With a new school year underway, remember to watch for school zones and obey speed limits — 30 km/h from 8 am to 5 pm. According to ICBC, 31 children are injured every month in crashes while walking or cycling. And, last year, 6,500 tickets were issued for speeding in school zones.

A new slate of community leaders have put their names forward to share their insight and experience as potential members of the 2023-24 Chamber Board of Directors.

Each fall, the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce holds an election to fill open seats on our board. Directors are elected to two-year term with staggered renewal dates. This year, there are eight (8) amazing candidates nominated for six (6) positions on the board.

Election ballots will be emailed Thursday, Sept. 8, to the main contact of every Chamber member. The Chamber uses a weighted voting system, based on your organization's number of employees. Voting will close at noon Thursday, Oct. 6.

Personal write-ups for each of the nominees are included with the electronic ballot. You can also view the nominees on The Chamber’s website.

Greater Victoria's housing market continues to become more balanced. The ratio of sales to active listings is at 28.14%. Real estate professionals consider a balanced market to be between 20% and 15%, Victoria Real Estate Board president Karen Dinnie-Smyth said.

“A high percentage means more of the available listings have sold, which shows a high buyer demand and that’s generally a favourable market for sellers," Dinnie-Smyth said.

The benchmark value of a single family home in Greater Victoria's core was $1.39 million. That's down from $1.43 million in July, but up from $1.2 million last August.

A plan to level up Greater Victoria's film industry received a boost last week. The provincial government's BC Bid website posted a Request for Pre-Qualification for a film studio at Camosun College's Interurban campus.

“The process is intended to result in an innovative proposal that benefits the college, students and the local economy,” Camosun College President Geoff Wilmshurst said in a news release.

A plan to make it easier to replace single family homes with multi-unit housing within the City of Victoria is heading into its third debate on Thursday.

The Missing Middle-Housing Initiative is a proposal to make the construction of new homes faster. The plan has been working its way through the municipality's channels since 2019 and went to public hearing this August. However, the outpouring of public commentary was more than could be addressed in the initial hearing. Additional time was required last week but was still not enough to conclude the hearing, which will continue tomorrow at 10 am (Thursday, Sept. 8).

Information on how to participate, including a link to a livestream, can be found here.

The pandemic showed that government support has an important role in helping business. As the economy recovers, the lessons learned should help the public and private sectors find more efficient ways to work together.

To that end, Innovation Canada is hosting an event at 10 am on Sept. 14 for entrepreneurs interested in government investment. explain what programs are available to help businesses scale their growth

The free session includes a chance to ask questions. Register here.

The Chamber continues to highlight our inaugural Business Hall of Fame inductees starting with previous Lifetime Achievement Award recipients.

Lynda and Murray Farmer have devoted

themselves to philanthropy, specifically around education.

Lynda joined the Camosun College Foundation, and served on the college’s Board of Governors.

Murray joined UVic’s Board of Governors in 2002, serving two years as Chair before being elected as Chancellor in 2009, eventually presiding over 79 convocation ceremonies.

As co-chairs of Camosun’s Trademark of Excellence campaign, the Farmers played a key role in helping raise $5 million towards the new trades education complex and the refurbishment of eight existing facilities on campus.

The Farmers also worked together as campaign co-chairs to help raise $5 million towards the establishment of the Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea in Sidney.

Learn about the Farmers' impact and legacy at the 2022 Business Hall of Fame gala.

We are thrilled to announce the return of our Annual Auction, taking place Nov. 6 – 13.

This is a major fundraising event for The Chamber, with all proceeds supporting our work as the largest and most influential advocate for businesses in the region. Last year, we received thousands of visits to our auction platform for an action-packed week of bidding on fabulous gifts and memorable experiences.

Did you miss your spring-cleaning opportunity this year? There’s no time like the present to tidy your surroundings and prepare for a productive fall and winter.

Many Chamber members are still offering cleaning options for offices,

including disinfecting services, janitorial services, and industrial steam cleaning. And as you reduce, reuse and recycle you'll feel invigorated. Make sure you don’t neglect cleaning your carpets, rugs, or upholstery!

Still working from home? Check out Chamber member house cleaning services to ensure your home is cleaned efficiently and safely.

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.