Chamber Chats

Chamber Chats Series

As part of The Chamber's commitment to keeping businesses up-to-date with information that can help them stay successful, Chamber CEO Bruce Williams is engaging in a series of conversations with leading subject experts.

Special thanks to our series sponsor: Island Savings

A Chat with the Base Commander

One of the largest employers in this region is largely unseen. With 6,500 employees and a local spending impact of $611.3 million, they are a driving force. They are in fact an Armed Force and a division of the Department of National Defence.

In the latest Chamber Chat, hear details of CFB Esquimalt from Base Commander Captain (Navy) Sam Sader.

Co-ops in the Workforce

Sourcing a workforce is an ongoing challenge in our region. One of the most effective means of finding workers and integrating them into the operations of a company or organization is through the Student Co-op programs at the University of Victoria and Camosun College.

Find out more about the power of Co-op from UVic President and Vice Chancellor Dr. Kevin Hall and Camosun VP of Partnerships Geoff Wilmshurst.

Giving your Business a Scorecard Rating

If you were to use a scorecard to analyze your business , how would you fare ? Are you taking full advantage of the technology being made available to support you ?

We speak with Elizabeth Vannan and Steve Wellburn with MNP (a Chamber Champion!) about this timely topic.

Download the Scorecard

Sweet treats with Pivot Pilots

How was the COVID pandemic impacted small, niche specialty food producers?

In the latest Chamber Chat, we find out from three of them: Autumn Maxwell with Cold Comfort Ice Cream, Tara Black with Origin Bakery and Lindsay Dault with Country Bee Honey Farm.

Housing the Unhoused

The long anticipated process of housing the unhoused is underway as many are being decamped. How’s the process going?

In the latest Chamber Chat, Bruce Williams speaks with Julian Daly of Our Place Society, Kelly Roth of the Greater Victoria Coalition to End Homelessness and Murray Langdon of BC Housing.

Dining with Pivot Pilots

No sector has been impacted more by the COVID pandemic than the restaurant and hospitality sector. Ups and downs, open then closed. This week we gather perspectives on that from the BC Restaurant and Food Association plus two restauranteurs, one established and one quite new.

Featuring Ian Tostenson of the BCRFA, Castro Boateng of House of Boateng, and Shellie Gudgeon of II Terrazzo Ristorante.

Building BC Back with Pivot Pilots

Housing costs continue to escalate as the supply chain for the Real Estate, Construction and Development sectors are operating at full speed. Three Pivot Pilots from the Construction and Development Industry speak about that in this week’s Chamber Chat.

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Kathy Whitcher from the Urban Development Institute as well as Chamber Champions John Knappett, President of Knappett Projects, and Tom Plumb, CEO of Kinetic Construction.

Pivot Pilots 5.0

In this Chamber Chat we learn about the pivots undertaken by a live-music venue, an event planner and a public safety and security provider.

Featuring Nichola Walkden of Hermann's Jazz Club, Tami Tate of Social Media Camp and Mirko Filipovic of Themis Security.

All have been Pivot Pilots as we taxi along the Recovery Runway.

Pivot Pilots 4.0

As we countdown the days to summer, businesses continue to make strategic adjustments to prepare for better times ahead. In this week’s Chamber Chat, we continue our series of conversations with Pivot Pilots, those businesses that have found ways to successfully adapt and are leading the way down the Recovery Runway.

CHEK is a local media outlet that knows all about finding innovative ways to redefine and grow its business and culture. Listen to CHEK General Manager Rob Germain and Chamber CEO Bruce Williams talk about the station’s history, and how the past 10 years have prepared CHEK to be a community leader for decades to come.

Pivot Pilots 3.0

As we continue to taxi along the Recovery Runway we are having conversations with Pivot Pilots — those business leaders who were able to pivot their operations through innovation. Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Dale Olsen of Outlooks for Men, Calen McNeil of Big Wheel Burger and Curtis Vertefeuille of Moe’s Home Victoria.

The theme for this Chamber Chat is opportunity and expansion. These pivot pilots identified new markets and expanded during the height of COVID. Hard work, collaboration and a deep knowledge of their market were common threads woven throughout their experiences and bumps in the night. Thanks for the inspiration and fashion advice.

Pivot Pilots 2.0

As we continue to taxi along the Recovery Runway we are having conversations with Pivot Pilots — those business leaders who were able to pivot their operations through innovation. Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Scott Phillips, CEO of Starfish Medical, Richard Gale, Director of Camosun Innovates, and David Nicholls, Partner and General Manager of Vancouver Island Brewing.

In this Chamber Chat, we speak with a company who undertook manufacturing much-needed ventilators for medical support to help COVID patients, a post-secondary that created face shields and a safe model for transporting vaccines, and a brewery pivoting from making beer to producing hand sanitizer.

Pivot Pilots

As we continue to taxi along the Recovery Runway we are having conversations with Pivot Pilots — those business leaders who were able to pivot their operations through innovation. Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Cathy Scott of Departures Travel, Paul Hadfield of Spinnakers and Marnie Hart of Sailor Jack Consignment.

In this Chamber Chat, we speak with an owner who shifted her travel business to virtual travel and mystery trips in our backyard, a restaurateur who took this opportunity to reset the bar with his staff to create a living wage for his entire team, and a consignment retailer who rethought the whole shopping experience to support young families and created a culture of caring.

Census Data Crucial for Recovery

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Geoff Bowlby, Statistics Canada Director General in charge of the census.

Canada conducts a census every five years, and 2021 is one of those years. A census tells us more than simply how many people live in our country, it’s a thorough look at the profile of our population. What has changed and what has stayed the same — crucial data as we chart our COVID Recovery

How to Make Working from Home Work for You

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Ann Squires Ferguson, CEO of Western Interior Design Group, Blaise McDonald, President of Mac Renovations, and Caitlin McKenzie, CEO of Monk Office.

Has working from your dining room table “office” outlived its purpose? Converting home space into working space is a pandemic priority for many people right now, and for the foreseeable future. Learn more about what considerations are needed to create a productive home environment.

COVID-19’s Impact on Philanthropy

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Sandra Richardson, CEO of The Victoria Foundation, and Mark Breslauer, CEO of The United Way of Greater Victoria, in this week’s Chamber Chat.

The demand for non-profit and community organizations has become even more important throughout the COVID pandemic, and many have seen a profound shift in their funding and support. What’s the future of philanthropy and its impact on the work of non-profit and non-governmental programs?

Compassion the Priority for Care Homes

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams looks back at the last year and lessons learned with David Cheperdak, President and CEO of Broadmead Care, and Amir Hemani, CEO of Berwick Retirement Communities.

By responding quickly to early concerns about COVID-19, both organizations were able to ensure the safety of people under their care. What they found out was how important their staff are to bringing joy to residents in later stages of life. Find out how they rose to the challenge, and how technology and new ways of thinking about employee resiliency have become embedded in each organization’s culture.

Knowing the Facts Vital to Safe Communities

Julian Daly, CEO of Our Place Society, speaks with Chamber CEO Bruce Williams about the reality of life without stable housing or vital support networks. The Chamber advocates for Safe Communities by calling for solutions that address the underlying challenges that need to be overcome. Knowing the facts behind the headlines will help focus our efforts on calling for real changes that will benefit how all of us experience our city streets and parks.

Innovative Retailers Pivot During Pandemic

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with local Business Improvement Associations featuring Geoffrey Beattie (Oak Bay BIA), Shannon Toogood (Sidney BIA), and Jeff Bray (DVBA).

Community connections shine as pandemic brings out the best in businesses as they rally to keep customers coming in or shopping online. Campaigns such as #ChamberLocalVicBC shopping by appointment and free delivery by local BIAs helped many small businesses survive 2020.

Relief and Reconciliation with Hon. Murray Rankin

What is the province doing to help businesses in 2021?

Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Oak Bay-Gordon Head MLA Murray Rankin, Minister of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation. Topics include efforts to help more businesses make better use of provincial grants, and how the inclusion of indigenous people in the workforce is changing attitudes about reconciliation across the province.

$2.7M gift for high-acuity unit

In this Chamber Chat, Chamber CEO Bruce Williams discusses the recent $2.65 million donation to the Victoria Hospitals Foundation from Seaspan Victoria Shipyards. Guests include the Executive Director of Victoria Hospitals Foundation, Avery Brohman; physician and department head for Emergency and Critical Care Medicine at Island Health, Dr. Omar Ahmad; VP and General Manager of Seaspan Victoria Shipyards. Joe O’Rourke; and Manager of Intensive Care Units (RJH and VGH) at Island Health, Carrie Homuth.

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Snapshot of vaccine research

In this vodcast, Chamber CEO Bruce Williams discusses COVID-19 with Dr. Srinivas Murthy, co-chair of the WHO clinical research committee on COVID-19, associate professor in the Faculty of Medicine at UBC, and a critical care and infectious diseases physician at the BC Children’s Hospital. As of November 2020, how are vaccine trials progressing, and how will the vaccine be distributed?