Work continues on reducing internal trade barriers

With less than two weeks to go for Canada’s new Prime Minister to meet his promise of reducing barriers to inter-provincial trade, the national chamber network is encouraging lawmakers to move quickly.

On Monday, the Canadian Chamber appeared before a Senate committee to highlight the urgent need to reduce internal trade barriers and accelerate the development of critical infrastructure across Canada. The delegation also reiterated Canada’s role in ensuring energy security, supporting Indigenous partnerships and restoring investor confidence through regulatory reform.

The government has said that removing internal trade barriers would reduce prices by up to 15% and add up to $200 billion to Canada’s economy. According to Scotiabank, there is a lot to understand the impact removing inter-provincial trade barriers could have on our economy.

“The (barriers) are basically a lot of these small differences in regulatory standards that just make it that much more difficult to trade internally. When we think about trade barriers, often we think about them as anything that makes trading more difficult,” Scotiabank’s Senior Policy Advisor John McNall said. “They can be these little unintentional frictions that add up over time. For example, think of a nurse or an electrician who’s working in a particular province, they’re licensed to work in one province. But if they want to move over to another one, their licence doesn’t necessarily carry over. These sorts of little technical standards or regulatory changes create extra costs for businesses. None of these laws are created maliciously, the province is implementing what it feels is best for business in that jurisdiction, but they become an issue when regulations are different between provinces.”

Panel releases plan to make Victoria safer for business

How can we make our communities safer? It’s a fundamental question that speaks to the very foundation of our region’s economy.

On June 19, the City of Victoria will consider the Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan that was created through the input of a 10-person panel that began meeting 18-months ago.

“We know Chamber members want more done to protect businesses, as well as helping those who are facing mental health and addiction challenges,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’re happy that the panel included people who were able to provide an important perspective from the business community.”

The plan focuses on the need to invest in prevention rather than chasing problems after they manifest. This approach requires support from higher levels of government, even though the municipality is often on the frontline.

“Underpinning many of the recommendations is the knowledge that local government is the closest to the issues and the most attuned to the needs of its own community,” the plan states. “Local governments are highly adaptable in addressing emerging issues, and responding quickly and efficiently. Additionally, key resources for community safety and wellbeing such as parks, public works, protective services, urban planning, and business development are already part of the City’s municipal framework and can adapt to emerging community needs.”

BC Ferries announces more details for new vessels

The Chamber is a strong supporter of the work BC Ferries does as a vital transportation and supply chain link for Greater Victoria.

“Our organizations have a very good relationship and we are encouraged by the business-minded approach BC Ferries takes to its long-term feasibility and sustainability,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said, who spoke today about the decision on CFAX as well as with the Canadian Press. “We know yesterday’s announcement about selecting the builder for new ships was a very well-informed decision, and we’re hopeful that we will still see a much needed fifth ship added to this proposal.”

BC Ferries announced China Merchants Industry Weihai Shipyards will build four new vessels to replace four aging ships nearing the end of their service lives, each increasingly prone to mechanical issues and service disruptions.

“CMI Weihai is a global leader in passenger ferry construction, and shipbuilding more broadly,” BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez said. “It was the clear choice based on the overall strength of its bid, including its technical capabilities, high-quality and safety standards, ferry-building experience, proven ability to deliver safe, reliable vessels on dependable timelines, and the overall cost and value it delivers for our customers — all essential as we continue to experience growing demand and the urgent need to renew our aging fleet.”

BC Ferries said, in the first 10 years of their operation, the new vessels will inject $230 million locally on refits and scheduled maintenance. Over their expected 45-year lifespans, the ships are expected to spur 17,200 job-years of employment and $1.2 billion in wages, contributing $2.2 billion to BC’s GDP.

The new vessels will be more spacious, have reduced emissions and be significantly quieter underwater to better protect marine life.

BC minimum wage increases to $17.85 next week

On Sunday, the province’s annual minimum wage increase will raise the lowest hourly rate from $17.40 to $17.85 per hour.

“The 2.6% increase on June 1 also applies to minimum-wage rates for resident caretakers, live-in home-support workers, live-in camp leaders and app-based delivery and ride-hail services workers,” the provincial media release stated. “This is the fourth year of the government’s ongoing commitment to tie annual minimum-wage increases to inflation.”

In February 2024, the Employment Standards Act was changed to automatically tie annual increases to the previous year’s average inflation rate.

Highway project will ease commute — eventually

Connecting communities is critical for helping business flow smoothly around the region. There are deliveries to make and appointments to keep, but good transportation is also vital to helping employers find and keep workers. This has been a consistent advocacy priority for Chamber members, who help us understand their biggest challenges by filling out our annual member survey as well as in daily interactions.

Of course, building better transportation corridors can require patience. That’s the case across the region, including Highway 1 where the bus-on-shoulder project is currently underway. New bus lanes from the McKenzie Interchange to the Colwood Interchange will make taking the bus faster and more reliable and convenient for commuters.

Drivers can expect daytime disruption during construction. The Burnside Road on-ramp and the Helmcken overpass will close overnight between 8 pm and 5:30 am. The Galloping Goose Trail also faces closures of as long as 15 minutes between 8 and 11 pm.

The Highway 1 bus-on-shoulder project is part of the South Island Transportation Strategy to create a dedicated rapid transit corridor between downtown Victoria and the Westshore. BC Transit currently operates its Blink RapidBus to connect the areas and is planning to expand the service over time.

The bus-on-shoulder project includes $67 million in provincial funding and $28 million in federal funds. The project is expected to be completed in late 2027.

New lien rules bring BC in line with other provinces

The new Commercial Liens Act comes into force on June 30, affecting how businesses collect debts for services they provide to repair, store or transport goods. The Act replaces a patchwork of outdated laws, which created different rules for different services.

The Personal Property Registry, an online system that tracks legal claims on personal property, will be updated on June 30 to so that commercial liens can be registered. The changes will also make it easier to enforce liens without going to court, which helps businesses get paid and cuts legal costs.

The Act also allows people to keep using their vehicle or equipment to make money and pay off the debt.

The act replaces the Repairers Lien Act, Warehouse Lien Act and Livestock Lien Act. Any existing liens under those acts will continue as commercial liens. The change brings BC closer to the goal of having one set of lien rules across Canada so businesses that provide services in different provinces do not have to keep track of different rules.

Chamber hears from Minister about BC’s economic plans

The Chamber hosted BC’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation, Diana Gibson, yesterday at the Union Club of BC.

Minister Gibson spoke about the province’s efforts to build a resilient economy in the face of uncertain trade relations with the United States.

“It was a valuable opportunity to speak with the Minister directly and pose questions on behalf of Chamber members,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “It’s important to understand what the government is trying to do, but it’s just as vital that government knows what business needs it to do.”

The event was moderated by Williams and South Island Prosperity Partnership CEO Aaron Stone.

The JEDI Ministry’s role is to support BC’s tech sector as well as small businesses, while providing economic development and promoting the province to international investors.

“One of the big tasks on their plate right now is working with the federal government and other provinces to increase free trade within Canada,” Williams said. “Prime Minister Carney has promised this will happen by Canada Day so the clock is ticking for provinces to reach agreements that make it easier for businesses to sell products and services more efficiently across our borders.”

A chance to hear firsthand about BC business growth

The economic uncertainty caused by threats of an escalating tradewar as well as a change in Canadian leadership has not been good for most businesses.

As some of the shifting settles, many Chamber members want to know what these changes will mean to them. And some of the most direct impacts on business success are related to the regulations and taxes imposed by the province.

“We’re grateful that BC’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation has agreed to speak to Chamber members next month,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “This is a ministry that interconnects with businesses in many ways, and it’s important for the minister to understand the concerns and challenges facing our members.”

Minister Diana Gibson is speaking at the Union Club of BC from 11:30 am to 1 pm, on May 13. Topics include the province’s plans to work with the new Prime Minister on eliminating barriers to interprovincial trade. The Minister will also address the future of the EHT, plans to improve downtown safety and how government will reduce red tape to help businesses grow.

Chamber championing ferries’ future resonates with Island communities

The Chamber’s efforts to bring a business perspective to the future of our most vital transportation link has captured the attention of policy makers and business associations on the Island and across BC.

A letter penned by The Chamber on behalf of 20 organizations was sent to BC Premier David Eby last week. The letter makes the case for revisiting the recent decision by the BC Ferries commissioner to only approve four new vessels instead of the five required to meet demand.

The request was picked up by media during an interview with the Premier, who agreed that the vessels are needed.

“I think we need boats that are going to be able to serve the public well into the future here in British Columbia,” Eby told reporters. “It’s critical for commerce, for tourism and as the Island Highway for so many families and businesses.”

The Chamber supports efforts to reduce costs faced by taxpayers, and is grateful the provincial government has heard our calls to invest in ways that grow the economy for everyone. The attention on the issue has also raised the potential for federal funding to be part of the solution.

“Affordability is about more than just fares and yet there’s nothing that requires the commissioner to apply that lens,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams wrote in the letter about the need for infrastructure that drives business, industry and tourism.

Read The Chamber’s column

Changes to lobbyist rules help reduce chilling effect

The Chamber applauds news that the BC Lobbyist Registry is making changes to reduce the unfair burden facing many community organizations. The Registry changed significantly in 2020, surprising many chambers, boards of trade and other groups that traditionally work with government.

The aim of the registry is to ensure transparency. It’s an important ideal to help British Columbians know if their elected representatives are being influenced by special-interests. However, the 2020 change introduced a cumbersome interface, tighter timelines and a chilling fine structure. The result inhibited historic relationships that have served for decades to help communities keep an open dialogue with provincial ministries.

The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce played a key role in championing those important connections, working with chambers across BC to call out the chilling effect of the registry.

The changes announced today come into force on May 27 and will drop requirements for reporting every time funding is requested, extend due dates for reports and clarify some of the rules around filing requirements.