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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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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 […]

Chamber hosts series of meetings with fed leaders

August 28, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

It’s another productive week at The Chamber as staff have been busy hosting federal leaders in our new Garry Oak Boardroom. On Tuesday, The Chamber invited members to participate in pre-budget consultations with Parliamentary Secretary Ryan Turnbull. The meeting was one of the final stops for Turnbull, who listened attentively to suggestions on how government […]

Inflation holds steady despite ongoing tradewar risks

August 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Global Uncertainty, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

So far, so good. The latest numbers from Statistics Canada show inflation remains well within target range, raising the possibility of a further interest rate cut next month. “This is a positive inflation report on many fronts as price pressures ease for goods and services,” Canadian Chamber principal economist Andrew DiCapua said. “Sticky core measures […]

Curious how LNG could impact Greater Victoria?

August 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Climate Change Solutions, Global Uncertainty, Housing, Indigenous Business Support And Reconciliation, Inflation And Rising Costs, New And Established Businesses, Streamlined Regional Regulations, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

Natural gas has a long history as a game-changing source of energy. From the old slogan, “Now you’re cooking with gas” to recent proposals aimed at boosting BC’s economy and helping wean the world off coal, LNG has made plenty of headlines. Chamber members have a chance to dig deeper into those stories and others […]

Boardroom meeting with fed Minister open to members

August 20, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Government Federal, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, New And Established Businesses/by Jim Zeeben

Being a Chamber member means being part of the unapologetic Voice of Business for our region. That means opportunities to speak directly to top decision-makers, such as the Hon. Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), who will be visiting The Chamber’s boardroom next week. The […]

Military pay raise a boost for region’s economy

August 13, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria’s economic ties to Canada’s military go back more than a century. Today, our business community has a symbiotic relationship with CFB Esquimalt, home to more than 4,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel. “We know the base benefits our community in many ways, from purchasing goods and supplies from local businesses to providing thousands of […]