Trump takes to social media to threaten huge tariffs

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There’s the economy, and then there’s the attention economy. The incoming US President has seized the spotlight with his comments on his Truth Social platform calling for a 25% tariff on products from Canada.

The damage such a move would do to the Canadian and US economies makes this pronouncement shocking, which is likely what Donald Trump intended.

Chamber Board Chair Kris Wirk spoke to CFAX this morning about the issue, noting that the uncertainty is not helpful regardless of whether any tariffs are introduced.

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said it’s easy for Trump to be loud on social media, but there has already been a tremendous amount of work behind the scenes to mitigate the damage tariffs would cause.

“We need to remember that this is a public relations tactic and probably much different than what will occur in reality,” Williams said. “Our national Chamber network has built strong relationships with states along Canada’s border. Their leaders understand the trade relationship with Canada and its importance to American jobs, factories and consumers. They’ll bring a strong voice to any negotiations.”

Speaking of the Canadian Chamber, new President and CEO Candace Laing has issued a statement condemning any attempt to hurt Canada’s economy.

“Being America’s ‘nice neighbour’ won’t get us anywhere in this situation. President-elect Trump’s intention to impose 25% tariffs signals that the U.S.-Canada trade relationship is no longer about mutual benefit. To him, it’s about winners and losers—with Canada on the losing end,” Laing said. “We’re facing a significant shift in the relationship between long-standing allies. Canada’s signature approach needs to evolve: we must be prepared to take a couple of punches if we’re going to stake out our position. It’s time to trade ‘sorry’ for ‘sorry, not sorry.’”

BC Ferries faces challenges head on with creativity and innovation

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The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce hosted the final event in its 2024 Business Leaders Series, with a breakfast with BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez on Tuesday, Nov. 26, at the Union Club of BC in Victoria.

More than 100 business and community leaders attended the breakfast, which featured a presentation by Jimenez followed by a Q&A session with Chamber CEO Bruce Williams and questions from the audience.

Jimenez addressed the recent news that BC Ferries was changing its advisory committee structure, as well as a call to add five new ships to the fleet.

“We know that BC Ferries has been working to improve how they manage their sailings, which is really important to businesses that transport groceries and other goods to the Island. I think our members appreciated hearing Nicolas explain how those improvements have resulted in fewer cancellations and better certainty for business,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “However, the ferry system has served the province for six decades and still has ships and terminals that were built in the 1960s. The Chamber is supportive of the work BC Ferries is doing to modernize its fleet and introduce efficiencies that will ensure future generations have an even stronger and more environmentally sustainable transportation link.”

Jimenez spoke about the importance of BC Ferries for people and families. The bulk of passengers are travelling for work, to attend appointments or visit family members. Tourism make up a smaller but vital segment of BC Ferries total passenger base, he said.

Going forward, the ferry operator understands it needs creativity and collaboration to address its challenges.

“If we are to close this funding gap that I described, we’re going to need to pull every lever that we can,” Jimenez told the Times Colonist. “We’re going to have to get very creative and we’re going to have to balance the needs of the system around reliability and resilience with affordability.

“So without prejudging what that’s going to look like, I think we’re going to have to have all policy options on the table.”

Greater Victoria MLAs named to new provincial cabinet

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BC’s recently elected Premier David Eby named his new cabinet this week, with several local MLAs taking charge of key ministries.

Lana Popham (Saanich South) — who had been serving as Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sports — is now Minister of Agriculture and Food. Grace Lore (Victoria-Beacon Hill) continues as Minister of Children and Family Development.

Ravi Parmar, MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca, takes on the role of Minister of Forests, while Diana Gibson, newly elected MLA for Oak Bay-Gordon Head, is now Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation.

The Chamber works to build good relationships with all levels of government, and having local elected officials in cabinet positions helps. They understand the issues facing our region and often the solutions required to address those challenges.

One way we connect with decision makers is through our Business Leaders events, such as next week’s breakfast with BC Ferries CEO Nicolas Jimenez. Over the next few months, we’ll be announcing a new slate of guest speakers, including prominent provincial politicians.

Contact events@victoriachamber.ca to reserve your seat — and make sure to build Chamber events into your organization’s annual budget planning.

Death of John Horgan a loss for all of Greater Victoria

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Former BC Premier John Horgan at a Chamber Business Leaders Luncheon in 2018.

Former BC Premier John Horgan at a Chamber Business Leaders Luncheon in 2018.

Greater Victoria lost a champion of our region this week. Former Premier John Horgan died on Tuesday at age 65, after several years of fighting cancer. He spent his final days surrounded by family and friends while receiving care at Royal Jubilee Hospital.

“The Chamber is saddened to hear of the death of former B.C. Premier John Horgan, the longtime Langford MLA, who brought remarkable stability to government. Horgan’s leadership was enormously beneficial for Greater Victoria as he understood the complexity of challenges faced by our region. We hope that John’s legacy will show a path forward for today’s leaders and help bridge the divide between British Columbians as we all seek to make the world a little better than we found it.”

Horgan was the first Premier from Vancouver Island since 1947. He stepped down in 2022 to focus on his health, and was appointed as Canada’s Ambassador to Germany in 2023.

BC’s political future remains uncertain after tight election

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Clarity on BC’s political future will have to wait.

The provincial election remains mired in recounts that could take a week to determine who will form government.

“We knew this was going to be a close election and Greater Victoria’s business community is ready and eager to work with whichever party forms government,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “The Chamber hosted party leaders during their campaigns and, as an organization, we have nurtured meaningful connections with the provincial government for more than 160 years.”

Initial results of the election left the BC NDP with 46 seats, the Conservative Party of BC with 45 and the BC Green Party with two seats. However, because races were so close in many electoral areas, the initial results could change. As well as the recounts taking place, about 49,000 mail-in and absentee ballots are being counted.

In the Juan de Fuca-Malahat riding, NDP candidate Dana Lajeunesse had a 23-vote lead over BC Conservative Marina Sapozhnikov.

Elsewhere in our region, elected MLAs include:

  • Esquimalt-Colwood – NDP Darlene Rotchford.
  • Langford-Highlands – NDP Ravi Parmar.
  • Oak Bay-Gordon Head – NDP Diana Gibson.
  • Saanich North and the Islands – Green Rob Bottrell.
  • Saanich South – NDP Lana Popham.
  • Victoria-Beacon Hill – NDP Grace Lore.
  • Victoria-Swan Lake – NDP Nina Krieger.

Saturday election will provide clarity about political future

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With BC’s general election set for Saturday, several Island electoral areas remain up in the air according to polling site 338canada.

Advance polls close tonight at 8 pm, and polls for final voting day will be open from 8 am to 8 pm on Oct. 19.

“Please, if you haven’t cast a ballot already, make time to get to the booth on Saturday,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “The better business participation, the better business representation in the next government.”

To learn more about candidates in your riding, the Times Colonist and CHEK Media have detailed webpages dedicated to Greater Victoria and Vancouver Island.

Both news organizations have earned the trust of local audiences through fair and comprehensive coverage over the decades. It’s no coincidence the media outlet are among the latest inductees into The Chamber’s Business Hall of Fame, along with Alan Lowe, Michael Williams and the Yuen family/Fairway Market.

Make sure to register now for this event, set for Oct. 29 at the Fairmont Empress. More details below.

BC leaders exchange barbs on televised debate

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https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/p74SwrfQ

 

It’s too soon to tell whether Tuesday night’s leadership debate made a significant difference for voters. The televised discussion featured BC NDP leader David Eby, Conservative Party of BC leader John Rustad and BC Green Party leader Sonia Furstenau.

Across Greater Victoria and the province, all candidates are officially registered in their electoral areas with final voting day set for Oct. 19. Advance polls open this week, on Oct. 10, and you can check Elections BC for specific information about voting places near you and dates and times they will be open. Voting by mail is also an option.

The Chamber is non-partisan and hosted events with all three leaders throughout the year:

Chamber encourages voters to be heard in the BC election

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Chambers of commerce have always been vocal supporters of healthy democracies.

With candidates officially registered in all electoral areas, voters have until Oct. 19 to decide who will earn their support on the ballot.

Advance polls open on Oct. 10, and you can check Elections BC for specific information about voting places near you and dates and times they will be open. Voting by mail is also an option.

The Chamber is non-partisan and we hosted events with leaders of every party with an elected representative:

Our partners over at the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce are hosting an Esquimalt-Colwood All Candidates Meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at Esquimalt High School.

The Esquimalt chamber is accepting questions for candidates at the door or by emailing president@esquimaltchamber.ca.

Writ drops as provincial election formally underway

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The official countdown has begun as the province prepares to head to the polls on Oct. 19. The writ was dropped last Saturday and candidates who haven’t declared have until next Saturday to get their names on the ballot.

Of course, most candidates are well into campaigning and Chamber members can expect the discourse to heat up in the coming weeks.

The Chamber is non-partisan and we pride ourselves on working effectively with all levels of government, regardless of their political stripes. We’re also not afraid to speak up on behalf of business as needed.

For the provincial election, The Chamber hosted events with leaders of every party with an elected representative. The Leading to Election series was well attended and gave Chamber members a chance to hold all parties accountable on the issues that matter to our region’s business community.

For businesses and individuals in Victoria-Beacon Hill, one of our region’s highest-profile electoral areas, the Downtown Victoria Business Association is hosting an all-candidates meeting on Oct. 1, 6:30 – 9 pm at the Victoria Conference Centre.

The discussion will allow Tim Thielmann, Grace Lore, and Sonia Furstenau to share their platforms. This event is open to all residents of the Victoria-Beacon Hill riding, and you need to register in advance to attend.

Province to begin helping those who can’t help themselves

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Safe communities are fundamental to all of us. We need to feel safe if we’re going to reach our potential at work and at home. However, the ongoing opioid crisis continues to impact every neighbourhood and has become especially visible in pockets of larger cities. We’re seeing more people struggling with addiction and mental health who are unable to secure immediate access to treatment options.

This week’s news that the provincial government is stepping up to provide care for people unable to care for themselves is overdue.

“Yes, people need to have agency over their lives but people also need to be kept safe from predators and people should not have to live in dangerous environments,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “We believe there are times when the healthcare system needs to intervene in a person’s life so that person has a chance to recover before it’s too late.”

The province’s shift to enabling involuntary care will start on the Lower Mainland and use correctional facilities to provide care under the Mental Health Act. The aim is to help people with addiction challenges, brain injuries and mental-health issues stabilize and rebuild their lives. Facilities on the Island and across BC are being planned.

“The toxic-drug crisis of today is not what it was 10 or even five years ago,” BC’s Minister of Mental Health and Addictions said in a media release. “We are now facing a rising number of people who are living with the lasting effects of multiple overdoses and complex mental-health challenges, tied to social factors like poverty and trauma.”

The province also called on the federal government to step up border enforcement around screening shipping containers arriving in Canada to curb the smuggling of chemical precursors used to make illicit fentanyl.

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