A construction project in Langford, B.C., has taken on importance far beyond the building itself.
Families, community members and tradespeople recently got their first opportunity to tour the construction site of The FORGE, a wellness hub set to support people in the skilled trades. During the visit, attendees wrote messages of hope, remembrance and strength directly on the building’s framing.
The gathering is Forged in Hope and happens before the walls of the building close in. As the building goes up, those handwritten notes will be locked inside the building. Eventually they will be out of sight but will be a permanent part of a recovery and wellness hub that will be built specifically for people in the skilled trades.
The land’s identity was very different before the project. The address was once home to a notorious biker club. In June 2025, the site was purchased by the Construction Foundation with a new vision to create a place of support for tradespeople struggling with mental health and addiction-related illness.
“We’re not waiting for The FORGE to open its doors to start building hope into this place,” said Abigail Fulton, executive director of the Construction Foundation, in a statement.
These messages are going to be part of the building itself, a permanent reminder that people cared enough to leave something for the people who will eventually come here.”
National data show certain services are needed by construction and skilled trades workers.
The Building Trades of Canada’s 2024 survey revealed that almost 50 per cent of respondents said their mental health was fair or poor. Health Canada also reports that 30 to 50 per cent of those working at the time of an opioid-related death were in the trades.
The news release says, “Overall, the findings indicate that mental health and addiction have a disproportionate effect on those working in construction and the skilled trades.”
These realities have been considered in the development of the FORGE. Tradespeople will have access to peer recovery coaching, clinical counseling and treatment navigation support at the facility.
The permanent facility is in the works but the project is already benefiting the community. The new building is still under construction. FORGE has been operational since July 2025.
The permanent space is set to open in early 2027, another step in the transformation of a site once associated with a notorious biker club into a dedicated center for recovery, wellness and support within the skilled trades.
