The Chamber supports efforts to protect the environment from harmful single-use plastics, and we call on governments to work with businesses to support innovations that address these concerns.
 
Today’s announcement from federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Jonathan Wilkinson to eliminate waste plastic by 2030 is welcome news. The plan is to target single-use plastics, specifically plastic checkout bags, straws, stir sticks, six-pack rings, cutlery and hard-to-recycle food containers.
 
Having a national strategy will help ensure the rules are standardized so that businesses understand their requirements. The public has, for many years, supported businesses that provided alternatives to plastic waste. Going forward, governments need to ensure they are following the lead of the public and businesses in order to get the best response to this new initiative.

The Chamber has written a letter to Victoria Council urging an extension of the Build Back Victoria plan until next spring.
 
“The City’s leadership and investment in innovations led by business are making a difference,” states the letter, which is included in a staff report outlining experiences with the program so far. “Many of our restaurants, cafes and pubs were able to sustain their operations because of the opportunity they were given to expand their spaces.”
 
Council will consider extending the program tomorrow, as well as a suggestion to allow for vehicle access to businesses on the section of Government Street closed to traffic.

Real estate sales in Greater Victoria continue to set records as pent-up demand from the spring has made conditions hot in the fall. The Victoria Real Estate Board’s latest statistical package shows 989 properties sold in September, roughly accounting for the loss of expected sales in the spring.
 
“I don’t think that anyone who was trying to predict market outcomes in our area over the course of the pandemic expected that the pent up demand from dampened sales in April and May would result in this level of market activity. There’s no doubt that buyers are extremely motivated and this increased demand, coupled with limited inventory, fueled the September market.” VREB President Sandi-Jo Ayers said in a statement.

The City of Victoria by-election has been officially rescheduled for Dec. 12. The by-election was originally scheduled for April but was postponed by the pandemic.
 
Municipal by-elections also provide an opportunity to vote for people who own a commercial property within the city. You can learn more about the rules for non-resident property electors, and whether you qualify, at Victoria.ca.
 
It’s a great opportunity for business owners to ensure their voice is represented on Victoria council.

The Chamber is adding our voice to calls for a better approach to helping businesses struggling to pay their rent. The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program runs out today, and there is still no plan to replace it. CECRA never really provided the urgent help needed by many businesses. It was complicated and restrictive, and failed to consider that businesses need to plan over a longer-term than month-to-month. The sudden end of the program will also hurt businesses that are seeing improved revenue but are not back to pre-pandemic levels.
 
“We know that economic recovery is being led by businesses that are able to find innovative ways to adapt and carry on, but many businesses will need time as they slowly return to the level of activity they need to cover their hard costs,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says. “In Greater Victoria, our tourism and hospitality sectors especially need help to survive the devastating loss of business that resulted from the ban on international visitors.”
 
The Chamber is calling on the federal government to work with the provinces on an improved plan to provide long-term help for businesses struggling to pay commercial rent. Governments had time over the summer to learn from those landlords and tenants who were able to make use of CECRA, as well as those that couldn’t make the program work.