Province doubles Closure Relief Grant to $20,000

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On Wednesday morning, the province announced it was doubling the grant available for businesses ordered to remain closed due to public health measures. Eligible businesses can now apply for up to $20,000 to cover costs after restrictions were extended until Feb. 16. Bars, nightclubs and lounges as well as event venues have been closed since Dec. 22.

Capital City Centre proposal will add needed homes

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It’s clear that housing supply will be key to address affordability issues that are making it difficult for people to start families and grow their careers. Employers in Greater Victoria and across Canada have been calling for solutions to address a skills shortage keeping many organizations from realizing their potential.

On that note, The Chamber applauds recent news that Chard Development is working with BC Housing on a project that will add more than 400 units of affordable housing to the City of Victoria.

The proposal to redevelop the site of the former White Spot and Capital City Centre Hotel on Douglas Street is a great example of innovation led by business. If approved, the project will help people who work in the city afford to live there. It will also include day care — vital for helping parents stay in the workforce — and 90 units of supportive housing to help people overcome challenges that put them at risk of homelessness. Other amenities include a 9,000 square foot plaza, retail and office space and a grocery store.

Giant cargo ship towed into Ogden Point for repairs

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Greater Victoria has a front-row seat to one of the many challenges facing global supply chains. The SM Busan is currently docked at Ogden Point for emergency repairs. The South Korean-flagged ship is roughly the length of five NHL-sized hockey rinks. About 80% of the containers on the vessel are empty.

The SM Busan left Portland, Oregon, bound for South Korea but began to drift in the Pacific Ocean on New Year’s Eve. A tug boat eventually brought the container ship to Ogden Point on Sunday, where it’s expected to remain for about a month.

The SM Busan is the first ship to use Ogden Point’s Pier B dolphin extension. Completed in 2020, it’s one of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority‘s largest infrastructure projects ever.

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Photo courtesy of Greater Victoria Harbour Authority

New optimism for keeping communities safe in 2022

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In 2022, The Chamber will continue our advocacy for safe communities as a fundamental need for good business and great community for all.
There is reason for optimism. The Chamber’s efforts to partner with other community organizations are being heard by all levels of government. In the City of Victoria, the police chief says approval to hire an influx of new officers will help the Victoria Police Department better face challenges amplified by the pandemic and the toxic drug crisis.
“I’m hopeful that it’s going to be a bounce-back year, and a bounce-back year for all of us,” VicPD Police Chief Del Manak told the Times Colonist.

Property assessments up across all property types

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BC Assessment has released its latest property assessments based on what it deemed to be the market value as of July 1, 2021. The demand for Vancouver Island real estate has resulted in significant increases across all property types. The total assessment for the Island is $343 billion, up from $269 billion the year before.
The increased assessment doesn’t necessarily affect your property tax bill. But, on that note, The Chamber will continue to work with municipalities on behalf of businesses to ensure a fair tax burden. In 2021, Greater Victoria municipalities charged businesses a tax mulitple between 2.02 and 13.27 times what they charged residential properties. It’s something we’ll keep an eye on as municipalities begin their budget processes.

More people in Greater Victoria working last month

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Greater Victoria’s unemployment rate fell to 4% last month, down from 4.4% in October. The numbers from Statistics Canada show there were 208,200 people working in November, up from 204,600 in October.
 
An increase in the number of people working in food services, financial industries and real estate has helped bolster the rate.
 
Our region now has the fourth lowest unemployment rate in Canada, after the Quebec regions of Gatineau, Sherbrooke and Quebec City.

​Governments must speed process for foreign hires

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Finding and keeping workers continues to be a major challenge facing employers. The restaurant and hospitality sector estimates it’s heading into a new year without 20% of the staff needed.
 
To try and help ease the crunch, the BC Restaurant and Food Services Association has asked the Provincial government to exempt BC employers from requiring a Labour Market Impact Assessment for the next two years. The Chamber supports this move as well as a request that the federal government speed up the process to allow foreign workers to come to BC.

​Who is that masked character? Comic Con 2022

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Capital City Comic Con is coming back to Greater Victoria next March. The Sci-Fi and comic book convention hasn’t been held for two years because of the pandemic.
 
The 2022 event will run from March 25 to 27 at the Victoria Convention Centre as well as Crystal Garden across the street. Start planning your costume now!

South Island cruise ship season set to return April 6

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As we head into the final month of the long strange trip that has been 2021, there is good news for local business in 2022. The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority has announced next year’s cruise ship schedule.
 
A record 350 ships are expected to call on Victoria, with the first arriving April 6. The visits will bring an estimated 759,000 passengers to our region, helping tourism operators and local businesses from April until Oct. 26.
 
The Chamber has been advocating for the safe return of cruise ships to Victoria, urging the federal government to act decisively to stop political efforts in the US to exempt cruise ships from the Passenger Vessel Services Act. The act, which prevents foreign-flagged ships from travelling directly between states, has been a catalyst for Canada’s cruise industry.

​Wet weather a reminder to prepare for wild winter

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Areas of Greater Victoria are experiencing their wettest fall on record, with the Gonzales weather station reporting almost 300 times the rainfall of a typical year.
 
The parade of storms caused substantial damage to infrastructure in BC. And while the current forecast suggests the worst is over, the coming winter is expected to be wetter and colder than most years. Meteorologists at the Weather Network have released their winter forecast and say we can expect “tumultuous temperature patterns.”
 
The prediction is based on a La Niña weather pattern in the Pacific Ocean that will bring frigid weather that could extend ski season well into March.
 
“This will bring an abundance of snow to the alpine regions, and, at times, we expect significant snowfall across lower elevations, including Vancouver and the Lower Mainland, Victoria and the Okanagan Valley,” the network’s report says.

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