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.

The Royal BC Museum will soon have a major presence on the West Shore, after an announcement that a 14,000 square-metre facility is planned for Royal Bay in Colwood.

“Colwood is extremely proud to welcome RBCM’s collections and research building to our community, along with hundreds of jobs and significant construction investment,” Colwood mayor Rob Martin said of the new archives that will complement the main museum in Victoria.

Building construction is expected to begin in 2021 and finish in 2024. The project will generate more than 950 direct and indirect jobs. The finished facility will improve research activities and open access to many of the seven million objects in the museum’s collections.

That will help with the ongoing reconciliation process, Songhees First Nation chief Ron Sam said in the news release.

“Our Nation is looking forward to participating in the modernization of the Royal BC Museum. This project is an opportunity to tell the stories of our people, our history and our culture in the provincial museum in our territory.”

Royal BC Museum: member since 1994

City of Colwood: Member since 2020

Songhees Nation: Member since 2017

The minority federal government has promised to extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy until next summer, and create one million jobs while continuing the fight against the pandemic, climate change and social inequality.

“Businesses need certainty that they will be supported as we all adjust to new ways of doing things or are able to return to currently restricted activities,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says. “Today’s Speech from the Throne says a lot of the right things but until we learn more details it’s too soon to be anything but cautiously optimistic.”

The speech included proposals to reform employment insurance and measures to retrain workers who were displaced by the pandemic. There was also a promise for federal funding for child care aimed at helping more women participate in the workforce. However, we share concerns about a lack of attention to economic fundamentals or rising debt levels. If the vote on the Throne Speech gets the required support from other parties to pass, we’ll want more details about plans to help the tourism and hospitality sectors.

Alacrity Canada has been chosen to assist businesses in western Canada increase their international sales and investment in clean technologies. The federal government announced last week that Alacrity will get $1.3 million to create 100 jobs in clean tech that will help the country recover from the pandemic-caused recession.

“Canadian researchers and entrepreneurs are addressing the world’s most significant environmental problems with innovative solutions. They are on a quest to help this planet survive for many generations to come,” Alacrity Canada’s managing director Richard Egli said in a news release. “This new funding will give Alacrity an excellent opportunity to connect Canadian innovation with significant challenges waiting to be solved.”

A total of $2.3 million is going to BC’s clean tech sector, including $100,000 to the South Island Prosperity Partnership.

Alacrity Canada: Member since 2019

South Island Prosperity Partnership: Member since 2017

The Chamber is a strong supporter of BC Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, and we are proud of all our members who have dutifully followed her advice.
 
Among those are many of our restaurants, pubs and cafes that have gone above and beyond to keep their customers and our community safe. Which is why we share concerns expressed by the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, through the Business Technical Advisory Panel (Liquor Policy). On Sept. 8, Dr. Henry verbally ordered the closure of bars and banquet halls, and called for liquor sales to end by 10 pm (among a list of restrictions).
 
For many operators, money earned in the last few hours of the evening is the difference between being able to make ends meet and shutting down the business.
 
A more effective approach would be to address specific situations and enforce problematic behaviour. As the panel’s letter notes, why punish a business providing wine to a couple in Victoria on a late-night date because a small group of people in Vancouver are breaking the rules?