The City of Nelson celebrated the grand opening of its Victoria Street Transit Exchange on Tuesday, marking the completion of a project that’s already been in use since June.
City officials, regional partners and B.C. Transit representatives gathered at the exchange for a ribbon-cutting ceremony, praising the project as a major step in promoting regional connectivity.
Nelson Mayor Janice Morrison said its completion reflects years of planning and collaboration.
“This exchange is more than a new set of platforms and shelters. It’s a hub that will make it easier for people to get to work, to school, to appointments, to local businesses and to each other,” said Morrison.
B.C. Transit vice-president of asset management and chief sustainability officer Aaron Lamb also attended and called the completed project a long-awaited milestone.
“It’s always nice to come to see a project that you’ve been working on and your team back at home working on for many, many years now so it’s great to see that this thing has now come to life and we’re extremely proud that we’re able to deliver this.”
The completed exchange features five bus bays, with the potential for an additional bay in the future, five bus shelters with lighting, improved street lighting, bike racks, garbage cans and new sidewalks along Victoria Street.
It also has an accessible public washroom, which Lamb noted sets it apart from others in the province.
“That doesn’t happen so often where we have a public washroom in our exchanges, so that’s a great amenity.”
West Kootenay Transit Committee chair and Nelson city councillor Rik Logtenberg has been involved in the project since the start.
He said he feels satisfied seeing it come together.
“It’s gratifying because so many people have been involved in this project from across the region. A lot of people came together to help make this happen and it’s been many years to get to this point,” said Logtenberg.
The exchange soft-launched at the end of June, and Logtenberg said feedback so far has been positive.
“There’s been some growing pains as we’ve had to deal with the limitations of space so we’ve had to adapt. But overall it’s a nice, spacious place for people. It’s way more convenient and it’s opened up the flow of traffic more generally too.”
He added that the new space creates capacity for potential service expansions, such as a daily Nelson–Salmo route, which he said could help more people commute without relying on a car.
“Now that we’ve got this exchange, we can accommodate that kind of route. I hope to see more people using the bus as their commute, going to the restaurants nearby to grab lunch or breakfast, and making it really a part of their daily life.”
He emphasized how it will serve as a key piece of regional connectivity.
“It’s more than just an exchange where buses can connect. It’s the connective tissue for the region and it’s something that brings our residents together as people travel between cities. It’s really a way of building community across the region.”
Plans for the $2.4-million project were announced in February 2024. Construction began in March 2025 and finished in September.
It was funded collaboratively by the provincial and federal governments, the City of Nelson and the Regional District of Central Kootenay.
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