BizNews This Week Archives - Victoria Chamber

Mental health support vital for safer communities

July 23, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Provincial, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

A healthy community is a safer community, and The Chamber continues to call for smart investments that help people achieve wellness required to reach their potential.

Connections Place, a community-based organization that helps people diagnosed with mental illness, recently received $500,000. The non-profit offers employment, education and recreation initiatives that foster hope, opportunity and purpose. Their initiatives help people get the support they need, and break cycles of crisis and interactions with the justice system.

“At Connections Place, our focus is on improving quality of life in our region, starting with those who need it most,” Connections Place executive director Neelam Pahal said. “Every day, our clubhouse creates space for people living with mental illness to find purpose, connection and hope. The momentum we’ve experienced recently reflects a growing understanding of the value of recovery-oriented community supports. Through strong partnerships across sectors, we’re building something meaningful here in Victoria, something that we believe can inspire broader change in the future.”

In 2024-25, more than 182 active members accessed services at Connections Place, with 8,880 total visits and 6,417 total meals served.

Serious crime down in Victoria, recent report says

July 23, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Government Provincial, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The latest numbers show serious crimes have decreased in the City of Victoria, according to Statistics Canada’s Crime severity index.

“We’ve put a significant amount of effort into crime prevention and disrupting nonviolent crime, and I commend all of our officers, reserves and volunteers for this positive outcome,” VicPD Chief Del Manak told Black Press.

Victoria-Swan Lake MLA Nina Krieger, who was recently named Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General said the numbers are good news but more still needs to be done.

“While these results are promising, we know we have more work to do and there are specific areas where we need to renew our focus,” Krieger said in a media release. “If you are the victim of a theft or an attack, these statistics do not make you feel any safer.”

Provincially, the crime severity index is at its lowest level in six years, with homicides down 24%, robberies down 8% and mischief down by 4%.

Esquimalt launches new business, investment portal

July 23, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Government Local/by Jim Zeeben

The Township of Esquimalt has launched a new website aimed at attracting investment and helping current businesses.

WhyEsquimalt.ca includes information about the economic landscape in the Township.

“Storytelling is a powerful tool and this new dedicated website will serve to strengthen Esquimalt’s place brand identity by showcasing a unified narrative around livability, opportunity and quality of life,” Esquimalt Mayor Barbara Desjardins said.

An interactive community profile dashboard, business success stories and

resource hub for guides and grants are part of the site.

Chamber network continues to call for red tape reduction

July 23, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Government Federal, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber continues to call for reduced red tape across all levels of government.

According to the latest update from the Business Conditions Terminal for Greater Victoria, conditions remain challenging with the number of active businesses at 11,300, a slight increase (0.5%) from a year ago.

Businesses are encouraged to help shape Chamber advocacy efforts through tools such as the Red Tape Review. This survey seeks specific feedback on regulatory irritants. The results will be used in direct consultation with federal ministries as they work to streamline government.

Provincially, there was good news as BC signed agreements to ease interprovincial trade with Ontario, Manitoba and the Yukon. The Chamber has been calling for reduced restrictions for east-west trade for years. The move helps Canada’s economy overall and lessens the over-reliance on southern trade routes with American states.

The agreement will make it easier for regulated trades and professions to work in any of the jurisdictions. The deal with Ontario also improves the ability for alcohol producers to access either market.

The agreements were signed during a gathering of all 13 provincial and territorial premiers at the Council of the Federation meeting this week.

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 rates in the country, and The Chamber has called on the federal government to grant our region an exemption on the restrictions imposed last year to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

Finding and Keeping workers has been cited as a top advocacy priority by Chamber members for almost a decade. And while the latest numbers show access to labour continues to be an issue, the national numbers do offer optimism for businesses facing the uncertainty of an ongoing tradewar with the US.

“Canada’s labour market remains strong and resilient despite tariffs and counter-tariff measures. The market shows signs of marginal improvement across many parameters, a result of trade-partner diversification,” Canadian Chamber economist Anupriya Gangopadhyay said. “Employment rose to its new peak for the year, especially in the manufacturing sector after consecutive declines. At present it is hard to gauge exactly when or if at all the impact of tariffs will break this momentum. But this outcome may nudge the Bank of Canada to deliver fewer than the two rate cuts in the remaining half of the year, as expected earlier.”

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 remains stubborn,” Canadian Chamber Principal Economist Andrew DiCapua said. “Seasonal factors — particularly in vehicle sales — also helped keep inflation higher. This will weigh heavily on the Bank of Canada, especially as retaliatory tariffs begin to feed through and businesses warn of rising consumer prices. Despite recent economic data presenting a weaker outlook, our call is for a hold on the policy rate at the next Bank of Canada meeting.”

The Bank of Canada, which aims to keep inflation about 2%, will hold its next interest rate announcement on July 30.

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 action,” SOS’s Clint Mahlman said. “People have lost faith in our justice system as a result of lack of bail efficiency and the revolving door that repeat offenders find so accommodating and that contributes to the degradation of safety on our streets.”

It’s time for all levels of government to stop blaming each other, and for senior governments to change the judicial system. The BC caucus was given a list of changes to bring back to Ottawa:

· effective bail reform targeting repeat theft and street disorder offenders

· federal dollars to provincial governments, with performance strings attached, for building out a full continuum of care for individuals suffering from addictions and mental illnesses

· a national bail repository so prosecutors can easily and quickly determine if an arrestee is out on bail with existing warrants in different jurisdictions across Canada and

· proper resourcing for the judiciary.

“Victoria council recently re-allocated $10.35m to combat these issues in Victoria and, unfortunately, many of the issues to be addressed are the realm of senior governments,” said Downtown Victoria Business Association CEO Jeff Bray, who also sits on the SOS Board.

Bray also urged the government caucus to not renew BC’s unique exemption from Health Canada’s Controlled Drugs and Substances Act. Our province is serving as guinea pig for a trial project that decriminalizes certain hard drug possession until Jan. 31, 2026. The experience here, and in Oregon where a similar pilot was attempted, has been a failure.

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 that is the real tragedy,” Canadian Chamber President and CEO Candace Laing said. “Having spent months under on-again, off-again tariffs and threats, Canadians already know just how damaging this can be — both to our economy and the relationship we’ve enjoyed with our southern neighbour for decades.”

In Greater Victoria, Chamber Past Chair Kris Wirk told CHEK News that many members are already pivoting their business to other markets or services that avoid the US.

“The fact that there’s moving goal posts and moving deadlines makes it difficult for businesses,” Wirk said, noting many people are making changes to help weather the length of the current US administration’s time in office. “I think the past is a good indicator of the future so we may be in for a long four (or three-and-a-half) years.”

According to the Conference Board of Canada, the uncertainty is making businesses cautious during a season that typically sees growth. The Index of Business Confidence decreased by 1.5 points this quarter, falling to its lowest level outside of the pandemic.

“Over 40% of respondents cited weak market demand and government policies as the two leading factors holding back planned investment,” the Board said. “Until these challenges ease, business investment is expected to remain restrained.”

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 CEO Elizabeth Brown told CHEK News that June was 5% busier than the same month last year.

“That’s a significant amount of more passengers. We will exceed two million passengers this year,” Brown told CHEK. “We feel that currently this terminal is not equipped to be able to handle this passenger level that we have today. So we have to look at immediate solves and also long-term planning.”

Among the projects under consideration are expanded capacity for people waiting to board flights.

“Having the expansion to allow more growth in tourism, as well as for locals, is great for Greater Victoria’s economy,” Chamber CEO John Wilson told CHEK.

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 supported by The Chamber through letters and presentations to the City of Victoria.

Once built, the hotel will add about $14.9 million to our region’s economy and provide accommodations for almost 100,000 people every year. About 200 people will be needed to work at the hotel once operational, and more than 460 jobs will be created during construction.

The site of the new hotel will include walls and facades that date back to as far as 131-years-ago.