Finding And Keeping Workers Archives

Fall stats show uptick in region’s real estate sector

November 6, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers, Housing/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria’s housing market is showing renewed activity as sales and prices ticked up in October.

A total of 617 properties sold in the Victoria Real Estate Board region this October, 11.4% more than in September.

“The local real estate market remains reasonably balanced,” VREB Chair Dirk VanderWal said in a media release. “Single family homes are currently seeing the strongest demand, and this month we saw the highest number of October sales since 2020. However, condo sales were slightly more restrained than single family and townhome sales over the past month. We have not seen a significant decrease in prices as a result, but those shopping for condos will find a good variety to choose from with time to make decisions.”

The benchmark value for a single family home in the Victoria Core in October was $1,276,500, down from September’s value of $1,294,800. The benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area was $551,000 in October, up from the September value of $547,500.

Construction begins on 500 new homes in Victoria

October 22, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Housing, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

Construction has started on more than 500 new rental homes, retail spaces and a public plaza at the corner of Douglas and Caledonia streets.

“We’re excited to continue providing much-needed housing to Victoria in partnership with BC Housing on this mixed-use project at Douglas and Caledonia,” Chard Development president and CEO Byron Chard said in a media release. “This project reflects our shared commitment to expanding housing options and delivering new community amenities to meet the needs of this growing area.”

The new build is on the site of the former Capital City Centre Hotel at 1961 Douglas St. and 710 Caledonia Ave. It features three concrete high-rise towers and a community plaza on the southeastern corner, which includes office space, child care and a grocery store.

“This development marks another significant step forward in the city’s priority to increase housing choices for Victoria residents,” City of Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto said.

One tower will be owned by the Province, with 20% of its 133 units offered at below-market rental rates. This tower received $73 million in construction financing and a grant of $8 million through BC Housing’s BC Builds program.

The development’s remaining homes will be owned and managed by Chard at market rates.

Change gives sick or hurt staff up to six-months leave

October 22, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

The BC government is proposing an amendment to the Employment Standards Act that would give employees up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave for serious illness or injury.

The province says the change is in line with other jurisdictions and will protect people who can’t work for at least one week because they need treatment or are debilitated by disease.

Employees must obtain a medical certificate from a doctor or nurse practitioner stating that the person is unable to work and how much time off is required.

Plan for prompt payment rules supports construction

October 8, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Fair Rules, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Local, Government Provincial, Housing, Inflation And Rising Costs, Streamlined Regional Regulations, Training And Microcredentials/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber applauds a new agreement that will let builders build, and spend less time chasing wayward payments.

On Tuesday, the province announced legislation that will help contractors, subcontractors and workers get paid on time.

“We welcome this critical step toward payment certainty for B.C.’s construction industry,” BC Construction Association president Chris Atchison said. “It marks a new starting line that requires sustained collaboration between industry and government. Establishing fairness in how money flows means the industry can focus on building, not battling over payment. BCCA remains committed to continuing to work with the provincial government on this important issue.”

With housing supply a critical component for improving the cost of living in Greater Victoria and across BC, governments need to address all barriers facing contractors.

The prompt-payment legislation, once passed, will:

· set clear timelines for payment on construction projects

· establish a fast-track adjudication process to resolve payment-related disputes

· improve cash flow and stability across the construction industry.

Ontario and Alberta already have prompt-payment laws, and industry groups in BC have supported bringing those rules here. The province said there will be a transition period to establish an adjudication authority and conduct outreach and education regarding rights and responsibilities under the new system.

Prompt-payment rules will apply broadly to both private- and public-sector projects in BC, including government contracts, unless specific exemptions are set out by regulation.

Chamber’s new advocacy focused on urgent action

October 8, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Chamber News, Fair Rules, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal, Government Local, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs, New And Established Businesses, Safe Communities, Streamlined Regional Regulations/by Jim Zeeben

You might have noticed some changes to how The Chamber is using our position as the unapologetic Voice of Business.

The series of messages, shown below, will start appearing more on Chamber social channels and in other media. The focus is on action. Businesses have had too many years of uncertainty caused by societal shifts and the growing burden of red tape. Our members and our Board of Directors have been clear that we need to speak up and call for change.

Our first focus is downtown Victoria and other central areas being devastated by a permissive attitude toward disorder and crime. People need to feel safe. That means all levels of government need to do their part — and do it with urgency.

We know what’s needed: consistent police and bylaw presence and enforcement, immediate options for people needing mental health and addiction care and changes to a legal system that currently allows repeat offenders to harm our communities.

Our other current priorities are more responsible spending by governments, and reduction in regulatory roadblocks that make building homes and providing services for families too expensive.

New SIPP report says Greater Victoria at a crossroads

September 24, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Fair Rules, Finding And Keeping Workers, Global Uncertainty, Housing/by Jim Zeeben

A report released this week offers a path forward for a regional economy that is spinning its wheels in some sectors.

The South Island Prosperity Partnership offers a series of recommendations to overcome stagnation and reach our potential in Igniting Momentum, a 105-page report that came out of its Rising Economy Taskforce.

“The stakes are too high for business as usual in Greater Victoria,” the report concludes. “The evidence is clear: affordability pressures, productivity gaps, essential-worker shortages and external shocks are converging. But so are our advantages: world-class research, a thriving tech ecosystem, ocean and climate leadership, strong public anchors, entrepreneurial grit and a quality of life that draws talent from around the world.”

The Chamber helped contribute to the report’s findings, which align with much of the work the Chamber continues to do to attract investment and support our community.

“Greater Victoria is at a crossroads. Without bold, immediate action, we risk losing the talent, businesses and vibrancy that sustain our economy. Governments at all levels must do more to coordinate with the private sector to help ensure businesses can succeed,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said. “As BC’s second-largest metropolitan area, we can’t wait any longer. The Chamber promises to work with our members and partners across the region as the voice of business to address social challenges, increase access to skilled workers and grow our regional economy in ways guided by innovation, inclusion, and resilience. The time to act is now — to build a safer, stronger, and more prosperous Greater Victoria for everyone.”

Hospitality businesses urged to stock up on liquor

September 10, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Finding And Keeping Workers, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Immigration And Integration/by Jim Zeeben

The BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association is advising its members to stock up on liquor inventories in the event the BCGEU strike targets BC Liquor Distribution Branch warehouses and stores.

“We advise you to immediately stock up on your liquor inventories. Based on multiple conversations and reliable intel, it’s very likely that the BCGEU strike action will target BC Liquor Distribution Branch warehouses and stores,” BCRFA President and CEO Ian Tostenson said in a statement. “If this happens, restaurants and bars will not be able to access product through normal channels.”

The Chamber works closely with the BCRFA and will call for changes to supply chain regulations to ensure this type of costly disruption can’t happen in future. The Chamber is currently working with the BCRFA on resolving concerns about the Temporary Foreign Worker program. The Chamber has called for regions of low unemployment such as Greater Victoria to be exempt from a nationwide pause on the program. A one-size-fits-all approach does not work. And current efforts to politicize immigration do a disservice to people who are new-to-Canada contributing to our workforce.

The Chamber will continue to advocate on behalf of members who need help finding and keeping workers.

Military pay raise a boost for region’s economy

August 13, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Federal/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria’s economic ties to Canada’s military go back more than a century. Today, our business community has a symbiotic relationship with CFB Esquimalt, home to more than 4,000 Canadian Armed Forces personnel.

“We know the base benefits our community in many ways, from purchasing goods and supplies from local businesses to providing thousands of jobs to local families,” Chamber CEO John Wilson said. “We support efforts to invest in our military and the recent news that CAF members will be better compensated will help a major local employer find and keep workers — an issue for a lot of organizations in our region.”

The funding will provide as much as a 20% pay raise for some sailors, and offer up to a $20,000 bonus for recruits who complete training. Canada’s military has been facing staffing challenges, and the last significant overhaul of CAF pay was in 1998.

Market for office space remains healthy across region

August 13, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

There has been an increase in vacant offices in Greater Victoria, largely driven by new spaces being reintroduced, according to the latest report from CBRE.

The report, Tenant preferences remain resilient against macroeconomic headwinds, noted that Downtown Victoria had zero vacancy for Class AA space for the fourth consecutive quarter.

“In the Downtown core, there is sustained interest from small tenants seeking spaces under 2,000 sq. ft., alongside notable activity from larger groups pursuing spaces exceeding 5,000 sq. ft.,” the report said. “Across all size categories, tenant preferences reflect a continued flight-to-quality, with many organizations prioritizing high-quality, long-term premises to support employee return-to-office strategies.”

The report noted that downtown social disorder is also a factor in where tenants are choosing to locate.

The West Shore is a popular choice for many, which is creating pressure on that area’s available supply. The report also said the market in Saanich is stable with demand coming from professional and personal service providers catering to the large suburban population.

Region’s unemployment up, but still lowest in Canada

July 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Finding And Keeping Workers/by Jim Zeeben

Greater Victoria employers continue to face pressure from a tight labour market.

Our region’s unemployment rate rose slightly to 3.9% in June, up from 3.7% in May.

Greater Victoria’s employment rate was 65.2% in June. Those numbers compare to national rates of 6.9% unemployment and 60.9% employment.

Our region consistently has among the lowest unemployment rates in the country, and The Chamber has called on the federal government to grant our region an exemption on the restrictions imposed last year to the Temporary Foreign Worker program.

Finding and Keeping workers has been cited as a top advocacy priority by Chamber members for almost a decade. And while the latest numbers show access to labour continues to be an issue, the national numbers do offer optimism for businesses facing the uncertainty of an ongoing tradewar with the US.

“Canada’s labour market remains strong and resilient despite tariffs and counter-tariff measures. The market shows signs of marginal improvement across many parameters, a result of trade-partner diversification,” Canadian Chamber economist Anupriya Gangopadhyay said. “Employment rose to its new peak for the year, especially in the manufacturing sector after consecutive declines. At present it is hard to gauge exactly when or if at all the impact of tariffs will break this momentum. But this outcome may nudge the Bank of Canada to deliver fewer than the two rate cuts in the remaining half of the year, as expected earlier.”