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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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Interested in exporting to US states near the border?

December 3, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Global Uncertainty, New And Established Businesses/by Jim Zeeben

Trade and Invest British Columbia, in collaboration with the Consulate General of Canada in Seattle, is planning an educational mission for BC food and beverage companies on Feb. 3-5, in Seattle. The New Exporters to Border States mission provides an opportunity for BC companies with limited or no international trade experience to be introduced to […]

Helping those who can’t help themselves the right way

December 3, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Fair Rules, Government Local, Government Provincial, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

Progress is happening in a key area needed to improve community safety, but a lot of work left is still needed before anyone can confidently say the job is done. Last week, a significant change was made to enable health-care workers to help people unable to help themselves due to mental health or addiction issues. […]

More work still needed to lower municipal taxes

December 3, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Government Local, Inflation And Rising Costs, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

Local governments have until May 15 to adopt their tax rate bylaws but early deliberations are already pointing to major increases. The City of Victoria has made efforts to lower costs for downtown businesses, but is still looking at a tax hike of more than 10%. Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto recently spoke to Chamber members […]

VicPD Chief to speak at next Safe Community event

December 3, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber is excited to announce the next event in our series of Safe Community meetings. On Feb. 10, we will host Victoria Police Department Chief Constable Fiona Wilson to discuss the challenges and opportunities our region is facing. Chamber CEO John Wilson will moderate the discussion after Chief Wilson provides an update on VicPD’s […]

Local MLA gets military development portfolio

November 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Government Provincial, Safe Communities, Streamlined Regional Regulations, Training And Microcredentials/by Jim Zeeben

Darlene Rotchford, MLA for Esquimalt-Colwood, has been appointed parliamentary secretary for armed forces development and veterans affairs in the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth. Rotchford was formerly the parliamentary secretary for labour and as the provincial government’s military liaison. With the federal government making a generational investment in Canada’s military, there is tremendous opportunity […]

Changes to involuntary care a small step on right path

November 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Safe Communities, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber applauds efforts to improve the rules regarding involuntary care for people suffering from severe mental illness or addiction. When a human being is unable to seek help on their own, difficult decisions must be made to remove that person from situations that could cause harm to themselves or others. After many years of […]

Chamber supports temporary tax relief for downtown

November 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Fair Rules, Government Local, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

The City of Victoria continues to work on reducing the increase taxpayers will face in 2026. Council recently passed a motion, supported by The Chamber, that will see 47 downtown properties save thousands of dollars on property taxes. The temporary tax relief is an expansion of the program that assisted businesses in the Harris Green […]

Chamber hosts Victoria Mayor for frank discussion on safety

November 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Chamber News, Government Local, Safe Communities, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

More than 130 people filled the Centennial Ballroom in the Union Club of BC yesterday to hear an update on downtown safety from City of Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto. The event was sponsored by PwC. The Mayor spoke frankly about the dire need to take urgent action, acknowledging that businesses were facing too much stress […]

Message from the CEO on Business Award nominations

November 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness/by Jim Zeeben

We know times are challenging for many businesses. We also know that successful entrepreneurs and business leaders inspire us to carry on. So as we head into 2026, let’s work together to celebrate all of our stories of success. They help us through difficult times and empower us to do the work needed to build […]

Chamber welcomes renewed focus on industry

November 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Provincial, New And Established Businesses/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber applauds the recent launch of Look West, a provincial strategy to invest in the economy through major projects and a focus on industry. The aim is to build off recent announcements by the federal government to prioritize projects that will grow Canada’s economy and increase future revenue. “As important as the specific projects […]

BC promises to double funding for trades training

November 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

Twice as much money is being allocated to train British Columbians in needed trades, the provincial government announced last week. Over the next three years, trades-training programs in BC will receive $241 million. This money will: increase per-seat funding for apprentice programs address waiting lists for industrial trades advance skilled-trades certification, beginning with crane operators ensure […]

Grants available for community safety projects

November 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The provincial government is accepting applications for the 2025-26 Civil Forfeiture Grant program. This year, organizations can submit applications for projects that help with: crime prevention gender-based violence Indigenous healing and restorative justice. The Civil Forfeiture Office was established in 2006 to redirect the proceeds of crime back into community safety and crime prevention programs. […]