46th Annual Greater Victoria Flower Count launch at Abkhazi Garden

It was expected news but welcomed nonetheless by employers across Canada. The federal government announced today that it will extend the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy and Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy until June 5. A previous extension was set to expire March 13.

The wage subsidy covers up to 75% of payroll costs, while the rent subsidy pays up to 65% of rental payments for those who qualify. As well, a top-up is available for businesses forced to close due to restrictions.

TD Bank Group for sponsoring our minister series of events.

The provincial government announced yesterday it plans to invest $2 million to buy food-processing equipment for three new food hubs, including one in Victoria. The province is partnering with the City of Victoria and the Victoria Community Food Hub Society to help businesses access shared food and beverage processing space and equipment to increase their production and sales.

“The development of a regional food hub is the culmination of years of work to identify the infrastructure needed in the region to support advancing the food and farm sector," Linda Geggie, VCFHS spokesperson, said in the provincial news release. "This food hub is unique in that it is marrying economic development goals with social good, supporting food services and distribution of good local food to people in our region. There is a lot of potential in this initiative and we are pleased with the support from the many partners involved.”

New fare choices for BC Ferries will provide better "value, flexibility and certainty" for passengers travelling to or from the Island.

The Prepaid and Saver fares, announced today, can be purchased in advance of sailing the major routes between the Island and mainland.

BC Ferries President and CEO Mark Collins, who has previously spoken at Chamber events about moving to a prepaid model, said once travel restrictions are lifted the new fares will "help spread traffic across the day, reducing sailing waits at popular times.”

Saver fares will range from $49 to $73.70, including reservation, and are available year-round for travellers able to choose less busy sailing times.

The prepaid fare enables customers to pay for reservations and travel in advance, making boarding more convenient.

The BC Financial Services Authority is set to take on oversight of the province's real estate industry. By bringing the Real Estate Council of BC and the Office of the Superintendent of Real Estate under the BCFSA, the province hopes to reduce money laundering by better coordinating the financial services sector.

The amendments to the Real Estate Services Act are expected in late-2021, and will give BCFSA authority for:

Julian Daly, CEO of Our Place Society, spoke with Chamber CEO Bruce Williams as part of a recent Chamber Chat focused on homelessness and the difficult reality facing people without stable housing or vital support networks.

The Chamber advocates for Safe Communities by calling for solutions that address underlying challenges. Knowing the facts behind the headlines will help focus our efforts on calling for real changes that will benefit how all of us safely experience our city streets and parks.

Special thanks to our series sponsor: Island Savings

News that Greater Victoria is in line for 210 new licensed child-care spaces will be welcomed by parents. Many working families are often underemployed because parents are unable to work due to the lack of accessible, affordable care for their kids.

The provincial government announced the spaces yesterday as part of its Childcare BC New Spaces Fund, which has created 1,630 spaces in Greater Victoria since 2018.

Proposed new legislation will prevent renters in BC from being evicted from their homes under the guise of renovations. If passed, the legislation will also extend the current rent freeze until Dec. 31, limit future rent increases to inflation and improve the process landlords and tenants use to solve differences.

LandlordBC CEO David Hutniak called the move to prevent unfair evictions a road map for positive change, though the organization has not endorsed the rent freeze which was initially announced last November. The extension beyond July means that any rent increases planned before Dec. 31 no longer apply.

“LandlordBC believes that encouraging continued investment to prolong or sustain the useful life of a rental unit or building is essential," Hutniak said in the province's news release, adding that it's important renovations requiring tenants to move out of a unit are done in good faith, and that the process to establish legitimacy is efficient. Landlords would have to apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch before evicting a tenant to undertake renovations.

The changes, if passed, will come into effect on July 1.

Tell us what you think, and how this extension impacts your business. Email [email protected].

When the time is right to welcome visitors back to our region, a new experience will be ready to share the story of the Lək̓ʷəŋən people's land and history. The Songhees Nation received $637,900 from the province's Community Economic Recovery Infrastructure Program to help build a 25-foot aluminum landing craft that can fit 12 passengers.

The vessel will take people on tours of culturally significant sites where the Lək̓ʷəŋən fished and gathered other food sources such as shellfish and berries. The marine trail runs from Colwood down past Victoria and up to Cadboro Bay. Tours are expected to begin next year.

"We are stronger together. The Chamber fosters collaboration and advocates for a vibrant business environment in Greater Victoria."

Learn more about how these organizations are championing the work of The Chamber.

The 46th Annual Greater Victoria Flower Count begins today! With over 45,932,377,422 blooms counted in 2020, Greater Victoria is undoubtedly Canada’s “Garden City.” But how did this event become an annual tradition?

This year, our messaging to the rest of Canada is different. We still want to share our blooms, but with a different purpose. We are sending a virtual bouquet of flowers across Canada to show the country that, as we all traverse together along the COVID-pandemic path, this is not the time to claim we are doing better than the rest of Canada, simply because our weather is better.

Our goal in 2021 is to spread spring cheer to residents of Greater Victoria and encourage you to stop and count the flowers while out in your communities. Everyone is invited to participate in counting flowers, including schools. The Grade 4 or 5 class that counts the most blossoms in Greater Victoria will win a gift certificate for afternoon tea at The Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden for each student, plus seeds to plant your own flowers for next year’s count.

Also, be sure to enter the social media contest by tagging #FlowerCount on Instagram, where you can win a bundle of garden goodies from the Gardens at HCP as well as an afternoon Tea for Two at The Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden.

Learn more about how to post on the job board and utilize featured posting here. ​

If you have any questions about the Job Board, please email [email protected]