An enthusiastic roomful of Chamber members enjoyed a heartfelt and engaging presentation by Jonathon Morris, CEO of the BC Division of the Canadian Mental Health Association. The event, part of The Chamber's Business Leaders Luncheons series, was held at the Parkside Hotel & Spa on Tuesday afternoon. Morris spoke about the benefits of better understanding the psychological health of our workplaces. Many employers in the room noted ongoing efforts to reduce the stigma of mental illness and promote safer and more productive organizational cultures. Morris and Chamber CEO Bruce Williams discussed how businesses can improve their bottom line by taking steps to ensure staff feel safe and supported. Special thanks to event sponsors Coastal Community Credit Union. On Monday, Sept. 5, a shameful moment in Greater Victoria's history will be commemorated with a walk and an official apology. The ceremony marks the 100th anniversary of the decision to segregate Chinese students up to Grade 7 in Greater Victoria. On July 27, Alan Lowe, chair of the Victoria Chinatown Museum Society, appeared before the current board of the Greater Victoria school district to ask for a formal apology. The Chamber is also hoping to formally apologize at this time for the role our organization played in advocating for this discriminatory action. "I want to acknowledge The Chamber’s role in supporting the racist and non-inclusive statements and practices of that time in our history, and I apologize unequivocally," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "And I promise we will continue working to be welcoming of all businesses so we can better represent the true diversity of our region." The Chamber was founded in 1863 to promote investment in our region. "Over the course of our history in Greater Victoria, there were times when we did the wrong thing. We acted with indifference or even encouraged discriminatory practices," Williams said. "This was the case with segregation of Chinese students, which had the insidious intent of making it harder for the Chinese community to live and work here. It was racist and it was wrong 100 years ago." Today we know that diversity is what makes all of us strong. We also know we need more than just words. To that end, The Chamber has created a committee to promote Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. Access to a family doctor is one of the keys to ensuring safe communities, which are fundamental to good business.
With an ongoing shortage of primary care providers in BC, there are serious concerns about what can be done to encourage more doctors to commit to serving BC communities. To try and stabilize the situation, the province announced today that it is providing $118 million through a partnership with Doctors of BC. The funds will be used over four months, starting Oct. 1, to support operational costs for family doctors and medical clinics. About 3,480 family doctors who have their own practices and 1,100 family doctors working in walk-in clinics are expected to receive funding. That represents more than 70% of family doctors working in the province. The Chamber has long called for a renewed approach to policing in Greater Victoria in order to ensure resources are available where they're most needed.
A decision by the Township of Esquimalt to not renew a 10-year agreement with the City of Victoria to share policing costs creates an opportunity for the provincial government to look at a regional police force. "Perhaps this might be an opportunity to make major structural changes in the makeup of the police departments here in the south Island,” VicPD police chief Del Manak told the Times Colonist. A report released this spring by the province from the Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act suggested that a regional police force is past due. The report stated that, when the provincial government ordered the merger of the Esquimalt and Victoria police forces in 2002, 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." It's a familiar story that has the statistics to back it up. Greater Victoria as a region is one of the safest places in Canada, but the downtown core in the City of Victoria faces challenges that require urgent attention.
A report released this week by Statistics Canada shows Greater Victoria has a Crime Severity Index of 71.5, which is less than the national average. However, there is a huge discrepancy between municipalities. With a CSI of 148, Victoria is an outlier compared to the region's other municipalities. “If there’s any region that could benefit from amalgamation or a regional police force, it would be the Capital Regional District, given that we have the makeup of so many smaller agencies and the Victoria Police Department is carrying the lion’s share of the workload,” VicPD police Chief Del Manak told the Times Colonist. The Chamber continues to call for Better Regional Services and Safe Communities as fundamental requirements for building good business and great community for all. A proposal to add at least 180 units of affordable housing in Vic West has been made in an effort to help our region's housing crisis. The owners of Bayview Place have offered to donate $15 million to the Greater Victoria Housing Society for an 18-storey building. The property is on the corner of Catherine Street and Esquimalt Road. Bayview Place is currently working to build new housing on land around the historic E&N Roundhouse. Word is getting out about the best small cities in Canada. On Monday, Chamber CEO Bruce Williams took part in a Black Press podcast discussing why the City of Victoria and District of Saanich are great places to live and work. The podcast, by Peter McCully, appears on 75 newspaper websites.
"These lists are a lot of fun and there certainly are other Greater Victoria municipalities that could have been included," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "Having Victoria place No. 1 and Saanich in the Top 25 does help raise awareness about our region, which attracts visitors, workers and investment." The unseasonable weather has been the major theme of casual conversations this summer. And while it's been a welcome break from the prevalence of pandemic chatter, we can't close the door on COVID yet. Last Thursday, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer Theresa Tam reported that "it is reasonable to expect we could see an increase in case numbers in the coming weeks."
The next wave comes during the heart of summer so its impact will be mitigated by the warm weather and the opportunities for gathering outdoors. Immunization, including boosters, is also key to help protect our community. The Chamber is monitoring the situation and will strive to provide Greater Victoria's business community with evidence-based information from reputable sources. We all have the resilience and experience to keep our economy and community moving forward. Housing supply is foundational to a strong economy, and The Chamber applauds progress being made on the largest housing supply project ever on Vancouver Island. The $250 million Nigel Valley development in the District of Saanich will add 800 homes to the region, including 440 non-market rental units and 255 market homes. The other units include social housing with supports.
“It's amazing what can happen when multiple stakeholders, including our local community associations, take a collaborative and proactive approach to challenges like housing," Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes said in a news release. "This project caters to a wide range of housing needs in Saanich and I look forward to seeing how it will enhance our community over the years to come.” BC Housing is contributing more than $50 million, and Broadmead Care and Island Health are each providing more more than $5 million. The Nigel Valley redevelopment, near Saanich's municipal hall, is being done in three phases over the next 10 years. The provincial government's latest attempt to attract new family doctors to BC is a good start, but more innovations are needed to make a real difference.
Many regions in BC, including Greater Victoria, are experiencing a challenge finding and keeping general practitioners. The province has offered a $25,000 bonus to any new family medicine residents but, so far, none have taken the bait. "We've met with recruiters who tell us there needs to be a change in the administrative burden that doctors are expected to take on," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "People become doctors to help others — not to deal with the extensive paperwork and burden of operating a highly regulated business. There are some truly innovative concepts being proposed that will help, but they need to be supported by government." The Chamber will continue to advocate for improvements to healthcare delivery, especially making sure families have access to doctors and appropriate care in Greater Victoria. The Chamber shares the community's concern for everyone affected by the traumatic incident that happened in Saanich on Tuesday. The scenes of violence have shaken everyone.
"Our thoughts are with those police officers who bravely faced extreme danger to protect the many civilians in the area," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We know that safe communities are a foundation all of us need so we can function in our homes and workplaces. Witnessing violence is not something anyone expects to do while going about their business, and our hearts go out to everyone affected by being nearby as this tragic scene unfolded." Last June's heat dome caused major disruption across the province, shutting down a number of businesses because of uncomfortable or even unsafe conditions. The weather event was especially damaging because it caught people off guard. Tragically, the extreme heat was also linked to the deaths of 619 British Columbians. The province has now launched a Heat Alert and Response System to identify and support people at risk during extreme heat. The system will categorize extreme heat events as warnings or emergenices, with thresholds varying across regions.
As well, prevention and mitigation strategies can help the public better prepare for future climate events. With cooler than seasonal temperatures so far this spring, experts are continuing to watch their long-range forecasts for any indication of a summer heat wave. 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. 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. 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.” The province announced it will provide funding to keep five walk-in medical clinics from closing on southern Vancouver Island. The measures will help keep doctors and add nurses to serve Greater Victoria.
BC Health Minister Adrian Dix told CHEK News the five clinics requested funding through the South Island Primary Care Network (PCN) Walk-in Clinic Task Force. “These five were the ones that participated in this particular task force, and we were able to find this solution in the short run as we work together for longer term solutions,” Dix said. "Access to health care is a fundamental requirement for a community to achieve its economic potential," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We need to retain doctors and other health care professionals so that our region continues to be an attractive destination for businesses and new residents." A convoy of honking trucks and anti-government protestors that planned to entrench themselves in James Bay fizzled out before it could gain a foothold.
"Safe, peaceful and lawful protest are protected under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Occupation is not," states a VicPD media release. "Dangerous and/or unlawful activity will continue to be met with de-escalation and enforcement. By being proactive, the Victoria Police Department were able to avoid a prolonged disruption to businesses and residents. VicPD consulted with Ottawa police about lessons learned by that city when it permitted a protest that then turned into an encampment. VicPD Police Chief Del Manak shared his insights as a guest speaker at The Chamber's Public Policy and Advocacy committee meeting this week. Chief Manak was also asked about efforts to create a regional police department that could draw resources from more than one municipality. VicPD works with their neighbouring police forces as much as possible, but there's no question the department faces critical constraints. The job of police is to protect people in their community, regardless of where they're from. In Greater Victoria, that means VicPD protect everyone who visits downtown for work in the day or for all of its entertainment options in the evening. The Chamber has long called for a regional police force, and we will be looking for indications government is listening when the provincial Special Committee on Reforming the Police Act is released April 28. Starting Friday, businesses and event organizers will no longer be required by the province to check vaccination status. As well, businesses will only need a communicable disease plan to reduce the spread of all infectious diseases rather than a specific COVID-19 safety plan.
"We expect a few businesses will continue to require proof of immunization, much as many continue to ask that masks are worn in common areas," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We welcome the end of formal regulations and support businesses that know their customers and their staff, and who make decisions that work for their organization." Innovation led by business is the key to addressing climate change. The Chamber supports the latest round of investment through CleanBC in developing technology that reduces harmful emissions.
On Monday, CleanBC unveiled its fourth round of funding for three streams:
The program is aimed at supporting industrial jobs in communities across BC. The application process is open until April 29 for Emissions Performance RFPs, and May 27 for Innovation Accelerator RFPs. Employers have a little more clarity about the new requirement for five days of paid sick leave. On Monday, BC's Labour Minister Harry Bains said the requirement is for every "calendar year" of employment, regardless of an employee's start date.
As well, the government amended language relating to collective agreements so that no employees are excluded. The Chamber continues to collect feedback from the business community about the introduction of paid-sick days in BC. Let us know your experiences to help inform our advocacy efforts by emailing communications@victoriachamber.ca. Creating safe communities requires getting to the root of issues that make people feel unsafe. The Chamber advocates for adequate funding of enforcement, health care services and housing, and we applaud news that the City of Victoria will receive a grant to increase community safety.
"People in Victoria at risk of harm or victimization will benefit from a $30,000 grant to create a community-based team of front-line workers to deliver better, faster access to services," a provincial government news release states. "The teams, known as 'situation tables,' ... proactively identify vulnerable individuals or families who have a significant probability of committing criminal offences or experiencing harm or victimization, and rapidly connect them to services before they experience a negative or traumatic event." Safe communities are a fundamental requirement for businesses to operate, and The Chamber applauds news that Greater Victoria is getting 100 complex care spaces. Housing is the foundation for helping people experiencing homelessness, but many also require support with mental health and addictions. Complex care is a good step toward reducing pressure on healthcare and policing, and making our communities safer.
"The pandemic has shown us that mental health challenges affect all of us, including people who haven't had access to the support they need," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We've been clear from the start that solutions such as complex care are needed to help people successfully escape the cycle of homelessness and addiction. We're grateful for this investment in our community, and look forward to working with our partners to get to the root of this complex and challenging issue." An increase in property crime and reports of violence throughout the pandemic are tied to the larger issues of housing and mental illness. "The first step in stabilizing a person who is self medicating, living with an addiction and without shelter is to provide stable housing and specific supports for their challenges," Williams said. In the early days of the pandemic, BC Housing made a number of purchases of hotels and other properties to house people experiencing homelessness. The deals cost taxpayers a total of $221 million, raising questions from people concerned about the expense. Those questions were answered this week by the Office of Auditor General of BC, which released its audit of the purchases. "BC Housing met all relevant approvals and policy requirements for the purchases of nine properties in Vancouver and Victoria in 2020 and 2021," the report concludes. "BC Housing obtained market value appraisals for all nine properties as required by internal policies and procedures. The total of the purchases ($202.4 million) was 8.5% below the total appraised market values ($220 million) for the nine properties." Within Victoria, properties purchased by BC Housing include the former Comfort Inn at 3020 Blanshard St., Paul's Motor Inn at 1900 Douglas St., Capital City Centre at 1961 Douglas St. and a housing project at 225 Russell St. BC Minister of Finance Selina Robinson met with Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce members today to address your questions about the province's 2022 Budget, unveiled yesterday.
Minister Robinson expects economic growth even as provincial debt increases. This year's $71 billion budget is forecast to have a deficit of $5.5 billion, followed by a $4.2 billion deficit in 2023/24. Robinson said the main reasons for the deficits are the anticipated costs of rebuilding damaged transportation infrastructure to withstand future climate events. Asked whether the province planned to ease the burdens of the EHT — which took $207 million more than anticipated from BC employers last year — or paid sick days, the minister defended the government's current policies. She also acknowledged concerns about linking the minimum wage to inflation and said she will work to make the change as smooth and predictable as possible for business. Budget Notes: Greater Victoria is getting two complex care facilities, though specific locations were not announced. The budget also includes $84 million over three years for planning and capital funding for upgrading the Belleville Terminal. The tourism sector has been allocated $25 million to help with recovery efforts, though a further $915 million was set aside for potential pandemic-related expenses, including health care costs or economic recovery funding. Greater Victoria is also in line for numerous “bus and shoulder” expansions to improve regional transit, and money has been earmarked for the transit hub at Uptown in Saanich. “The Chamber has long advocated for child care as an investment in our economy, and we applaud the province’s commitment to adding 40,000 new spaces within seven years. We also are encouraged by some of the steps to address our lack of housing supply,” Williams said. Our region's numerous police forces are moving in the right direction with the establishment of the Regional Governance Council for Integrated Police Units. The new body will have limited authority, but will help municipalities better understand how they can benefit from shared services. The council will consist of mayors from Greater Victoria, and will be co-chaired by David Screech, Mayor of the Town of View Royal, and Kevin Murdoch, Mayor of the District of Oak Bay.
The Chamber continues to call on the provincial government to contribute its portion of costs for a Citizens' Assembly. In the last civic elections, voters in the District of Saanich and City of Victoria mandated their councils participate in the process. Both municipalities are now waiting for the province before they can begin the next phase. |
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