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.

Travellers departing from Victoria International Airport will now have their temperature checked, as Transport Canada regulations take effect today. The rule also affects all passengers arriving in Canada on international flights.
 
Temperature screenings were initially implemented on July 30 for passengers departing from airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. The program has been extended to 11 other Canadian airports, including Victoria, as of today.
 
If screening finds anyone with a temperature of 38C or higher, they will not be allowed to proceed unless they have a certificate explaining a valid reason for their elevated temperature. Passengers who are turned back will need to wait two weeks and re-book their trip.

Victoria Airport Authority: Member since 1981

The Chamber continues to advocate for safe communities by calling for proven solutions that address the root causes of homelessness.

On Monday, the federal government announced $1 billion for cities to spend over the fall and winter on housing for vulnerable people. The Rapid Housing Initiative will be used to build modular homes, buy land or purchase existing accommodation, such as motels and hotels.

On Sunday, the provincial government announced that it was adding a new Assertive Community Treatment team in Greater Victoria, along with five others across BC.
Teams provide support to individuals, helping adults with “serious, complex and often persistent mental health challenges that make it difficult to manage day-to-day activities.”

The teams can also help people with substance abuse issues that bring them into conflict with the law by diverting them to treatment aimed at recovery.

The provincial government finally released the long-awaited South Island Transportation Strategy last week. The report pays lip service to a number of issues that matter to the region, but offers few details about how Greater Victoria can achieve those outcomes. It’s notable that the document originally referred to as a “plan” has become a “strategy.”

“There’s some indication about what they intend to do but they don’t say how and when they intend to do it,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told the Times Colonist.

The study made mention of improved transit service to First Nations, and about the need for better transportation options serving the West Shore. Chamber chair John Wilson also noted that there was no mention of improving transportation governance in Greater Victoria. The Chamber has long advocated that this is needed to ensure decisions are based on what’s best for the region rather than individual municipalities.

With a provincial election now underway, we’re still waiting for real solutions to transportation issues on the South Island. We don’t need to study what’s already been studied. We need decisions that actually benefit people on their everyday commute.

The strategy also offered little insight into the future of rail on Vancouver Island. Plenty of money has been spent on studies and assessments, but we still don’t know what will become of this transportation option. To better understand how Islanders feel about rail, the Island Corridor Foundation has released a survey aimed at anyone interested in transportation on the Island.

Take the Survey

Island Corridor Foundation: Member since 2020

Buildings across the region were bathed in red light last night for Light Up Live, a movement supporting Canada’s live events industry.

Restrictions on the number of people who can gather in one place have eliminated concerts, galas and ceremonies and other in-person events as we’ve known them. Many organizations, including The Chamber, have shifted to virtual events but the business model is much different than the one that supported a $100 billion industry before the pandemic.

B.C.’s Economic Recovery Plan, announced last Thursday, offered little hope to the thousands of businesses and workers that earn a living from live events.