BizNews
October 9, 2019
Your weekly round up of BizNews from throughout Greater Victoria
Join Prodigy Group for the October Mingle tomorrow, Oct. 10, from 5-7 pm, at Spaces. This is a great opportunity to make business connections in Greater Victoria while enjoying delicious food and drinks! Register today.
Board Election Results!  
The election results are in! Thank you to all the members that voted and ran in the 2020-21 Board Election. The elected individuals will help shape The Chamber in the years to come.
Elected and Appointed for 2020-2021:
Ian Batey - IPB Consulting
Kris Wirk - Dusanj and Wirk
Rose Arsenault - Talentcor Victoria

Continuing:
Carmen Charette - University of Victoria
Christina Clarke - Songhees Nation
Dan Dagg - Hothouse Marketing
Captain (Navy) Sam Sader - CFB Esquimalt
Paul van Koll - KPMG
Pedro Márquez - Royal Roads University
Ex-officio
Brianna Green - Wilson's Group of Companies (2020 Prodigy Group Chair )
Catherine Holt - CEO of The Chamber

We would like to thank our outgoing board members:
Lise Gyorkos - Page One Publishing Inc.
Rahim Khudabux - Max Furniture
The Executive and Committee Chairs will be announced in January 2020.
Join a Chamber Committee
Each year there are a few openings on our committees for new members. We are recruiting now for members who will be available starting on Jan. 1, 2020 for at least a two-year term.

Here are our committees:
  • Ambassador Committee
  • Finance and Audit Committee
  • Prodigy Group
  • Public Policy and Advocacy Committee

Apply by Oct. 11, 2019.
Langford solution to commuter crunch
If workers can’t get to where the jobs are, why not bring the jobs to the workers?

A new building in the City of Langford will welcome provincial government workers who’ve grown weary of having to commute into downtown Victoria. One floor of the six-storey Lakepoint One building will be leased to the province, with up to 90 government employees expected to move in next spring.

BC Premier John Horgan told CTV News that if the current project proves popular, he could see more purpose-built construction for provincial offices.

Attracting and retaining workers continues to be among the most pressing issues facing Chamber members in Greater Victoria. The Langford solution is viable because housing is more affordable on the West Shore.

"It's a healthier lifestyle when you get up in the morning and you have a five-minute commute to work and five minutes back,” Langford Mayor Stew Young told CTV. “You're spending more time with your family and less time putting gases, greenhouse gases out there in the environment."

City of Langford: member since 2019
E-scooters legal for roads?
In other commuter news, the province has proposed amending the Motor Vehicle Act to allow electric scooters, unicycles and segways to be used on public roads.
Business Leaders' Luncheon
What's ahead for regional transportation?
Getting there from here shouldn't be difficult, but without a comprehensive regional transportation plan no one is getting anywhere fast.

Join our panel of experts as they discuss the future of how we travel and speak to specific projects planned for the region.
Thu, Nov 7 | 11:30 am - 1 pm
Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour
728 Humboldt St .
Sponsored by:
Delegates from Australia’s Garden City visit Chamber
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce welcomed visitors from Queensland, Australia, today. Like ourselves, the region of Toowoomba is known for its gardens, and the local chamber saw the opportunity to connect with another “blooming” chamber. Despite the many miles between the two chambers, the work we do is more alike than different – connecting our members and helping to clear the way so they can grow their business.

Below - Director of Operations Cheryl Wirch-Ryckman and CEO Catherine Holt hosted Peter Homan, Southern Queensland Country Tourism CEO; Jo Sheppard, Director on the Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce; and Sarah Delahunty, Chair of the Toowoomba Quarry Gardens Corp.
Douglas Magazine honours inclusiveness maven
The woman behind the Inclusion Project, held last spring at Royal Roads University , earned a feature profile in this month’s Douglas Magazine . Since arriving from Nigeria in 2015, Ruth Mojeed has been a force of nature in Greater Victoria. She’s opened doors and helped community leaders better understand the perils of unintentionally shutting out people who have potential to be powerful contributors to our region.

Chamber CEO Catherine Holt, who spoke at The Inclusion Project, is quoted in Douglas about the need to embrace non-traditional solutions to challenges facing our region.

“There are all of these international students arriving in Victoria. They go through the post-secondary system here. They get comfortable with the culture, with the language and they’re looking for employment and find it very difficult,” Holt told Douglas. “So what are the barriers in their way? It was a very pertinent question both for those students going through that experience, but also from the employer perspective, because employers are always telling me they are having a tough time attracting and retaining workers in Victoria.”
Royal Roads University: member since 2006
Douglas Magazine: member since 2004
Small Business Month
Attracting and Retaining Workers Panel

Only 2 tickets left!

The No. 1 issue we hear across all sectors is the challenge of finding staff and keeping them. Employers are looking for solutions today to this ongoing problem of almost zero unemployment.
 
Join our panel of experts as we look at successful strategies, trends for the future and the changing culture of employment in this region.
Thu, Oct 10 | 11:30 am
Hotel Grand Pacific
463 Belleville St.
Prodigy Group October Mingle 
Thu, Oct 10 | 5-7 pm
301-3450 Uptown Shopping Centre
Sponsored by:
October Business Mixer
Thu, Oct 17 | 5-7 pm
1601 Blanshard St.
Sponsored by:
In need of a great employee?
We’ve heard from our members that getting qualified staff is one of their biggest challenges. To help, we’ve launched a Job Board so you can find that new team member who will help your business grow.

What’s unique about our Job Board is that only Chamber members can post. And who wouldn’t want to work for a Chamber member? To celebrate our launch, until the end of 2019, members can post for free.

For more information on getting your job posted on The Chamber’s job board, contact Thomas Zeran , Membership & Marketing Coordinator for more details!
Care Awards
Canada's leaders in sustainable West Coast home design and construction were celebrated at Victoria Residential Builders Association 's 2019 Construction Achievements and Renovations of Excellence (CARE) Awards at the end of September. Two Chamber members received awards: Lida Homes for Best Traditional Kitchen under 200 sq. ft., and Mike Geric Construction for Building Better Futures Community Award.

Congratulations on your hard work!
Victoria Residential Builders Association :member since 1989
Lida Homes: member since 2019

Mike Geric Construction: member since 2017
This black-tie evening includes cocktails, chef stations, a silent and live auction, dancing and an interactive photo booth.
Sat, Nov 2 | 6-10:30 pm
Fairmont Empress
721 Government St .
Here's a sneak peek at a few auction items:
  • Cuddle up and keep warm in a 100% wool Klippan throw courtesy of Beehive Wool Shop.
  • Spice up your afternoon with a fusion of West Coast ingredients and West African flavours during a three-course lunch at the House of Boateng.
  • The ultimate teambuilder and frustration flinger, enjoy an hour of axe throwing with your staff — or friends — courtesy of Axe & Grind.
  • Attend Vessel Liquor Store's VINcabulary or Beer 101 seminars with a friend to learn about 6 international wines or 8 different beers.

Interested in having your item showcased at our auction? Email Sarah Grunert or fill out our 2019 Auction Donation Form.
Ferry rates can rise 2.3% per year, commissioner rules
BC Ferries rates can be increased by a maximum of 2.3% per year, from April 1, 2020, to March 31, 2024. The Office of the BC Ferries Commissioner authorized the increases in a ruling announced last week.

“This final price cap decision confirms the preliminary decision announced on April 1 of this year,” Commissioner Sheldon Stoilen stated in a news release. “We believe these increases are in the public interest — affordable to ferry users and taxpayers, while sufficient to allow BC Ferries to meet their financial targets, barring any extraordinary situation.”
BC Ferries: member since 1983
Members Around Town
BC Transit CEO
Mass Transit Magazine has named BC Transit ’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Erinn Pinkerton to their Top 40 Under 40 list for 2019. The magazine recognizes change makers in the transit industry across North America.

Erinn’s vision is to push BC Transit to look at more connections and methods to make the customer experience more enjoyable through technology. Her work is also about partnerships, working with all levels of governments to develop and understand the importance of transit priority infrastructure, working to electrify the fleet, and more.
BC Transit: member since 1999
Ne w curator
The Royal BC Museum welcomed Dr. India Rael Young into the role of Curator of Art and Images. Dr. Young, an art historian and curator, specializes in media arts and North American Indigenous arts. She joins the museum and archives from the Princeton University Art Museum, where she was the Andrew W. Mellon Research Specialist in Native American Art.
Royal BC Museum: member since 1994
More office space
Spaces | Regus has officially opened its 25,000-square-foot shared-workspace facility at Uptown. The additional location is in response to the growth of the Victoria high-tech industry.

Spaces | Regus: member since 2019
Greater Victoria hotels and spas among Canada’s best

Four Greater Victoria hotels are on the Condé Nast Traveler’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards, announced Monday. The Magnolia Hotel & Spa came in fourth in the Readers’ Choice Top 10 Hotels in Canada 2019 list. The Oak Bay Beach Hotel and Fairmont Empress ranked eighth and tenth, respectively. The Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa came in second for the Top 10 Resorts in Canada Readers’ Choice list.
Magnolia Hotel & Spa: member since 1998
Oak Bay Beach Hotel: member since 2011
Brentwood Bay Resort and Spa: member since 1989
Fairmont Empress: member since 1962
Each week, The Chamber will profile one of the 14 different award categories, encouraging members to nominate a deserving Chamber member.
 
The Business of the Year (1-10 Employees) award recognizes a business that:
  • Demonstrates continual business excellence through positive business growth;
  • Demonstrates a commitment to the community;
  • Exemplifies superior customer service; and
  • Embraces an outstanding commitment to quality.
Need inspiration? Check out the videos of the Business of the Year (1-10 Employees) finalists below.
Giving Thanks at The Chamber
Whether you’re looking to cook your own Thanksgiving meal this year, or prefer someone else do the work , Thanksgiving is a great reason to enjoy good food and time with people you love.

We know we live in a beautiful region, and it's a great weekend to spend with relatives. And many options to either go there or have them visit here — choose from flights , buses and boats .

If you’re planning on staying home, take time to check out some of the exciting activities and venues in Greater Victoria this weekend. And, let’s be honest, sometimes the best way to host your relatives is to tactfully suggest a stay at one of our  great hotels .

Whatever special traditions you and your family have this time of year, The Chamber would like to wish you a happy Thanksgiving!

Please keep in mind that The Chamber will be closed on Monday, Oct. 14 .
Welcome to our newest members!
Need to get one of our snazzy Chamber name tags?
250-383-7191 
victoriachamber.ca