Our Story

Four young men shirtless in swim trunks on the front steps of a green and white house, with a small child sitting on the steps, and a woman leaning against the railing.

West Lion started in 2009.

Early 2009- UVic Friends Adam and Chris started as a Painting company. They employed a core group of friends that were able to successfully complete many projects and pay off many student loans.

Late 2009 - Chris Purchases 1920 Victorian Craftsman home ( left) and renovates it extensively until 2018. This project was his first introduction to the complete building process. In the end, Chris ended up successfully selling the legal triplex.

Some Key learnings from the first project:

- Hitting the water main during permiter drain replacement.

- Sleeping in attic hammocks with no roof on the house

- Receiving a “stop work” order from the City and sending napkin drawings to City Council

- Reciving our first Occupancy Permit

2014 - Chris rebrands to West Lion Construction initially taking on smaller home renos like suites, bathrooms and kitchens. Adam is now in Medical School

2018 - With the Onboarding of another Uvic’er, Ben Thompson, WestLion began design and large scale structural work on signle family residential , as well as, the expansion into multi family residential and commercial work.

A man working on an outdoor deck construction surrounded by trees, with wooden framing and construction tools visible.
Two people standing on a makeshift bed in an unfinished attic with exposed wooden beams, insulation, and a window, illuminated by string lights.
Two men working together on a construction project outside a house, installing a metal beam under cloudy skies. One man is shirtless, wearing paint-splattered jeans and a colorful cap, while the other man is wearing a cap, tank top, and shorts. Tools
Two men sitting on chairs in a trailer parked in front of a blue house, with one holding a dog, and the other wearing sunglasses; a gray pickup truck parked nearby, and trees in the background.
Four men standing in front of a wooden wall, with tools and equipment, including a laptop and power tools, indicating they are construction workers.
A young man standing in a deep trench with a shovel, outdoors in a residential area.
Three young men sitting on a wooden platform in front of a green house, holding tools, with a metal hook and a power drill on the ground, during daytime.
A man and a dog sitting on a wooden deck outdoors, with the dog wearing a "West Lion" cap. The background features fall foliage, trees, and a house.
Two men wearing bicycle helmets and sunglasses smiling for a selfie on a dirt trail with green trees and bushes in the background.
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More than 15 years after starting the company. Chris still loves designing and building new projects.

“It’s still similar of the early days when we were envisioning how to get the most out of any given space. The only difference now is our teams are more experienced and capable which makes the projects that much better. “

- Chris Forrest-Wong