenny Martin Design for Harbour Stone. - Project of the Year — Multi-Family / Subdivision went to White Wolf Homes for Aveline. - The People’s Choice Award went to Made to Last Custom Homes for The Cove.

The details: - Terry Johal of Terry Johal Developments received the Lifetime Achievement Award for an outstanding career in residential construction. - Dom Piluso of Piluso Construction won the Gordon English Housing Leadership Award for achievements in home building and community giving. - Abstract Developments was named Green Builder of the Year for promoting sustainable residential construction. - GT Mann Contracting won the Award for Innovation and Sustainability. - Città Group received the Award for Hartland Renewable Energy and Efficiency. - Kahlon Developments won the Small Scale Multi-Unit Housing award. - Langdon Weir Construction won the Multi-Generational Housing and Affordability award. - Westhills Land Corp, PATH Developments and Verity Construction won the Building Better Futures Community Award for developing affordable, energy-efficient communities for thousands of young families. - Wil Peereboom of Victoria Design Group received the Bill Wansbrough Memorial Award for designing thousands of projects across Greater Victoria. - Erik Bergen of Stillwater Custom Homes and Renovations and Denys Okhrimenko of White Wolf Homes each received $500 for outstanding work as apprentices. - Jarom Coad, a straight-A student from Edward Milne Community School, received the $500 Herman Rebneris Student Carpentry Award. - Brian Trenchard, chair of the 2026 CARE Awards, said the winners and finalists set the gold standard for new homes and renovations. - Trenchard also thanked MC Astrid Chang and Destination Greater Victoria for helping make the evening entertaining. - Casey Edge, VRBA executive director, said the CARE Awards showcase Canada’s finest West Coast homes and the skilled people behind them.

Between the lines: - The award mix shows VRBA is not just honoring finished homes; it is also elevating workforce training, leadership and long-term community outcomes. - Multiple sustainability and efficiency awards point to growing pressure in the housing sector to balance quality construction with lower energy use and better environmental performance. - The recognition of apprentices and a student carpenter suggests the association is trying to build the next generation of trades talent, not only celebrate current leaders.

What's next: - The gold winners will appear in a full-color magazine distributed by the Times Colonist on Saturday, Oct. 31. - The winners and finalists will be posted online shortly at careawards.ca. - VRBA will continue its advocacy work around professionalism, education, consumer protection and housing affordability. - The association said it has 180 builders, renovators, designers, trades and suppliers and was incorporated as a non-profit in 1940. - The 2026 CARE Awards were supported by Gold sponsors Built Green Canada; Cantu Bathrooms and Hardware | Kartners; FortisBC; Hourigan’s Flooring; Independent Businesses and Contractors Association; Ply Gem Canada; Slegg Building Materials; Trail Appliances; Travelers Insurance Company of Canada; and Victoria Real Estate Board. - Bronze sponsors were Coast Capital, PATH Developments and Westeck Windows and Doors. - Media sponsors were Times Colonist and Yellow Sheet Construction Data.

The bottom line: - The 2026 CARE Awards turned Vancouver Island’s housing industry into a showcase for design, sustainability and workforce development, with 52 awards spread across builders, projects and emerging talent.