After the initial announcement of plans to replace the Royal BC Museum created a storm of controversy, the provincial government tried again to explain their rationale with the release of the final business case today.
 
"If we had seen the business case when the original announcement was made, it might have helped with some of the sticker shock our members are feeling," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We're going to keep working with our members to help those that can pick up some of the traffic, as well as with the museum and the province to try and mitigate the loss of a major attraction for eight years."
 
The province said it's not possible to keep the museum open while rebuilding because of the complexity of moving items and safely removing hazardous materials. The current building has outlived its useful life and there are potential risks to its stored collections as well as staff and visitors.
 
There is a cost to doing nothing, Minister for Tourism, Art, Culture and Sport Melanie Mark said at today's technical briefing. The province estimates that the cost of the project — currently at $789 million — will increase the longer it is delayed.

Greater Victoria's business community is showing its resilience as a new report shows commerce continues to strengthen and grow.
 
“Despite headwinds facing the global economy, our region has roared back and we’re in a good position to really take flight as we welcome our traditional tourism season,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. “These indicators make it clear that people can’t wait to get back to our vibrant downtown and enjoy all the amazing experiences our businesses provide.”
 
The report shows that there were 314,730 more pedestrian trips to downtown Victoria in the first three months of 2022 than the same period last year. The City of Victoria issued 7,623 business licences in the first quarter of 2022, up from 7,187 in the same period in 2019 before the pandemic.

Capital Bike is hoping to inspire more people to choose bikes to get where they need to go. Go By Bike Week runs May 30 to June 5, and anyone can participate as individuals or by registering as a team. The week-long event, previously known as Bike to Work Week, is a great chance for co-workers to boost their mental and physical health in a collaborative and fun way. Capital Bike is planning Celebration Stations along popular bike routes with more than $20,000 in prizes available.

How will you be celebrating the Victoria Day Long Weekend?

Although Victoria Day began in 1845 as a way of commemorating Queen Victoria’s birthday, the holiday has since taken an additional meaning: the unofficial start of Canada’s summer season.

Although the summer weather may not arrive in time for the long weekend, we hope you take the opportunity to enjoy what Greater Victoria has to offer.

The Thrifty Foods 122nd Victoria Day Parade presented by CHEK TV returns for the first time since 2019, beginning at Mayfair Mall and finishing at the intersection of Douglas and Humboldt streets. Featuring hundreds of floats and cultural performances, this event from the Greater Victoria Festival Society is certainly one you won’t want to miss.

Before and after the parade, enjoy a great meal at a local restaurant or bring some takeout to a local park. Check out some great attractions, go on a sightseeing tour, or experience family time while taking a much needed break.

Visit our member directory to see a full list of our members that can help make your long weekend one to remember.

The Chamber will be closed on Victoria Day, Monday, May 23.

The Chamber has added its voice to calls to quickly address reports of increased youth violence in downtown Victoria. Everyone needs to feel safe in their home, on their way to or from work and in their place of employment.
 
Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told Global News last Friday that the Victoria Police Department has assured him they were going to increase their presence and shut down any bad behaviour. VicPD arrested eight youths over the weekend and are working with regional groups to make it clear that unlawful behaviour won't be tolerated downtown.

The Victoria International Marina was abuzz with stories of intrepid adventure and precision planning as it hosted the largest gathering of Nordhavn yachts to date. The Nordhavn Owners Rendezvous was held at the marina last week as participants prepared to explore BC's coast. Among the vessels was the Motoryacht LARS, which holds a submarine capable of handling arctic exploration and scientific research.

"The gathering is a sign that things are getting back to pre-pandemic levels right now," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told the Times Colonist.

The provincial government appears committed to its plan to rebuild the Royal BC Museum over the next eight years at a cost of $789 million. The museum was founded in 1886 and has been in its current location since 1968.
 
The Chamber will work to support businesses affected by the change, including attractions that now have an opportunity to increase their profile.
 
“You can come downtown and go to the Bateman Gallery, you can go to the Bug Zoo, you can go to the Maritime Museum — there are still a lot of attractions around and plenty of things to do,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told CHEK News.
 
“The work to modernize the Royal BC Museum is a legacy project that will enrich, inspire and continue to benefit British Columbians and Indigenous Peoples for generations to come," RBCM CEO Alicia Dubois said in the provincial news release.
 
There are plans for travelling exhibitions, regional displays and an interactive walking tour in Victoria while the new museum is being built.

The Chamber hosted BC Ferries President and CEO Mark Collins last week, with more than 60 business leaders at the Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina by APA.
 
“We had a highly engaged audience who learned about ongoing efforts to electrify the ferry fleet and reduce greenhouse gas and noise emissions," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said, adding that many employers in the room were also keenly interested in BC Ferries work to find and keep workers. The recent addition of 500 new employees helped the corporation add more than 100 extra sailings for the Victoria Day Weekend.
 
City of Colwood Mayor Rob Martin, who attended the meeting, stood up to eloquently ask everyone in the room to call on the province to fund a formal study of a commuter ferry between Royal Bay and downtown Victoria. The concept is supported by BC Ferries and The Chamber, and now requires political will to become a reality.
 
“The Chamber has a long history of working with BC Ferries to connect this vital Island link with leaders in Greater Victoria’s business community and it was great to hold another successful in person meeting,” Williams said of the May 12 Business Leaders Luncheon, sponsored by Seaspan Victoria Shipyards.

Today is Moose Hide Campaign Day — a grassroots movement of Indigenous and non-Indigenous men and boys who are standing up against violence towards women and children.

Wearing a moose hide pin signifies commitment to respecting, honouring, and protecting women and children. The campaign was founded to encourage men and boys to step up and take action, challenging behaviour that leads to violence and developing a culture of healthy masculinity.

Everyone is invited to take part in this nationwide anti-violence movement. Here are some ways to spread the important message of the campaign:

• Order pins to wear and distribute
• Write a short description of what you will/are doing to support the Moose Hide Campaign
• Share a story that demonstrates how you are using the pins
• Take a photo(s) and let everyone know what you're up to with the pins. Don't forget to tag The Moose Hide Campaign:
• Facebook - @moosehidecampaign.ca
• Twitter - @moose_hide
• Instagram - @moose_hide_campaign

Learn more and download additional resources at moosehidecampaign.ca.

If you're flying out of Victoria International Airport, be prepared to get there early and have plenty of patience. The airport's website recently added a live update for the current wait time to get through security screening to help passengers plan ahead. The website currently suggests domestic travellers arrive 90 minutes before their flight, while international travellers give themselves two hours.

A pent-up demand to travel has resulted in long lines at airports across Canada. "This follows two tumultuous years that resulted in a significant number of layoffs throughout the aviation industry, including the security-screening workforce," states a news release from the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority.

For 17 years, the Victoria Foundation has conducted the Vital Signs Citizen Survey to measure social indicators that help us better understand the health of our region. This year's survey went live on May 5 and is open until July 4.

This year's focus is "What does community mean to you?" Data collected from the survey reflects how a community is integrating economic, social and environmental elements and helps policy makers understand where improvements are needed.

Unemployment was up slightly for April, with fewer people active in the labour force in Greater Victoria, according to the latest report from Statistics Canada.

Our region's unemployment rate was 4.4% last month, compared to 4.1% in March. There were a total of 228,100 people in the labour force in April, down from 229,800 in March.

Greater Victoria's business community has a well-deserved reputation for its compassion and generosity.

The Chamber is hearing from members who want to help people fleeing the ongoing war in Ukraine.

"We're connecting with our national chamber network and have reached out to the federal minister of immigration," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We want refugees arriving in Canada to know that Greater Victoria is a welcoming community."

Canada has approved more than 91,000 of the 204,000 applications it has received through the Canada-Ukraine authorization for emergency travel process. Less than 2,000 will likely be re-located to Vancouver Island. However, those that do will need housing and, in many cases, jobs to help them integrate into our community.

The Chamber is working with our community partners to identify potential opportunities for billets or temporary housing. Employers in Greater Victoria can help by posting any job openings to a special federal job bank for Ukrainian refugees.

"We know many of our members have opportunities for skilled workers and we will do everything we can to try and provide stability for Ukrainians who have been forced to flee their homeland through no fault of their own," Williams said.

Record-breaking gas prices are the latest challenge for businesses that need to transport goods across our region. The cost per litre of regular gas hit $2.219 this week. That compares to $1.526 in December. The rapid increase is partly linked to global shortages caused by sanctions on Russian energy supplies after the invasion of Ukraine. However, supply issues existed before the war began and are expected to become more of a concern as demand for gas increases in the summer.

The sudden jump in gas prices has led to spirited debate in BC's Legislature, and highlighted efforts to switch to alternative fuels.

This Mother’s Day, show your mom she’s on your mind by surprising her with a thoughtful gift or experience — all while showing love to local business, as well!

• Pamper your mom with a spa/hotel gift certificate for a relaxing weekend away
• Treat your mother to a delicious meal at a local restaurant
• Pick out a stylish pair of shoes as a thoughtful gift
• Take her on a sightseeing tour to experience what Greater Victoria has to offer
• Send a bouquet of flowers from a local florist or garden centre
• Get her the latest novel and discuss the characters over a cup of coffee or tea
• Buy her a box of chocolates or sweet snack at a local candy shop or, if that's not her taste, order some local wine or beer
• Buy her a new outfit from a great clothing retailer

Affordable and accessible child care is vital to the economy because it creates opportunities for working parents to contribute to the labour force. As such, The Chamber has long called for child care to be considered an investment that attracts families to our region and helps organizations find and keep workers. The provincial government now offers a wage enhancement for Early Childhood Educators and is working with the federal government to reduce the costs that families pay for care.

However, it will take more than funding for new spaces to address the lack of access to child care in Greater Victoria. Our region needs qualified workers for the many positions currently going unfilled.

“Finding an early childhood educator seems like trying to find a unicorn these days,” said Mira Laurence, executive director of the Oaklands Community Association which runs the Oaklands Little Acorn Centre. “There are no people,” Laurence said, in an interview with CHEK News. “The four-dollar top-up doesn’t even seem to be working.”

"We're having discussions with post-secondary institutions as well as with government about how we can get more Early Child Care workers," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We need to create pathways that lead from school to jobs, or ease immigration for qualified foreign workers. And when we find staff, we need to keep them by making sure they feel valued."

Housing supply continues to present a major bottleneck for Greater Victoria's economy. The latest figures on Greater Victoria’s real estate market show low inventory, rising interest rates and buyer fatigue has the industry off to a slow start in 2022.

Spring is typically the busiest season fro real estate sales.

"This tells an interesting story because activity traditionally peaks over the course of the spring, and this year we have seen a gradual softening of the market," 2022 Victoria Real Estate Board President Karen Dinnie-Smyth said in a news release. "As we have reported many times in the past years, the market hinges on supply and demand."

A total of 824 properties in Greater Victoria sold in April, down from 1,116 in April 2021. The board's benchmark value for a single-family home increased to $1.27 million, up from $1.23 million the month before.

It should be no surprise that a regional police force was one of the common themes of a long-awaited report from the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act.

The report, released last week, noted that the City of Victoria and Township of Esquimalt are the only municipalities in BC that share a local police department.

The report also stated that when the provincial government ordered the merger of the Esquimalt and Victoria police forces, the understanding at the time was that "this would be the first step towards regional integration of policing in the Capital Region, but this has not happened."

The Chamber supports a regional police force in order to ensure limited resources are used as efficiently as possible to create Safe Communities for everyone in Greater Victoria.

Open House tonight in Esquimalt

Esquimalt hosted an Open House from 5:30-7:30 pm on May 4 in the gallery at Esquimalt Town Square to hear from residents about the Township's police model.

“We want a dialogue with our community before making any large decisions about policing,” Esquimalt Mayor Barbara Desjardins said in a news release. “By joining the conversation about policing in Esquimalt, you will help us make crucial decisions that impact community safety, crime prevention and the use of your tax dollars.”

Innovation led by business is key to tackling climate change and The Chamber is committed to working with all levels of government to help them understand how the private sector is providing real solutions to meet public demand. The City of Victoria has designated staff to work on ensuring food service businesses are using the most sustainable materials available.

City staff have developed a Draft PDF of a Sustainable Takeout Guide that they hope will help businesses. Staff have also asked The Chamber for feedback on the city’s plan. The Chamber worked closely with the city on plastic bags regulations holding a roundtable of city staff and business owners to identify what was already working, what could be efficiently implemented and the tools needed to do so. As a result, the regulation was welcomed by most businesses and served as a model for municipalities across the region.

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is forecasting Greater Victoria housing starts to “decline in 2022, strapped by capacity constraints, before moderating in 2024.”

CMHC’s Senior Analyst of Market Insights, Pershing Sun, said 2022 will be a moderating year in Greater Victoria’s housing market.

“Rising borrowing cost, affordability erosion, and constraints in construction will anchor sales and slow down price growth,” Sun said in a recent report. “Improved job market and migration inflow will drive rental demand over the next few years.”
The CMHC report said the market is expected to slow down after breaking records last year, with prices rising slower than the “frenzied pace in 2021.”

The Chamber has been calling on all levels of government to address obstacles hindering the construction of more homes. With builders operating at their slowest pace in the past 10 years, the industry needs more workers, improved supply chains and streamlined regulations to meet demand.

The District of Saanich is the second municipality in BC to fast-track affordable housing. On Monday night, Saanich Council unanimously approved a motion to accept the streamlined process adopted earlier this month by the City of Victoria.

The decisions will streamline the approval of development proposals as long as they fit with each municipality's Official Community Plan. This will help increase the supply of homes for workers in our region — vital to finding and keeping the staff needed for employers achieve their economic potential.

As municipal councils across the region finalize tax rates for business properties, The Chamber wants to hear from any members facing unfair increases.

“Businesses need to plan for expenses, and they expect to be treated fairly. After all, the long-term health of our communities is directly related to the health of our small businesses,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told the Times Colonist. “The Chamber is reaching out to our members to see how (tax increases) affect them ­individually, and we’ll take that information forward to ­candidates in the fall municipal election.”

The Chamber recognizes that municipalities must juggle a number of variables when setting rates. Ultimately, each municipality determines how much money they need to deliver services to their citizens and then set rates to raise the revenue to cover most of those costs. Whether an individual property experiences an increase in their tax bill typically depends on whether the property had a higher-than-average increase in value. However, municipalities also need to be fair when allocating costs to commercial properties.

“The business community understands that taxes are a tool used by local governments to provide services, but we’re always watchful of councils who try to shift costs to business and industry and away from residents for political reasons,” Williams said, noting that now is not the time for municipalities to be increasing costs for any taxpayers. “Many businesses are still facing challenges, so any tax increase will weigh on them at a time when we need our economy to take flight.”

April 22 is Earth Day — a time to reflect on the environmental impact we have on the world, and how we can mitigate climate change together.

The Chamber is proud to be recognized as Green Certified by the Vancouver Island Green Business Collective, as well as an Ocean Friendly Business by the Surfrider Foundation. We continue to work to help businesses take the lead on climate solutions that will benefit us all.

We have many amazing members that are dedicated to sustainability, including our two finalists for the Sustainable Practices Award at the 2022 Greater Victoria Business Awards: Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Watching Tours and Oak Bay Marine Group.

Cascadia Seaweed and TOPSOIL – Innovative Urban Agriculture Inc won the Sustainable Practices Award in 2021 and 2020, and continue to create positive impact. Visit our Member Directory to find more of our members who are committed to sustainable business.

Being green is good for everyone: people, planet, and profit. Let's try to make every day Earth Day!

Investing in child care allows more working parents to stay in the labour force and helps our region achieve its economic potential. The addition of 395 new licensed child care spaces in Greater Victoria, announced April 19, will help parents continue careers or pursue employment while knowing their children are being looked after.
 
"The Chamber has led the way in encouraging investment in child care as a way to boost our economy and help our region remain an attractive destination for working families," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We'll continue to advocate for good policies that build good business and great community for all."