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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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Region’s unemployment up, but still lowest in Canada

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria employers continue to face pressure from a tight labour market. Our region’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9% in June, up from 3.7% in May. Greater Victoria’s employment rate was 65.2% in June. Those numbers compare to national rates of 6.9% unemployment and 60.9% employment. Our region consistently has among the lowest unemployment […]

Sticky inflation means July interest rate cut unlikely

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

The latest inflation figures have dampened the chances that Canadians will get further debt relief this summer. The Consumer Price Index was 1.9% in June, up from 1.7% in May. “Price pressures edged higher as goods inflation picked up again. While the jump was mostly brought on by base effects from gasoline prices, underlying inflation […]

Save Our Streets meets with feds about public safety

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Federal, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber is a founding member of the Save Our Streets coalition, which met this week with the entire BC federal Liberal caucus. SOS representatives asked what was being done to curb crime, violence and public disorder disrupting and threatening communities throughout the province. “British Columbians are at a tipping point … and are demanding […]

Tiresome tariff talk compounds flagging confidence

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness/by Jim Zeeben

Summer is traditionally a time to slow down and reenergize, but the trade talk coming out of the Whitehouse feels like spam through a faulty email filter. “Like most copy-and-paste chain-letters, this latest tariff threat from the US promises disaster if its warnings and predictions aren’t taken seriously. But it’s the senselessness of this tradewar […]

Chamber supports airport’s plan to grow business

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery/by Jim Zeeben

The Victoria Airport Authority is hoping to speed up its growth as a major economic contributor to our region. In 2023, the airport released a Master Plan for the next 20 years. However, as passenger arrivals and departures surge, the airport says the time is now to invest in its future. Airport Authority President and […]

Construction begins on first downtown hotel in 20 years

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery/by Jim Zeeben

Six years after The Chamber signaled its support for a new hotel in downtown Victoria, work finally began this week. The new eight-storey Hyatt-branded hotel will have 167-rooms. It’s located at Broad and Johnson streets and expected to be completed by 2028. Chard Development began working on the the project before the pandemic and was […]

Saanich to hear amalgamation report July 14

July 14, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

The District of Saanich announced today it will receive a formal presentation and begin next steps on July 14 on the report recommending Saanich and the City of Victoria amalgamate has been published and can be viewed online. Chamber members have long called for this to happen and The Chamber was an early voice for […]

Jo Campbell remembered as legendary philanthropist

July 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness/by Jim Zeeben

One of Greater Victoria’s most legendary philanthropists has died at the age of 85. Jo Campbell was co-founder of Thrifty Foods along with her husband Alex Campbell, who was named Chamber Lifetime Achievement winner in 2009 and inducted into The Chamber Business Hall of Fame in 2022. “Jo and Alex were a team working together to create and grow Thrifty Foods […]

Deuce Days returns to Greater Victoria next week

July 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery/by Jim Zeeben

One of our region’s most spectacular events is returning next week for the first time since 2022. The 11th edition of Northwest Deuce Days runs July 17-20. It is known as the world’s largest gathering of 1932 Fords — nicknamed Deuces and beloved for their distinctive front grill — as well as many more pre-1952 vehicles. The gathering […]

Saanich hears from public on Quadra McKenzie Plan

July 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

A revised Draft Quadra McKenzie Plan will go back to the public for further input this fall, after the District of Saanich Council heard from residents who are passionate about the area. “The Quadra McKenzie planning process has sparked unprecedented public involvement,” Saanich Mayor Dean Murdock said. “Council has listened closely, and we have directed staff to revise the plan based […]

Strong start to summer for real estate market

July 9, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Housing/by Jim Zeeben

The latest numbers offer more evidence Greater Victoria’s real estate sector has moved beyond the uncertainty that had disrupted markets over the past five years. “Recent market trends suggest that we have finally transitioned from a pandemic-driven market to more conventional patterns,” Victoria Real Estate Board Chair Dirk VanderWal said. “We have experienced consecutive months of a healthy and […]