A small crowd gathered on Government Street on the morning of Nov. 7 to celebrate the groundbreaking of a new Volvo dealership.
Set to open in 2026, the $20-million project will relocate the existing dealership on Yates and Cook to 2512 Government St., establishing it as Vancouver Island's only Swedish car dealership of its kind.
Developer and COO of the car dealership chain GAIN Group Peter Trzewik, who spearheaded the project, believes Volvo’s growth in the Greater Victoria area and beyond will continue in the years to come.
“When I came to Victoria in 1996, Volvo was one of the strongest luxury leaders in the city,” said Trzewik. “I do believe that the Volvo brand… fits what we are in Victoria, probably more than most other places in Canada.”
Trzewik explained that the relocation was necessary because the Yates site was bought by a property developer, who couldn’t guarantee the dealership could stay there during construction.
Confident in their investment, Trzewik and his team believe Volvo is poised to compete with the world’s leading premium and luxury car brands in Canada.
“By the time we're [established] here, Volvo will be very close to BMW and Audi in volumes and in business,” he said.
Trzewik noted that the dealership currently sells up to 200 cars annually, with expectations to double that figure once the new location is fully operational.
“I think we will sell somewhere in the range of 350 cars per year, which puts it [us] on par with Audi and BMW.”
Echoing a similar enthusiasm, Matt Girgis, managing director at Volvo Car Canada, attended the event and expressed optimism about the brand's growth in the capital city and beyond.
“Driving around here and seeing the market, you really get a feel around the premium-ness and the ability for us to do well here,” he said. “We're thrilled to have this team bring this mission to life in this beautiful new facility that we're about to have.”
Constantly adjusting to an ever-changing market, Girgis’ and Trzewik’s teams are working together to bring in their future fleet of fuel combustion engines, hybrid, and electric cars.
“I'm happy to say that here in Victoria, it's our market in Canada that sells the (largest) amount of electrified vehicles,” said Girgis. “That's really a testament to how much our brand and our products are resonating with the consumers here, especially with the growth that we're seeing Victoria up 20 per cent, year over year.”
