Human remains found at site of former hotel destroyed by fire in Victoria

VICTORIA — Police say human remains have been found in the aftermath of a major fire at the former Travellers Inn building in Victoria last month.

The Victoria Police Department says officers were working with the provincial coroners service to identify the remains.

Police say they cannot confirm whether the remains belong to a person who was unaccounted for at the time of the blaze.

While work at the scene is complete following a detailed examination that lasted about a week, police say the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Victoria fire Chief Dan Atkinson issued a statement while crews were still battling the blaze on Oct. 24, saying “extremely challenging conditions” had forced them to withdraw to a defensive position before clearing the entire building.

He said all nine registered occupants were accounted for, but there were reports, which were unconfirmed at the time, suggesting others may have been inside.

Part of the building collapsed in the blaze and the rest of the scorched structure has been demolished.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 2, 2026.