Take action on reconciliation with Small Business Pledge

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Businesses strongly support the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, but, for some, closing up shop isn’t the best way to take action.

To help honour the intent of Sept. 30, the Victoria Native Friendship Centre is encouraging organizations to take the Small Business Pledge.

The initiative is a way to actively participate in the reconciliation process by either making a donation or contributing a portion of sales to support VNFC’s work.

“In 2021, we were the first Chamber in Canada to acknowledge the impact that businesspeople had on Indigenous culture and the economy that existed before their arrival,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “As an organization founded in 1863, The Chamber is part of the history of our community. We need to share responsibility for the suppression of Indigenous peoples, and we need to take action now to support reconciliation.”

Given that 80% of Indigenous Canadians reside in urban areas, Friendship Centres like VNFC play a pivotal role in the well-being of the urban Indigenous population in our region.

To take the Small Business Pledge, all you need to do is complete the pledge form.

Take the Pledge

Seminar at Chamber aims to help ‘get out the vote’

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The Chamber is teaming up with the Democratic Engagement Exchange and Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria to offer a free elections readiness workshop on Aug. 29.
This training session will help people support a healthy democracy by providing best practices for non-partisan voter engagement. The workshop is being held in The Chamber’s seminar room and run independently by the Democratic Engagement Exchange, funded in part by Elections BC.

  • Aug. 29
  • Time: 1-4 pm
  • Seminar Room, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, #100-852 Fort St.

“Community-based organizations and local leaders are the backbone of our democracy,” states the Democratic Engagement Exchange. “By addressing community concerns, providing essential voting information, and fostering a culture of engagement, you can make a real impact.”

Register for the Workshop

Chamber’s call for military housing being heard

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The Chamber’s effort to advocate for investment in military housing is proving timely, as the federal government has already begun taking action.

Last week, Canada’s Minister of National Defence announced the construction of a new 480-room accommodation facility for Canadian Armed Forces members at CFB Esquimalt. The investment is a win for The Chamber’s resolution, which called for “2,000 units on or adjacent to military bases per year from 2025 until 2030.”

The Minister also noted that the government is reviewing the entire federal lands portfolio to identify more lands that are not fully utilized and could be unlocked to build more homes for Canadian Armed Forces members and civilians.

This week, the federal government announced more than $6.7 million to support two projects as part of the new Veteran Homelessness Program. This program shows the relevance of The Chamber’s resolution, which also called on the federal government to “develop diverse housing options to accommodate the varied needs of military personnel at different stages of their careers.”

The Chamber policy resolution will go to the membership of the Canadian Chamber in October for formal approval.

Island athletes find success at Summer Olympics in Paris

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There are several Island connections to the 2024 Summer Olympics, happening now in Paris, France.

Among the 337 athletes representing Canada, 11 hail from Vancouver Island, including Rugby Sevens player Caroline Crossley. The team, which trains out of Starlight Stadium in the City of Langford, won Olympic Silver this week.

Crossley was able to enjoy the moment with her family, who were in the stands for the game.

“I hugged them and put my medal around their necks because it’s as much their medal as it is mine,” Crossley told the Times Colonist.

The University of Victoria also has a close connection to the Summer Games with a list of student athletes competing. Over the years, the Vikes have been represented by 211 athletes, coaches or staff at Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Game’s last event is the Women’s Marathon on Aug. 10, with Closing Ceremonies scheduled for the following day.

For a full list of Events and more on Canada’s athletes, go to olympic.ca.

Have your say on buskers in downtown Victoria

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Did you know that buskers who make downtown Victoria vibrant are regulated by the City of Victoria? Ensuring street performers are talented and entertaining is a great way to encourage people to go downtown, which benefits businesses in the area.

To make sure the plan is working as intended, the city is undergoing a review of its Street Entertainment Bylaw to improve the busking experience.

If you’ve been downtown this summer, you might have noticed buskers in several new locations. By taking part in an online survey, you can share your opinion on the “specific types of busking locations, sound-amplification at specific sites and strategies to enhance busking downtown, as well as the types of busking and related amenities buskers and the public would like to see, such as covered spaces with comfortable seating, accessible parking and food trucks nearby to create a dynamic downtown experience.”

The survey closes at noon on Aug. 31.

Safe community panel hosting series of open houses

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Last summer, the City of Victoria convened a panel of community leaders to create a plan for making the city safer and healthier.

Starting this summer, the city is hosting a series of open houses and pop-up events for business owners and community members to learn about the state of the project and share their concerns and experiences.

Once complete, the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan will identify how businesses and community partners can work together to make the community safer and more inclusive.

Business event planned for Belleville Terminal project

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Does your business provide products or services needed for the Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project?

Infrastructure BC is hosting an in-person business-to-business networking event on June 25 for contractors, suppliers and businesses who might be interested in working with the project’s shortlisted proponent teams. The event also allows prospective proponents to enhance their knowledge, understanding and awareness of local services and build relationships with local contractors, suppliers and businesses.

The Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project involves the demolition of the existing FRS Clipper Terminal infrastructure and the construction of a new consolidated preclearance terminal building. The new facility will have modern border security standards that abide by the Land, Rail, Marine, and Air Transport Preclearance Agreement between Canada and the US. Construction is scheduled to commence in early 2025 with the new terminal completed and operational by 2028.

For more information, email kathy.cloutier@infrastructurebc.com.

Belleville Terminal Redevelopment Project Business-to-Business Event
Tuesday, June 25, 5:30 pm

Vital Signs survey takes the pulse of Greater Victoria

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If you haven’t yet taken the Vital Signs survey, you have until May 31 to contribute to the Victoria Foundation’s annual community check-up.

This is the 19th year that the survey has asked people for their take on key issues that affect quality of life in our region. Topics include housing, living standards, health and wellness, arts and culture and more.

Taking the survey also gives you a chance to win a $100 gift card to Country Grocer.

The short form of the survey takes about 10 minutes to complete, and the long form takes 20 minutes in total.

Victoria and Saanich team up on rental electrification

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Greater Victoria’s two largest municipalities continue to show they can play nice with each other. The latest example is a joint media release regarding mutual initiatives that incentivize owners of rental buildings to convert to electric power.

“The City of Victoria and the District of Saanich recently announced tax exemption programs that support electrification retrofits in rental buildings, the first initiative of its kind in British Columbia,” the release stated. “In tandem, the municipalities have partnered with Landlord BC and BC Hydro to expand the Rental Apartment Retrofit Accelerator (RARA) Program, initiated in Vancouver in 2023.”

The mayors of Victoria and Saanich said the programs will help reduce fossil fuel consumption in the region, and provide access to summer cooling during future heat waves.
Victoria’s Rental Apartment Retrofit Accelerator Program

Saanich’s Climate Action Tax Exemption Program

Province must learn from mistakes: Save-our-Streets

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The Save Our Streets coalition released a statement today saying a report by BC’s Auditor General confirms that the province is failing to address the toxic drug crisis as record numbers of people continue to lose their lives.

“BC must learn from this report and the policy failures such as those recently recognized in Oregon and refocus on designing and implementing a comprehensive continuum of care for those suffering from addictions and mental health issues,” said Jess Ketchum, co-founder of SOS, which consists of more than 90 organizations including the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

“The Chamber has been vocal about the fundamental importance of Safe Communities, and we continue to advocate for a sharp increase in treatment beds and recovery facilities as well as needed repairs to our legal system to make sure repeat offenders are kept off our streets,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said.

To hear more about work being done to promote Safe Communities, make sure to register now for The Chamber’s AGM on April 16 featuring:

  • Jonny Morris, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association BC,
  • Carolina Ibarra, CEO of Pacifica Housing Advisory Association, and
  • Chief Del Manak, Victoria Police Department.

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Em: chamber@victoriachamber.ca

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