Ferries celebrates milestone for zero-emission ships

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The new boats might symbolize the future of ferry service, but a recent ceremony marking a significant construction milestone dates back to the age of wooden ships.

On Nov. 1, BC Ferries celebrated the successful keel laying of the first two of four fully electric Island Class vessels at Damen Shipyards Galați in Romania.

“The keel laying is a significant milestone, not just in the construction of these ships, but in our journey to provide enhanced capacity and service reliability for our customers while moving towards a cleaner, more sustainable fleet,” BC Ferries CEO and President Nicolas Jimenez said in a media release. “These ferries will not only reduce our environmental impact, but also increase capacity, improve service reliability and provide a quieter, more efficient travel experience for our customers.”

Jimenez, who will speak at a Chamber Business Leaders breakfast on Nov. 26, welded a coin to the central frame above the keel of each vessel, symbolizing good fortune for the ship and its future passengers. The coin chosen is a 1 oz pure silver coin, depicting five orcas off British Columbia coast.

BC Ferries plans to begin using the zero-emission ferries by 2027 on routes between Nanaimo and Gabriola Island, and Campbell River and Quadra Island. Each vessel will carry up to 390 passengers and 47 vehicles, operating with zero emissions by utilizing renewable shore power for battery charging. They will replace older vessels and expand the Island Class fleet, which already includes six hybrid diesel-battery electric ferries introduced in recent years.

On Nov. 11, remember those who gave us freedom

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As we honour members of the Armed Forces and their sacrifices this Remembrance Day, The Chamber is proud to have a long history of commemorating the soldiers who paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

After the First World War, The Chamber was instrumental in helping create Memorial Avenue along Shelbourne Street.

Shelbourne was chosen as it offered enough space to commemorate every soldier from the city who died in the war. Chamber members helped plan the project and business owners rolled up their sleeves to dig holes for the trees.

During the Second World War, The Chamber’s advocacy focused on supporting the war effort and ensuring local representation on national boards.

On Nov. 11, the Royal Canadian Legion Trafalgar/Pro Patria Branch #292 will serve as the host Legion brach of BC’s official Remembrance Day service at the Provincial Cenotaph in front of the Legislature from 10:30 am – 12 pm.

Greater Victoria municipalities are also hosting ceremonies in the region.

As well, BC Ferries, BC Transit and TransLink are offering complimentary travel for veterans on Remembrance Day.

The Chamber will be closed Nov. 11, and we hope it is a day of reflection and remembrance for all.

Premier’s new cabinet will be sworn in Nov. 18

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BC Premier David Eby announced today that a new cabinet will be sworn in Nov. 18, at Government House.

The Premier will present his recommendations for cabinet to BC’s Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin, thereby establishing the new government.

Newly elected MLAs will be sworn in and formally invited to take their seats in the legislature prior to cabinet’s swearing in. The Opposition caucus and BC Green Party MLAs are scheduled to be sworn in on Nov. 12. Government caucus MLAs will be sworn in on Nov. 13.

The swearing-in dates have been set based on judicial recounts and reporting information from Elections BC.

Regional ripples will be felt in wake of US elections

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The US elections wrapped up yesterday with Republican Donald Trump winning convincingly over Democrat Kamala Harris. The Republican party also controls the US Senate and House.

The result of this election will be felt globally.

To get a sense of the impact on our region, The Chamber’s Public Policy and Advocacy committee invited two subject matter experts to address the committee at their monthly meeting yesterday.

Stephen Tapp, Chief Economist with the Canadian Chamber, spoke about the significance of US-Canada trade and the important advocacy work already being done with individual states that rely on Canadian materials and services.

The committee also heard from Wilfrid Greaves, a University of Victoria Associate Professor and Undergraduate Director in the Department of Political Science. He provided a high-level look at the US’s power as the world’s largest economy and military, and where Canada intersects with the US on the world stage.

On a local level, The Chamber will continue to advocate for certainty in supply chains that serve Vancouver Island and call on all levels of government to protect the interest of our region’s diverse economic sectors.

Historic night as Chamber welcomes 2024 inductees into Business Hall of Fame

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The Chamber Business Hall of Fame celebration at the Fairmont Empress was attended by close to 250 people who joyfully applauded stories of this year’s inductees and their life’s work.

Historic night as Chamber welcomes 2024 inductees into Business Hall of Fame
It was a night for the history books. With about 250 people in attendance in the Crystal Ballroom at the Fairmont Empress, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce welcomed five new additions into the Business Hall of Fame, presented by RBC.

The Times Colonist, CHEK Media, Michael Williams, the Yuen family-Fairway Market and Alan Lowe were selected for their role in shaping our community’s quality of life and developing our region’s economy.

“It was great to have such a positive celebration of our Greater Victoria business community,” Chamber Chair Kris Wirk said. “This year’s inductees join an impressive group already in the Business Hall of Fame and serve as inspiration for everyone working together to build good business and great community for all.”

This year’s inductees have been instrumental in forming our sense of culture and understanding of place.

“It truly had the feel of a historic night and everyone who was there will be able to look back for years to come and say they were there to experience it,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “The Business Hall of Fame is an idea that many people believed in, especially our presenting sponsor RBC. With the 2024 inductees, we have a growing list of business leaders who have been fundamental to the growth and development of Greater Victoria.”
Read the Full Media Release

City of Victoria seeks input on 2025 Draft Budget

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The Chamber works with municipalities year round to provide information about the importance of investing in local business. One of the most important ways a municipality can help is by being aware of the burden of property taxes. The private sector creates jobs and provides goods and services that improve quality of life for all citizens. Local business make communities healthier. A healthy business environment allows a municipality to grow a resilient tax base and provides revenue certainty for the future.

As a Chamber member, you can help share this message by providing feedback to your municipality. Right now the City of Victoria is seeking input on its 2025 draft budge, currently set at $365.6 million in operating costs and $94.6 million in capital improvements.

Go to engage.victoria.ca to see what’s proposed and how you provide written feedback by email, or a pre-recorded video up to five minutes in length.

Sick notes an unnecessary burden on doctors: CMA

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If your organization requires staff to provide a note from their doctor for sick days, take note that the Canadian Medical Association is lobbying to make this practice a thing of the past.

“Sick notes are not a health systems issue, they’re a human resources issue,” CMA president Dr. Joss Reimer said in a media release. “We understand that organizations have policies in place to manage their human resources, but when 6.5 million Canadians don’t have access to a family doctor and patients wait far too long for specialty care, physicians need to focus their time caring for patients who need medical care. We need to be there for patients who need us when they need us.”

A survey found that one-third of employers require notes from doctors for sick days.

The CMA is asking for legislative changes to restrict the requirement for sick notes and promote alternatives that improve the overall efficiency of the health care system.

Greater Victoria cruise ship season concludes today

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Today marks the end of cruise ship season as the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority welcomed the 316th ship to call at the Breakwater District at Ogden Point this year.

More than 700,000 passengers of about 930,000 that arrived here disembarked their ship and explored Victoria’s attractions, landmarks and restaurants.

“The industry remains a strong economic driver for Victoria. The Alaska itinerary is an important growth market,” GVHA CEO Robert Lewis-Manning said in a media release. “The GVHA team is already looking towards the future, with a similar number of cruise ship calls anticipated for 2025. We will continue listening to our communities and improving the cruise experience for passengers, local businesses and residents to ensure everyone benefits from this growing sector.”

Our cruise ship industry contributes $130 million annually to Greater Victoria’s economy and helps create 800 jobs. The Breakwater District at Ogden Point is Canada’s busiest port for ship calls.

“The Chamber has supported the development of our region’s cruise industry since ships began calling at Ogden Point. Every cruise ship season now provides a substantial contribution to our regional economy and its workforce,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “Of course, as with every industry, there are always challenges, especially around the environment. I think all of us take pride in our region’s well-deserved reputation for climate action leadership, and in the work being done locally by the cruise ship industry to reduce its carbon footprint. The Chamber will continue to support our community partners, and I expect we’ll see more innovations led by business brought in before the start of next year’s cruise season.”

Saanich making plans to address major challenges

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It’s the biggest and most populous municipality on Vancouver Island, so, when the District of Saanich makes plans, it pays to pay attention.

Saanich has created a draft plan for Quadra McKenzie that will help transform the area over the next 20 years. The plan addresses challenges such as housing and climate change as well as suggesting ways to add public spaces, services and amenities.

The busy crossroads is home to the Saanich Operations Centre, which is undergoing a redevelopment project of its own. Property owned by the municipality will be leveraged to increase rental housing by as many as 600 units.

Saanich council also recently adopted an innovative road safety plan that aims to eliminate fatal crashes.

“I’m really excited to have the first road safety action plan on Vancouver Island,” Saanich Coun. Teale Phelps Bondaroff told the Times Colonist. “The approach we have here is a really good start to getting us towards Vision Zero.”

Better policies key to helping small businesses grow

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It’s often said that small businesses are the backbone of their communities, and a new report shows that the numbers back up that claim.

The Canadian Chamber’s Business Data Lab recently published Scaling Success: Enabling Small Businesses to Grow. Among its findings are that nearly 70% of private-sector jobs are created by small businesses. The report also shows that businesses projecting high growth are typically between five and 19 employees, are owned by immigrants or visible minorities and have been operating between three and 10 years.

In order to grow, the biggest challenges facing businesses are access to financing and technology, as well as a supportive policy environment that provides opportunities to export.

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