Government Provincial Archives

A chance to hear firsthand about BC business growth

April 30, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

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

April 30, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Climate Change Solutions, Finding And Keeping Workers, Food Security, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial, Transportation Options/by Jim Zeeben

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

April 24, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

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.

Businesses bear burden of loosening sick day rules

April 17, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Fair Rules, Finding And Keeping Workers, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery, Inflation And Rising Costs, Safe Communities/by Jim Zeeben

A cost to employers rooted in the pandemic is now further ingrained in law after the provincial government moved to ban the requirement for doctor’s notes when employees take sick days.

“Businesses would have liked to have had more of a say on this policy,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “It’s one thing for the public sector to make this a requirement for its employees, but to force it on the private sector overlooks a lot of concerns we hear from members.”

Organizations understand the benefit of supporting their workers, especially in Greater Victoria with one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada. During the pandemic, employers went to great lengths to support staff who were ill as well as to keep workers safe from infection. However, legislating paid sick days is a cost that is not covered by government. This additional burden on business adds up, especially at time when many organizations are facing lower margins.

“Most Chamber members I talk to have great relationships with their staff and go out of their way to help when needed,” Williams said. “But many are rightfully concerned that this change will create confusion and could incentivize abuse of the rules and potentially force employers to provide more paid days off work.”

Premier walks back contentious parts of Bill 7

April 2, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber applauds the provincial government for listening to our concerns, and those of other business organizations, and removing many of the autocratic elements of Bill 7.

The legislation, as initially proposed, would give BC’s Cabinet broad powers without the need to be accountable to the elected legislature. On March 28, Premier David Eby agreed that Bill 7 needs “safeguards.”

The Chamber supports parts of the Bill that aim to make the provincial economy stronger. Specifically, the goal of reducing barriers for interprovincial trade.

“Interprovincial trade drives one-fifth of Canada’s GDP, yet internal trade barriers still act like a 21% tariff,” Canadian Chamber Public Policy Chief Matthew Holmes said. “Removing them could boost GDP per capita by 4%. That’s real growth — right here at home — at a time when businesses and workers need it most. Internal trade must be a key aspect of our Canada-U.S. trade strategy — let’s control what we can control.”

Savings at the fuel pump welcomed by business

April 2, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Climate Change Solutions, Food Security, Government Federal, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery/by Jim Zeeben

The cost of fueling up at the pump has plummeted after the provincial government removed the carbon tax. Gas prices dropped below $1.60/litre yesterday — about 19 cents lower than they were the day before the tax was removed.

The lower fuel costs are welcome news to businesses that move goods and people.

“We hear from many struggling businesses and families so anything that unburdens them is needed right now,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said, noting that The Chamber offers members many benefits, including fuel discounts.

Century Celebration of Cup victory begins this week

March 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Government Provincial, Hospitality And Tourism Rescue And Recovery/by Jim Zeeben

The Century Celebration of the Victoria Cougars’ historic victory over the Montreal Canadians begins March 27. Three musical finalists — selected from 31 entries to a songwriting contest honouring the 1925 Stanley Cup win — kick things off by performing their original songs at the Bard and Banker.

Festivities continue on March 29-30, with family friendly events, including the highly anticipated return of the Cup for public viewing on Sunday at the Oak Bay Recreation Centre.

Century Celebration festivities centre around the old location of Patrick Arena — a former stadium in the District of Oak Bay where the 1925 Cougars clinched the cup championship. There is no parking onsite for this event. A park-and-ride shuttle, courtesy of Wilson’s Transportation, will run every 30 minutes between Oak Bay Marina and the festival site from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

The events are being put on by the Victoria Hockey Legacy Society, which hosted Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada in January 2024. The Chamber helped make that event a success, providing a direct boost to business and priceless promotion of our region. Hockey Day was also co-winner of Event of the Year at the Greater Victoria Sports Awards, announced last month.

For the latest on events and activities happening for the Century Celebration, go to vhls.ca.

Consumers get break as BC eliminating carbon tax April 1

March 26, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Business And Economic Strength, Chamber Awareness, Climate Change Solutions, Global Uncertainty, Government Federal, Government Provincial, Inflation And Rising Costs/by Jim Zeeben

Energy costs are set to go down starting April 1 as the province announced yesterday it will make good on its promise to eliminate the consumer carbon tax after the federal government promised to do the same.

BC’s tax adds about 17 cents per litre at the gas pump, and 15 cents per cubic metre of natural gas.

“The Province will continue to act on the commitment to battle climate change by ensuring people in British Columbia have affordable options to make sustainable choices and by encouraging industry to innovate,” the BC Ministry of Finance said in a statement.

Eliminating the tax will help businesses and individuals facing increasing costs and economic uncertainty due to the threats of tariffs and tradewar with the US.

The latest news on the tradewar is a 25% tariff on the auto industry imposed today. The action is expected to increase the cost of vehicles and cause generational chaos to automakers on both sides of the border.

The national Chamber network continues to work on mitigating the threat of tariffs. This week, the Canadian Chamber released a report on US cities that are the most export-dependent on Canada.

Whoa Premier! Proposed power grab needs a rethink

March 19, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Chamber Awareness, Fair Rules, Global Uncertainty, Government Provincial/by Jim Zeeben

The Chamber takes pride in working well with any government, regardless of their political stripes. However, there are times when decisions are announced that leave us shaking our heads. The latest, or at least most egregious, was the surprise introduction of Bill 7 last Friday.

BC Premier David Eby claimed the legislation is needed in order for the province to respond to the tradewar with the US. The proposed law has been derided as the Henry VIII clause because it would give the Premier’s Office a vast overreach in its powers.

“Businesses are anxious enough without our own province introducing something that many see as autocratic,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We’ve reached out to partner organizations around the Province to figure out a response. Hopefully, cooler heads will prevail and the province will step back from this legislation.”

Bill 7, if passed, would give Eby broad powers without the need to be accountable to the elected legislature.

Province recruiting doctors and nurses amid US chaos

March 12, 2025/in BizNews This Week, Government Provincial, Safe Communities, Training And Microcredentials/by Jim Zeeben

The provincial government is seeing opportunity in the political divide currently impacting the United States. BC has begun a recruitment campaign targeting doctors and nurses from the US and fast-tracking credential recognition.

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC is being consulted on a direct process for doctors who hold certification from the American Board of Medical Specialties to become fully licensed in BC without the need for further assessment, examination or training. Similar changes were recently adopted by Ontario, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick.

The changes are expected to be implemented in the next few months, following consultations already underway.

The BC College of Nurses and Midwives has also been asked to allow US-registered nurses to apply directly to the college, allowing it to review candidates education, registration, exam completion and regulatory history through the US’s national nurse-licensure and disciplinary database.

The provincial government said 2024 set a record as nearly 250,000 people were able to find a primary care provider, an increase from 186,000 people in 2023 and 131,000 people in 2022.