The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce was proud to offer leadership and advocacy in collaboration with Destination Greater Victoria, the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority as well as Island chambers of commerce and our regional municipalities. As the voice of business, The Chamber continues to work tirelessly on behalf of our members to make a difference in public policy through advocacy.

​“Our marine border is a vital link for our region and we’re thankful the Canada Border Service Agency has found the capacity to staff ferry terminals in the Inner Harbour as of Sept. 7,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said.
 
“The Victoria Clipper and Coho Ferry connect Greater Victoria with Washington State, which is extremely important for our tourism sector. When land and air borders were initially opened to Americans on Aug. 9, we were alarmed that our marine borders were not included. On behalf of our community partners, The Chamber reached out directly to the federal government and Prime Minister’s Office to make sure they knew how important this link is to our region’s economy.” 

With immunization rates in Greater Victoria among the highest in BC, it’s not surprising there has been little outcry for vaccine mandates for local businesses. The Chamber’s staff are 100% fully vaccinated and many of our members tell us they have had the same voluntary commitment from their employees.
 
Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told the Times Colonist that businesses play a leadership role in their communities and that includes finding ways to ensure the safety of staff and customers.
 
“I think it’s fair to say that most businesses put the health and safety of their employees as a paramount concern,” he said. “Everybody’s concerned about the economic side, but, realistically, if everybody’s healthy and in a good place so that they can continue to work and things function (that’s how we move forward).”
 
Vaccine mandates are in place for federal workers, and there have been calls to make immunization mandatory for employees of the University of Victoria. And, last week, BC announced all health-care workers in care homes will need to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 12. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry has said she believes businesses are within their rights to impose vaccine mandates.
 
“These are business decisions that they need to make in conjunction with their own labour lawyer advisers,” she said. “But I do think it is a perfectly valid thing.”

An influx of visitors to Greater Victoria is providing a healthy boost to businesses catering to tourists. BC’s Interior is suffering from a prolonged wildfire season and a surge in COVID-19 cases. The unfavorable conditions there are suspected as one of the reasons for the increase in visitors to our region.
 
Downtown Victoria Business Association executive director Jeff Bray told CHEK News that retailers are seeing a trend of people who changed their vacation plans and are visiting Vancouver Island instead of the Okanagan.
 
Tourism statistics for July have not yet been released, but Chemistry Consulting‘s numbers from June show a healthy increase from 2020, though still far cry from June 2019.

Pavan Nirwan joins The Chamber with two decades of experience as a trusted strategic advisor, guiding stakeholders on government relations, business development, community and stakeholder engagement. Through her work in the public and private sector, Pavan has a proven record of establishing and maintaining relations with domestic and international governments and stakeholders.
 
As the Director of Stakeholder and Government Relations, Pavan looks forward to leading engagement and issues management with external stakeholders. These groups will include provincial, municipal, federal governments, community groups, and other partners. Pavan will also be working on the February 2022 launch of the Business Hall of Fame presented by RBC.
 
You can connect with Pavan at 250 360-3479 or govrelations@victoriachamber.ca.

A new economic development agency for British Columbia will include offices in Victoria and Campbell River.

Federal Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages Mélanie Joly says Pacific Economic Development Canada (PacifiCan) will provide a tailored approach for British Columbia’s economy.

“Minister Joly’s announcement has the potential to have a significant impact on the economic recovery and resilience needed in the Capital Region to move along a path of a sustainable and diverse post-pandemic economy,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says, noting that as B.C.’s population has grown rapidly over the past 20 years, the province’s economy is becoming more advanced. “By creating two offices on Vancouver Island, one in Victoria and the other in Campbell River, the federal government shows it recognizes the unique opportunities and challenges of our Island economy. Greater Victoria has distinct priorities, as do the central, northern and western regions of the Island.”

PacifiCan builds on work done by Western Economic Diversification Canada over the last 34 years. Another new agency, Prairie Economic Development Canada (PrairieCan), will now serve Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.