Victoria, Canada, May 14, 2025 — Bluebird Self Storage acquired and renovated 826 Johnson Street, Victoria, British Columbia V8W 1N3 which happens to be one of the oldest storage facilities in North America and it is now open for business and ready to rent units to commercial businesses and residential tenants alike.
The facility is located at 826 Johnson Street which is in the heart of Victoria’s rapidly growing downtown core.
The building was built in 1901 and originally used to board horses with a freight elevator installed to get the horses to the upper floors. The building transitioned to a storage facility around 1920, potentially making it the oldest of its kind on the continent.
Bluebird Self Storage acquired the building through the ICM Bluebird Canadian Self Storage LP. The acquisition of this building completed Bluebird’s quest to create a coast-to-coast network of self-storage facilities under a singular brand.
Bluebird has since updated the Johnson Street Self Storage facility and completely revitalized its interior to feature modern amenities and aesthetics while maintaining its historical charm. The old wooden lockers were replaced with steel partitions and roll up doors. Modern safety and security features were added. An industry-leading website with contemporary e-commerce features such as online payments, reservations and rentals was introduced as well.
This centrally located property offers 240 modern storage units, now available for lease to both residential and business tenants.
Jason Koonin, Bluebird Self Storage CEO, has this to say about the project. “I can remember visiting this site for the first time. The location is incredible but the inside of the building was in rough shape. I thought I was going to fall through the floor when walking the halls. The place was dirty, poorly lit and the unit doors were made of wood. The vision our development team had to transform this site was pretty incredible. I am shocked at the before and after photos.”
Bluebird Self Storage now claims this facility as its flagship facility on Victoria Island, British Columbia and is proud of the transformation of this historic facility.