Last year's Greater Victoria Business Award winners were all smiles. This year's Chamber Business Award recipients will be much the same at tomorrow night's gala event.

The Dalmation, located at 1021 Johnson St., was built by Jawl Residential Ltd. (Dalmation Developments), and features 130 rental units, office space and a new firehall for the Victoria Fire Department within an eight-storey building. The homes will rent for between $375 and $2,900 per month based on unit size and resident income. The next phases of the project will include more than 480 market-rate rental homes and a diverse mix of commercial, retail and restaurant space, as well as dedicated public spaces, including a 250-square-metre public plaza.

“We are very proud of the work that went into developing and constructing The Dalmatian and Victoria Fire Department Headquarters," Director of Development for Dalmatian Developments David Jawl said in a news release. "The completion of this project is a wonderful example of how partnerships between the private and public sector can succeed to deliver much-needed housing and safety infrastructure in our communities.”

The project is a partnership between BC Housing, the City of Victoria, Pacifica Housing and Dalmatian Developments. It is the largest purpose-built affordable rental project of its kind in downtown Victoria.

The provincial government announced today it is providing $2.5 million to Vancouver Island Life Sciences to create a 650-square-metre facility to help up to six companies with access to low-cost, specialized lab space. The lab will be in Greater Victoria, but the specific location is still in the works.

Vancouver Island Life Sciences is a volunteer, non-profit society in Victoria that connects Island researchers with the global life science community.

The provincial government announced Tuesday that is focusing on five pillars to help businesses find and keep employees. They are:

The province has committed $480 million for its plan, which includes funding for future skills grants of up to $3,500. The money will be available starting in September to help workers train for in-demand jobs.

“I’m hearing from businesses, small and large, that finding skilled labour is one of their biggest challenges,” said BC Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation Brenda Bailey, who will be speaking at The Chamber's Business Leader Luncheon on Monday, May 8.

The “i” words are in everyone’s thoughts. Inflation and Interest Rates.

In this Chamber Chat, CEO Bruce Williams chats with three finance and business professionals about how we can best manage the challenges created by i&i.

Special thanks to our series sponsor: Island Savings

Gary Kinar, who served on the Chamber's Board of Directors from 2014 to 2017, has died after a brief battle with cancer. Gary was 70.

The Chamber sends our sincere condolences to family, friends and all who had the pleasure of knowing Gary. He was a well-respected lawyer and strong supporter of community. Gary is survived by his wife Ida Chan and daughter Gwyneth Kinar.

A Celebration of Gary's life will be held at Uplands Golf Club on May 7 at 2 pm.

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.