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Breaking news for Greater Victoria businesses

Published weekly, BizNews offers information to help Greater Victoria’s business community make sense of our shifting economic and political landscape. The Chamber’s flagship newsletter is distributed to more than 5,000 subscribers who are highly engaged and active in our region’s business community. Scroll down to read the latest.

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A chance to hear firsthand about BC business growth

April 30, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The economic uncertainty caused by threats of an escalating tradewar as well as a change in Canadian leadership has not been good for most businesses. As some of the shifting settles, many Chamber members want to know what these changes will mean to them. And some of the most direct impacts on business success are […]

Federal election shifts local political landscape

April 30, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria’s federal landscape is a little more colourful after Monday’s election saw the Liberal Party of Canada return to power. Our region elected two members who will be part of the new government. In Victoria, Liberal candidate Will Greaves picked up 54.3% of ballots to beat the NDP incumbent Laurel Collins, who earned 24.9% […]

Chamber stands with grieving Filipino community

April 30, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Global Uncertainty, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The tragic incident in Vancouver last Saturday left all of us shaken, especially those of us with roots in the Fillipino community. “We are all processing the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said in a statement shared on social media. “The Greater Victoria Filipino Community is vital, generous […]

Chamber championing ferries’ future resonates with Island communities

April 30, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Climate Change Solutions, Finding And Keeping Workers, Food Security, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber’s efforts to bring a business perspective to the future of our most vital transportation link has captured the attention of policy makers and business associations on the Island and across BC. A letter penned by The Chamber on behalf of 20 organizations was sent to BC Premier David Eby last week. The letter […]

Changes to lobbyist rules help reduce chilling effect

April 24, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber applauds news that the BC Lobbyist Registry is making changes to reduce the unfair burden facing many community organizations. The Registry changed significantly in 2020, surprising many chambers, boards of trade and other groups that traditionally work with government. The aim of the registry is to ensure transparency. It’s an important ideal to […]

Business tax break a sign that council is listening

April 24, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Government Local/by Jim Zeeben

The City of Victoria is investing in the business community by continuing to lower the gap between commercial and residential taxes. The Chamber has worked with municipal councils over the years, asking them to mind the gap that had been increasing in years past. Through letters and presentations, The Chamber spoke up for the local […]

Uncertainty sparks rate pause by Bank of Canada

April 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Global Uncertainty, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

After seven straight interest-rate cuts buoyed the spirits of businesses and individuals managing debt, it seems economic uncertainty has become a double-edged sword. The Bank of Canada announced today that its target rate will remain at 2.75%, after inflation came in at 2.3% in March. The reasoning for the pause was to provide a buffer […]

Businesses bear burden of loosening sick day rules

April 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Fair Rules, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Inflation And Rising Costs, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

A cost to employers rooted in the pandemic is now further ingrained in law after the provincial government moved to ban the requirement for doctor’s notes when employees take sick days. “Businesses would have liked to have had more of a say on this policy,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “It’s one thing for the […]

VicPD seeking feedback from businesses and citizens

April 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The Victoria Police Department has sent out 5,000 invitations with unique codes to residents and businesses in the City of Victoria and Township of Esquimalt. VicPD is urging everyone who received the survey to set aside about 10 minutes to complete it before April 25. “If a business receives the invitation, we’d appreciate them completing […]

Low unemployment rate reflects recruiting challenges

April 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

It might be uncertain times, especially for global trading and the stock markets but we can count on Greater Victoria having a low unemployment rate. Our region has the second lowest unemployment rate in Canada at 3.6%, behind only Saguenay, Quebec, which is at 3.4%. Finding and keeping workers has been a challenge for Greater […]

Saanich and Victoria merger is the right thing to do

April 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Fair Rules, Government Local, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

Better governance from fewer governments has long been a rallying cry within the halls of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. On April 5, our region took the first step toward achieving that goal. The Victoria-Saanich Citizens’ Assembly released its findings seven years after the process took root in 2018. The 48-member assembly is recommending […]

Find out where parties stand on local issues at listening session for federal candidates

April 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber is organizing Canada Votes 2025 on April 16, from 5-7 pm, at the Spectrum Community School theatre in SD61. The format will feature a panel of four candidates from our region representing the major political parties, including Elizabeth May for the Green Party and Laurel Collins for the NDP, Will Greaves from the […]