BizNews

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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Bank of Canada drops interest rate for first time in four years

Finally. The weather forecast calls for clear skies and warm days this weekend, the HarbourCats have fireworks planned for Saturday night, after their homeopener on Friday — and the Bank of Canada has taken the initial step to reduce the pain of high interest rates. For the first time since March 2020, the bank lowered […]

Real estate market showing signs of spring thaw

The Victoria Real Estate Board released its latest take on the region’s market this week, before the change in interest rates was announced. “A lot of folks who have been watching the market over recent years may find that now is a good time to sell and buy as market conditions have changed for the […]

Building Permit Hub going live in Saanich, Victoria

More homes. That’s the simple answer to so many of the complex challenges affecting our economy — from attracting and keeping workers to providing shelter for people camping on city streets. The Chamber consistently advocates for policy changes and investment that will boost our housing supply. And we applaud the latest announcement this week that […]

Pack the park for HarbourCats home opener June 7

Few experiences top going to the ballpark to watch a game in-person. Fans of the Victoria HarbourCats get their first chance to cheer on the home team next week at Wilson’s Group Stadium at Royal Athletic Park. The H’Cats play the Wenatchee Applesox at 6:30 pm and the early forecast calls for sunny skies and […]

VicPD warns of payroll frauds making the rounds

The Victoria Police Department is warning area businesses to be wary of “direct deposit diversion” or “payroll” frauds after a reported loss of more than $50,000 in wages. “These frauds typically involve a ‘phishing’ type fraud where an employer or HR department receives an email that appears to be from an employee who is asking […]

Inflation slows again in April, raising hope for rate cut

Make sure to circle June 5 on your calendar after Statistics Canada’s latest figures show inflation continues to slow down. The Consumer Price Index for April rose by 2.7%, compared to 2.9% in March. If you take gas prices out of the equation, the CPI was actually down to 2.5% in April. “April’s CPI report […]

Victoria council discusses future of downtown traffic

The Chamber is working to engage with members and our partner organizations to make sure the voice of business is heard on proposals that will impact traffic in downtown Victoria. The City of Victoria is looking at extending dedicated bus lanes along Douglas Street, potentially reworking the busy corridor to focus on transit. The idea […]

Canucks lift spirits, boost BC’s hospitality industry

There’s still plenty of room for diehard fans as well as those new to the bandwagon. The Vancouver Canucks Stanley Cup playoff run has been a pleasant experience for many of the province’s pubs and restaurants. In Greater Victoria, a number of Chamber members are supporting fans by showing games on their big screens. The […]

Social media platforms agree to call for better safety

Social media companies have agreed to work with the provincial government and do better at protecting British Columbians. “Helping young people stay safe online is one of the most important challenges facing parents, governments and technology companies today,” reads a joint statement from the province along with Meta, Google, TikTok, Snap, and X. “This historic […]

Labour rate drops in April as more people working

April’s unemployment rate dipped to 4.5% in Greater Victoria, according to Statistics Canada’s latest figures. That’s down from 4.8% in March. The region’s labour force grew to 244,000 in April compared to 242,000 in March. Nationally, the unemployment rate was 6.1% in April, unchanged from March after dropping consecutively for six months previously. Provincially, the […]

Munro’s Books co-founder and famous author passes

Internationally renowned author Alice Munro died yesterday. She was 92. The Canadian icon married Jim Munro in 1951 and the couple opened Munro’s Books in 1963 on Yates Street. The store moved to its current neo-classical building on Government Street in 1984. Alice and Jim divorced in the 1970s, and Jim passed away in 2016, […]

Our Place aims to house Pandora campers by January

The CEO of Our Place Society announced yesterday that he hopes to find homes by the end of the year for people living on the street in the 900-block of Pandora Ave. “It distresses me to see so many displaced people,” Our Place CEO Julian Daly said in a media release. “No one should be […]