BizNews This Week Archives - Page 2 of 30

Bay Street Bridge repair work will run until summer

January 28, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Streamlined Regional Regulations, Transportation Options

The Bay Street Bridge — formally the Point Ellice Bridge — is set for major upgrades starting in the second week of February.

Construction will take until the end of spring and includes replacing the bridge’s expansion joints to accommodate a wider range of temperature changes and upgrading the drainage system, which dates back to 1957.

Eastbound traffic into downtown Victoria will be closed for the duration of the project. Westbound traffic, pedestrian and wheelchair access will remain open.

The Point Ellice Bridge was originally constructed in 1957 on the foundations of a bridge dating back to 1903. The upcoming work follows earlier efforts to maintain the bridge’s structural integrity.

Support stronger reforms to crime prevention laws

January 28, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Chamber News, Government Federal, Safe Communities

Are you tired of seeing stories about repeat offenders creating chaos with downtown businesses? The Chamber has been an outspoken advocate for urgent changes from all levels of government, including federal. We supported their initial reform effort, but are now ramping up efforts to expand the changes.

You can help by emailing the Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and voicing your support for our efforts. The Chamber has adopted a formal letter we are working on with community partners that our members can use for an email campaign. If you want to support this, add your name and organization to the bottom of the info below, and then copy and paste the into an email to JUST@parl.gc.ca.

RE: Urgent amendments required to Bill C-14

I am writing to urge the federal government to strengthen Bill C-14 so it addresses the crisis of repeat property crime affecting downtowns, main streets and neighbourhoods across Canada.

In Greater Victoria, chronic theft, vandalism and street disorder have reached a breaking point. While Bill C-14 focuses on violent offences, it must also confront the repeated non-violent crimes that are devastating businesses, eliminating family-supporting jobs and undermining public safety.

Staff and customers face regular threats, employers cannot retain workers, and once-vibrant neighbourhoods are now widely perceived as unsafe.

Most troubling is the persistent release of prolific offenders. Individuals with dozens — sometimes more than 100 — theft convictions are routinely released on bail and reoffend within days, often at the same stores. This revolving door has eroded confidence in the justice system to the point many crimes now go unreported.

To address this, we urge the Committee to amend Bill C-14 to:

Include repeat offenders with significant histories of theft, vandalism or bail breaches in the reverse onus and bail-condition provisions.
Require courts to consider tertiary grounds for detention for prolific non-violent offenders, including chronic shoplifting.
Apply the new aggravating factor for retail crime to prolific shoplifters.
Rebalance the Principle of Restraint to restore proportionality in bail and sentencing decisions.
Permit consecutive sentencing for prolific non-violent offenders.

Without these changes, Bill C-14 will not address the crimes most damaging to communities and local economies. We urge you to act decisively.

Sincerely,

Name

Organization

Risk-screening tool helps police respond to crises

January 28, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Global Uncertainty, Safe Communities

Businesses in Greater Victoria care deeply about our community and the Chamber has a long history of calling for investing in mental health supports. This week, the province announced that Greater Victoria police departments will now have access to a tool that supports officers responding to people experiencing a mental health crisis.

HealthIM is a digital public-safety system that works by guiding responding officers through a series of questions to help facilitate a better assessment of the person in crisis. The evidence-based risk-screening tool also improves communication with health-care partners by using consistent clinical language and provides critical information to doctors and nurses immediately.

“At VicPD, we’re proud to be among the agencies implementing HealthIM to strengthen how we respond to mental health crises,” VicPD Chief Const. Fiona Wilson said. “By using consistent data rather than subjective interpretation, HealthIM helps police, health-care and community partners make better-informed decisions together.”

City staff hear from business about noise bylaw concerns

January 28, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Chamber News, Government Local, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Transportation Options

Chamber members were able to offer business-focused solutions to City of Victoria staff today during a roundtable discussion in the Chamber boardroom.

The City of Victoria is looking to modernize its 23-year-old noise bylaw. The bylaw affects everything from delivery truck traffic to industrial activity to music festivals. As such, it’s vital that business operators have a say in how any changes will impact them.

“We have been clear with the city that businesses need to be heard. We need to be part of any discussion that will affect us and not simply be told after the fact,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said. “Today’s session was a good effort to reach out to the business community and hear about real concerns and real solutions.”

If you weren’t able to attend today’s event, there’s still time to fill out a survey specifically for businesses located in Victoria that will help city staff understand operational requirements and experiences with noise issues. The survey closes Feb. 8.

New shelter spaces help move people off the streets

January 21, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Government Provincial, Safe Communities

Moving vulnerable people off of cold downtown streets is urgently needed as part of efforts to improve safety for all. This week’s news that 34 new shelter spaces will open in a former Victoria public-works building is a step in the right direction.

The Bridge Street Pathways Shelter, at 2920 Bridge St., is a 6,000-square-foot two-storey building on fenced property. Shelter spaces are only available if referred by outreach teams that will connect with people living outdoors on Pandora Avenue, Ellice Street and other areas downtown.

A non-profit housing association will operate the shelter 24/7, and provide on-site case management and washrooms. The shelter is funded for three years, including $6 million from the province and $700,000 from the City of Victoria.

Restaurant association seeks World Cup partners

January 21, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery

The BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association has officially secured the foodservice contract, “Taste the Beautiful Game – BC Style,” which will run during the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
“The province-wide program aims to help restaurants host watch parties, drive traffic, celebrate BC-grown food and drink, and share in the economic benefits of this once-in-a-generation moment,” the BCRFA newsletter said this week.
Businesses need to register and spaces will be limited. Participating businesses receive free toolkits to help activate event traffic and boost visibility, step-by-step support to host high-energy fan experiences and curated concepts to showcase BC flavours during the tournament. The program also provides easy-to-follow guides to provincial requirements and provincewide promotion.

Safer city conference a good reminder more work needed

January 21, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Government Local, Government Provincial, Safe Communities

The City of Victoria hosted a full-day conference on Wednesday to reiterate its exceptionally thorough and nuanced Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan originally released in June 2025.

The Spark and Shift conference included speeches from Mayor Marianne Alto, VicPD Police Chief Fiona Wilson and others. Break-out discussions centred around prevention, intervention and response were planned for the afternoon.

“Downtown safety is top of mind for many businesses, so we appreciate the effort that went into today’s conference,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said after the morning portion of the conference. “That said, businesses need to see urgent action that improves downtown immediately — as well as for the long term.”

The Chamber is calling on the provincial government to prioritize public safety in Downtown Victoria in next month’s budget. We’re also partnering on a campaign calling for the federal government to strengthen amendments to Bill C-14 to change how bail conditions are applied to repeat offenders. We want the law to include chronic property crime offenders as well as those who commit violent acts. We believe this will help remove the relatively small number of criminals who are responsible for an outsized number of crimes.

More details will be shared with Chamber members in the weeks ahead.

Workforce challenges reflected in low unemployment

January 15, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal, Government Provincial

Every year, The Chamber conducts a survey of our membership to help us stay on top of issues affecting your business. One of the challenges that has been near the top of list for more than a decade is finding and keeping workers.

The latest numbers from Statistics Canada show that, at 4.3%, Greater Victoria has third lowest unemployment rate in the country. The solution is complex and involves addressing the cost of living for working families. We need fewer regulatory burdens so that we can attract investment in housing, child care and transportation — three of the highest costs families face when considering where they will live and work.

The Chamber has called for regional exemptions to immigration policies, such as Temporary Foreign Workers, that many organizations in our region have relied on. We want the federal and provincial governments to acknowledge that a one-size-fits-all approach is flawed, and that our region should not be punished because of the actions of bad actors in other jurisdictions.

Cultural District plan would transform downtown

January 15, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Government Local, New And Established Businesses, Safe Communities

A proposal that reimagines a section of downtown Victoria has been approved to move to the next step. Victoria council voted unanimously to approve the plans that Reliance Properties have for a new Capital Culture District.

The development would transform the area between 530 Chatham St. and the 1800 to 2000 block of Store St. into a neighbourhood supporting industry, arts and innovation.

The Chamber lent its support to the proposal through a video and letter to council.

“The proposal to build a Capital Culture District aligns with our mandate and we believe will help revitalize and reconnect this vital area of Downtown Victoria,” The Chamber’s letter stated. “Adding vibrancy and livability to downtown will help solve challenges around housing supply and safe communities … The proposal includes much needed parking, and preserve light industrial activities near our historic working harbour.”

Final approval for the development will be made at a yet to be determined date.

BC Health Minister addresses addiction crisis

January 15, 2026/in BizNews This Week, Safe Communities

BC’s Minister of Health Josie Osborne announced today that the province was ending its failed experiment with decriminalizing hard drugs. The province is also expanding its hotline for people seeking help with addictions, promising to speed up the time it takes to provide treatment.

“This is welcome news for businesses that have been frustrated watching vulnerable people in need not getting the help they are asking for,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said. “It’s time to move on from what clearly has not been working and focus on what organizations that care about our community have been calling for — a safe downtown starts with helping those who can’t help themselves and protecting them from predators.”

The Access Central phone line is active with Island Health, at 1-888-885-8824 from 9 am to 7:45 pm. The idea is to provide a simple access point to get a clinical assessment within 24 hours. Callers can then be referred to a detox facility for appropriate treatment, followed by support during their ongoing recovery.

“When someone makes the vulnerable and brave decision to seek help for substance use, they need access to treatment and care quickly,” Island Health Board Chair

Leah Hollins said in the media release.