Let us help you remain at the top of the bidding heap. Use the 'Max Bid' function to set your top bid and the system will bid incrementally up to your top bid as others bid against you – saving you time and increasing your chance of winning an item!

Ensuring all sectors play a role in recovering from the pandemic is one of the key elements of Reboot: Greater Victoria's Economic Recovery Plan. The report, released Monday, is the work of the Rising Economy Taskforce, which brought together 40 business, community, government and academic leaders to work on 12 sector committees.

"I worked closely with other community leaders and the South Island Prosperity Partnership, and I think this report is an invaluable tool for making decisions about where we want to see investments made to achieve a full and equitable recovery," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said.

Among the recommendations are a call to embrace the 21st-century innovation economy and the creation of an Indigenous Economic Development Office.

Greater Victoria’s unemployment rate dropped to 7.6% in October from 9.1% the month before, according to Statistics Canada's latest figures.

The numbers reflect what is now being called a K-shaped economic recovery, with some businesses able to return to pre-pandemic operations and others still facing an uncertain future.

Across Canada, 57% of businesses in the accommodation and food-services sector report they are unable to take on more debt. About one-third of those say, at current levels of business, they will need to consider closing, declaring bankruptcy or reducing staff unless revenue increases in the next six months.

"With finite public resources available, we need to look carefully at the return on investment of government spending," said Canadian Chamber of Commerce Chief Economist and Vice-President of Policy, Dr. Trevin Stratton. "Some programs are more beneficial than others. Some policies will contribute more to economic growth. Let’s make sure federal spending is focused on quality over quantity."

In this month's Business Examiner column, Chamber CEO Bruce Williams writes about his new initiative, Chamber Chats, to provide another channel for people to get information about issues of importance to Chamber members.

"They offer fascinating insight into our economy and the path out of the pandemic," Williams says. "As we all know, we are generally shifting our information intake onto video platforms, and I do have some experience in interviewing people! Conversations like these offer genuine and engaging communication when you hear someone not just read their words."

The pandemic has been especially difficult on working parents, with women disproportionately suffering income loss as they leave jobs or reduce hours to care for children. The Chamber has been calling for investment in accessible child care for years.

Some good news this week as the Greater Victoria School District announced on Friday that it is creating 316 childcare spaces across the region. The school district has completed four childcare studios in Saanich and is building five others that are expected to open in early 2021.

During these extraordinary times, The Chamber’s Job Board connects employers needing help with employees in need of work. Whether you’re a CEO, small business owner, or a manager looking for talent, finding and retaining employees is crucial.

Learn more about how to post on the job board here. ​If you have any difficulty posting, please email members@victoriachamber.ca

Each week, The Chamber will profile one of the 14 different award categories, encouraging members to nominate a deserving Chamber member.

Innovation honours a business that:

Need some inspiration? Check out the videos of the 2020 Innovation finalists below. Thanks to University of Victoria, Peter B. Gustavson School of Business for sponsoring this award.

WINNER: BRNKL by Barnacle Systems Inc

FINALIST: Moduurn