Chamber Awareness Archives - Page 2 of 8

Premier walks back contentious parts of Bill 7

April 2, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber applauds the provincial government for listening to our concerns, and those of other business organizations, and removing many of the autocratic elements of Bill 7.

The legislation, as initially proposed, would give BC’s Cabinet broad powers without the need to be accountable to the elected legislature. On March 28, Premier David Eby agreed that Bill 7 needs “safeguards.”

The Chamber supports parts of the Bill that aim to make the provincial economy stronger. Specifically, the goal of reducing barriers for interprovincial trade.

“Interprovincial trade drives one-fifth of Canada’s GDP, yet internal trade barriers still act like a 21% tariff,” Canadian Chamber Public Policy Chief Matthew Holmes said. “Removing them could boost GDP per capita by 4%. That’s real growth — right here at home — at a time when businesses and workers need it most. Internal trade must be a key aspect of our Canada-U.S. trade strategy — let’s control what we can control.”

Canada escapes crosshairs as US takes aim at foreign trade

April 2, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

Businesses watching today’s tariff announcements from the US administration can be forgiven for feeling more confused than ever. Canadians have been coping with economic anxiety for months due to threats of broad-based tariffs and other measures.

However, on the day that US President Donald Trump promised to unveil his master economic plan for world trade, Canada was barely mentioned.

“At this point, I don’t think anyone is surprised that today’s announcement did not provide a lot of clarity,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’ll take some time to analyze what official information is available and what it means for Greater Victoria.”

The initial impression is that Canadian goods under CUSMA will not face tariffs, while goods not covered will have a 10% tariff. It’s also not clear how Canada’s auto industry will actually be affected by a tariff on foreign auto makers.

Greater Victoria’s economy is among the least exposed Canadian cities when it comes to exporting. However, the sabre rattling that comes with talk of a tradewar creates uncertainty, which can bog down business.

“We will get through this, as we have every other crisis in the past, by supporting each other and our communities any way we can,” Williams said. “If there is a silver lining, we do have certainty that we have work to do to build the nation we want. We need an economy that is resilient and sustainable.”

To hear more about how the Canada-US relationship affects our region’s economy, register now for The Chamber’s AGM and panel discussion on April 15.

Century Celebration of Cup victory begins this week

March 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery/by Jim Zeeben

The Century Celebration of the Victoria Cougars’ historic victory over the Montreal Canadians begins March 27. Three musical finalists — selected from 31 entries to a songwriting contest honouring the 1925 Stanley Cup win — kick things off by performing their original songs at the Bard and Banker.

Festivities continue on March 29-30, with family friendly events, including the highly anticipated return of the Cup for public viewing on Sunday at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre.

Century Celebration festivities centre around the old location of Patrick Arena — a former stadium in the District of Oak Bay where the 1925 Cougars clinched the cup championship. There is no parking onsite for this event. A park-and-ride shuttle, courtesy of Wilson’s Transportation, will run every 30 minutes between Oak Bay Marina and the festival site from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The events are being put on by the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society, which hosted Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in January 2024. The Chamber helped make that event a success, providing a direct boost to business and priceless promotion of our region. Hockey Day was also co-winner of Event of the Year at the Greater Victoria Sports Awards, announced last month.

For the latest on events and activities happening for the Century Celebration, go to vhls.ca.

Tight timeline as federal election set for April 28

March 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

With the writ dropped on a federal election set for April 28, voters have a tight timeline to learn who their local candidates are and what their parties are promising.

How can the Chamber help our members, the community and democracy? Let us know your thoughts on what information you want before going to the ballot box.

Send your suggestions to communications@victoriachamber.ca.

On a national level, the Canadian Chamber has issued a statement on how the next government can help business, including following up on free trade between provinces, getting on with tax reform and investing in infrastructure.

“Canadians are privileged to live and work in an open, vibrant and democratic country. … The ongoing tensions with the US have created a volatile environment, making it harder for businesses and families to plan ahead. Strong public programs, like healthcare, retirement benefits, and a robust military, rely on a thriving business sector and tax revenue from Canadian individuals and businesses. Right now, that foundation is at risk,” Canadian Chamber CEO Candace Laing said. “Regardless of who wins, Canada needs a united strategy to reduce dependence on US trade and build a resilient, future-ready economy where all Canadians can thrive and be optimistic about the future. The next federal government needs to hit the ground running, ready to pursue a mandate that will guarantee Canada’s economic sovereignty and security, ensuring we are never left this vulnerable again.

Consumers get break as BC eliminating carbon tax April 1

March 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Climate Change Solutions, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

Energy costs are set to go down starting April 1 as the province announced yesterday it will make good on its promise to eliminate the consumer carbon tax after the federal government promised to do the same.

BC’s tax adds about 17 cents per litre at the gas pump, and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.

“The Province will continue to act on the commitment to battle climate change by ensuring people in British Columbia have affordable options to make sustainable choices and by encouraging industry to innovate,” the BC Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

Eliminating the tax will help businesses and individuals facing increasing costs and economic uncertainty due to the threats of tariffs and tradewar with the US.

The latest news on the tradewar is a 25% tariff on the auto industry imposed today. The action is expected to increase the cost of vehicles and cause generational chaos to automakers on both sides of the border.

The national Chamber network continues to work on mitigating the threat of tariffs. This week, the Canadian Chamber released a report on US cities that are the most export-dependent on Canada.

Finalists announced for this year’s Business Awards!

March 19, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness/by Jim Zeeben

The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce the finalists for the 2025 Greater Victoria Business Awards. Tickets will be available at end of March.

The finalists have distinguished themselves in many categories and many ways, including excellent customer service, sustainable business practices, young entrepreneurship and business leadership.

The Chamber’s 2025 Business Awards showcase hard-working businesses, business people and community leaders in 14 categories. Finalists were chosen by an independent panel of prominent business leaders who served as judges.

“The finalists announced today all are shining examples of leadership and innovation,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “I hope you can join us for a truly inspirational night as we hear unique stories about business that have found a way to thrive in these uncertain times.”

The Chamber previously announced Josue Dubon as The Chamber’s 2025 Member of the Year.

See the 2025 Finalists

Chamber prepping for pro-business campaign

March 19, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

With a federal election expected to be called as soon as this Sunday, the Canadian Chamber is working on a toolkit that will make sure all political parties understand what businesses need.

The main message is that businesses are under threat. We need the next government to commit to going all-in on Canada. That means delivering on the promise of free trade between provinces, improving existing trade infrastructure and cutting red tape and taxes.

Canada could gain as much as 4% of our GDP by opening up east to west trade. We also require more investment in roads, rail, airports, pipelines and ports in order to grow our economy and fulfill our potential. And, perhaps most timely, there must be immediate relief from regulatory burdens and suffocating tax structures that constrict our private sector. We need to compete internationally and increase the size of our economy in order to sustainably fund the social programs that help improve everyone’s quality of life.

Whoa Premier! Proposed power grab needs a rethink

March 19, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Fair Rules, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber takes pride in working well with any government, regardless of their political stripes. However, there are times when decisions are announced that leave us shaking our heads. The latest, or at least most egregious, was the surprise introduction of Bill 7 last Friday.

BC Premier David Eby claimed the legislation is needed in order for the province to respond to the tradewar with the US. The proposed law has been derided as the Henry VIII clause because it would give the Premier’s Office a vast overreach in its powers.

“Businesses are anxious enough without our own province introducing something that many see as autocratic,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’ve reached out to partner organizations around the Province to figure out a response. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and the province will step back from this legislation.”

Bill 7, if passed, would give Eby broad powers without the need to be accountable to the elected legislature.

March 11 marked COVID national day of Observance

March 12, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

It seems like another lifetime. On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization officially declared a global pandemic.

Our way of life, and, for many, way of doing business, was turned upside down. COVID-19 was an unknown and dangerous disease that would claim 6,600 people in BC and almost 60,000 across Canada despite unprecedented efforts to prevent the spread of infection. The experience changed the way we think about washing our hands, disinfecting our homes and workplaces and even how we greet others.

“I started with The Chamber in June of 2020 — as workers were being told to stay at home and many businesses faced huge losses because they had to shut down,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We saw some organizations go into a sort of hibernation, but the need for The Chamber was never more clear. We were asked to be an even louder voice of business and we helped shape many of the programs and policies that got our community through those dark times.”

The Chamber worked closely with federal, provincial and municipal governments to urge them to move quickly on everything from new rules for outdoor patios to low-interest loans to enabling online sales. We also introduced the Chamber Champions program, a new tier of membership for organizations that have the capacity to lift up smaller businesses during times of crisis.

Last year, the federal government declared March 11 as Pandemic Observance Day to “commemorate the efforts to get through the pandemic, to remember its effects and to reflect on ways to prepare for any future pandemics.”

BC Budget 2025 attempts to tackle trade war’s unknowns

March 5, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

The best news from yesterday’s BC Budget 2025 announcement was a promise from the provincial Finance Minister to work more closely with businesses going forward.

As is tradition, the minister met with the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce today to discuss the budget.

Brenda Bailey, a former tech sector entrepreneur, was elected to government in 2020 and appointed Finance Minister in November 2024. Her first budget day was overshadowed by news that the United States was moving ahead with a trade war on Canada.

Bailey acknowledged the curveball, noting that the budget was put together with tariffs in mind. There is also $4 billion in contingency funds set aside annually for three years to address unforeseen challenges. It’s a strategy that makes sense, but one business groups will be watching closely.

“We want to see policies that are looking at the horizon, that are investing in making our private sector bigger, growing our economy,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’re fortunate to live in a region with a diverse economy that is relatively sheltered from a trade war. That said, we know we’re in for challenging times ahead as Canada will be impacted by tariffs.”

In response to the US’s tariff announcement, the Canadian Chamber issued a statement saying the trade war will hurt Americans and have disastrous impacts on people in many US cities.

“Canada is resource and talent rich. Our economic future is ours to determine — it’s time to join our economic strategy with concrete action to not only minimize the short-term damage but to chart a more prosperous path long-term,” Canadian Chamber president and CEO Candace Laing said.

Read the Full Media Release