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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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Provincial deficit looms as Premier seeks fed funding

September 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs, New And Established Businesses, Safe Communities, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

A day after admitting the provincial books are deeper in the red than initially forecast, BC’s Premier is in Ottawa seeking more cash from the federal government. On Tuesday, BC Finance Minister Brenda Bailey updated the budget forecast to show a deficit of $11.6 billion for 2025. That’s $665 million more than expected. The deficit […]

IDEA committee hears how equity helps employers

September 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Fair Rules, Training And Microcredentials/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber’s IDEA committee met this week after taking a break over summer, and heard a great presentation from the team at the Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria. Paulina Grainger, Billie Tess and Parker Johnson provided an overview of ICA’s Tools for Equity program. It was an enlightening and informative conversation about the benefits that […]

Borrowing costs drop as Bank of Canada cuts rate

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

As expected, the Bank of Canada lowered its policy interest rate by 25 basis points, bringing it to 2.5%. The news follows yesterday’s report from Statistics Canada showing inflation remains stable, coming in at 1.9% in August. The Conference Board of Canada said a weakening economy makes the cuts appropriate, especially as we have so […]

Work begins on amalgamation question for voters

September 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Local, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

In July, a Citizens’ Assembly announced that its research showed that residents in the City of Victoria and District of Saanich would be better served by an amalgamated municipality. Victoria was quick to begin working on the wording of the question that will go to voters next October. And, on Monday, Saanich followed suit with […]

Minister meets with Chamber to hear about business issues

September 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Chamber News, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Safe Communities, Training And Microcredentials, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber would like to thank BC’s Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills, Jessie Sunner, for meeting with members of Greater Victoria’s business community today. The Minister had lunch with Chamber members and staff after a tour of Camosun College‘s Interurban Campus. The meeting was a welcome opportunity to hear about the province’s plans […]

Government decisions must consider downtown

September 10, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

Let’s be clear about an issue that’s sparking plenty of conversations. Downtown Victoria is facing a crisis. That’s not to deny the natural beauty or economic power of downtown, which remains a gem for our region. Anyone who visits our destination can see how special this area is among the world’s small cities. But most […]

Timely data to make sense of business environment

September 10, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness/by Jim Zeeben

In an age of economic uncertainty, having access to real-time data can help businesses make sense of shifting conditions. That’s how a new tool from the Canadian Chamber can provide insight between gaps in official reporting. BDLNow adjusts its estimate based on recently released high-frequency economic indicators. The tool generates an estimate of Canada’s GDP growth rate […]

Hospitality businesses urged to stock up on liquor

September 10, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Finding And Keeping Workers, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Immigration And Integration/by Jim Zeeben

The BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association is advising its members to stock up on liquor inventories in the event the BCGEU strike targets BC Liquor Distribution Branch warehouses and stores. “We advise you to immediately stock up on your liquor inventories. Based on multiple conversations and reliable intel, it’s very likely that the BCGEU strike action will target […]

FortisBC President and CEO shares insights with business

September 10, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Global Uncertainty/by Jim Zeeben

The head of one of BC’s largest regulated utilities offered some sage advice to more than 90 business and community leaders yesterday at the Hotel Grand Pacific. Speaking at The Chamber’s Business Leaders Series event, FortisBC President and CEO Roger Dall’Antonia said it’s important to depoliticize decisions that could affect a business for years or […]

Canadian shipbuilding worthy goal, but will take time

September 3, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Provincial, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

Few transportation links are as important to Greater Victoria’s economy as BC Ferries. The routes connecting the Island with the Mainland and coastal communities are the lifeblood for many businesses. This week, The Chamber spoke up once again as the voice of business in support of the pressing need to keep the fleet operating at […]

Business needs to be included in downtown parking strategy

September 3, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, New And Established Businesses, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber is calling on the City of Victoria to put the brakes on a potentially disruptive plan for parking downtown. The report on Transforming City Parking goes to Committee of the Whole tomorrow, and raises numerous questions about the impact on businesses. “We read about the plan in the Times Colonist, and immediately started […]

Feds invest in EV charging stations in Greater Victoria

August 28, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Climate Change Solutions, Government Federal, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

Improving transportation infrastructure and taking Climate Action Leadership makes economic sense. With the rapid adoption of EVs in Greater Victoria, drivers need to know they can reliably use their vehicles for extended road trips. On Wednesday, the federal government announced almost $23 million to help build out a network of EV charging stations across British […]