Chris Walker, owner of the residential construction business Christopher Developments, has been building homes in Victoria for more than three decades. Throughout his journey from aircraft mechanic to award-winning custom homebuilder, Chris’s attention to detail and commitment to quality have been the cornerstones of his success.
Chris was born in Churchill, Manitoba. His dad was in the RCMP Air Services, so Chris and his parents moved around Canada during his childhood – to Regina, the Northwest Territories and then Victoria in 1974, where he’s been ever since.
“The RCMP transferred my dad here to Victoria, and we all thought we came to heaven. And we never left,” Chris says.
After high school, Chris followed in his dad’s footsteps into the aviation field, getting his commercial pilot’s license and his aircraft maintenance license, and working at Victoria International Airport (YYJ) for several years before pursuing his lifelong goal of starting his own business.
“In 1992, I got out of aircraft maintenance, and I decided to call myself a builder.”
And that’s when Christopher Developments was born. Chris’s aviation career enabled him to hone skills that were equally valuable in construction, including precise attention to detail and clear communication.
“In aviation, especially as an aircraft mechanic, attention to detail is extremely important. I’ve always been detail-oriented and organized, and I really think that’s helped with my customers at Christopher Developments,” Chris says.
Creativity, honesty and transparency are some of the other key qualities that Chris strives to uphold in his work.
“I mean what I say, and I say what I mean,” he says. “You always know where I stand.”
Chris started by working on small infill developments around Victoria, but over time he began designing and building custom homes, which is now Christopher Developments’ bread and butter.
“For the past 10 years or so, we’ve really focused on homes, and we’ve developed a very good reputation here as one of the premier homebuilders,” he says.
This is evidenced by Christopher Developments’ impressive portfolio of projects (showcased on his website, christopherdevelopments.com) and the many industry awards they’ve scooped up at the Victoria Residential Builders Association’s Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards.
Chris says a recent highlight is the Lands End Road project, a beautiful waterfront home that won multiple 2022 CARE Awards, including Project of the Year – the third time Christopher Developments has won that prestigious title – as well as the People’s Choice Award and gold-medal wins in eight other categories.
Waterfront properties like the Lands End Road project have been a particular specialty for Christopher Developments.
“I love getting to work on some of the most beautiful properties in Victoria, arguably in Canada,” he reflects. “We’ve built about 18 waterfront homes in the past seven or eight years, so we’re often around the waterfront. It’s a great place to work.”
Chris’s wife, Joan Gandza, is “the other side of the business” as Christopher Developments’ office manager, taking care of client invoicing and accounts, and he says he couldn’t do it without her. When he’s not out on his daily visits to his job sites, Chris works along with Joan in their home office building.
And in his free time, Chris is still an avid pilot. He flies his Nanchang CJ-6A with a local group called Yak Flight, made up of professional pilots who are also members of the US-based Red Star Pilots Association. You’re likely to spot them flying in formation over the water if you’re walking along Dallas Road on a sunny Sunday afternoon. They’re also known for their annual Remembrance Day flyover ceremony over the parliament buildings.
“We usually have veterans in our cockpits with us. It’s a big honour.”
Chris has also started a new joint venture with architect Chris Foyd. Their new company is called 2XC Developments (named for the two Chrises). For their first project, they’ve purchased a beautiful waterfront property on King George Terrace to develop three waterfront homes.
Chris feels incredibly grateful for the city he calls home and the rewarding career he’s built here.
“What don’t I love about my work?” he muses. “I love living in Victoria and getting to build beautiful homes. In a nutshell, the creativity is what I love most. And, at the end of the day, to have a customer go into their new house, to be invited for a housewarming party or to visit them, and to see how you’ve been able to help create a dream for them.”
The 7 Sins
Envy: Whose shoes would you like to walk in?
Without exception, Steve Hinton. For warbird geeks like myself, his name is held in high esteem. Steve is a world champion air racer, and owner of the Planes of Fame Air Museum in Chino, California. I’ve had the honour of meeting him on a few occasions. He’s an absolute gentleman, who has lived the aviator’s dream.
Gluttony: What is the food you could eat over and over again?
I’m absolutely spoiled when it comes to my wife’s cooking. Her Ukrainian heritage ensures our fridge is always stocked with some of the most amazing food you could possibly imagine, but my absolute favourite is kapusta (sauerkraut-stuffed) pierogis. She cringes when I layer on my special sauce (Dijon mustard).
Greed: You’re given $1 million that you have to spend selfishly. What would you spend it on?
I would charter a yacht with a professional skipper to sail around the world with my family and a few select friends, and spend the rest on another airplane.
Wrath: Pet peeves?
Small talk and procrastination. I’m not very good at either.
Sloth: Where would you spend a long time doing nothing?
One of my favourite beaches in Costa Rica with a good book and a bottomless glass of cranberry and soda (I really know how to party).
Pride: What is the one thing you’re secretly proud of?
The ability to conceive a concept and execute with precision. That, and the fact that I can tell any potential customer that they’re welcome to speak to anyone we’ve built for.
Lust: What makes your heart beat faster?
When not flying in formation, I enjoy practicing aerobatics. It’s very exciting, and the thought of flying a routine at the Abbotsford Airshow one day definitely makes my heart beat faster… who knows, maybe in my “retirement years.”
This feature appeared in the August 2024 edition of Boulevard Victoria.
