More than 300 people gathered at the Royal BC Museum last week to celebrate the 160th anniversary of the founding of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce on Feb. 9, 1863. Thank you to event sponsors, Truffles Catering, Royal BC Museum, and the Times Colonist. View photos from the event here.

The Chamber’s earliest efforts were to promote the region as a hub for culture, finance and shipping. It was a time for adventure as well as profound disruption. Many of those stories are included in The Chamber 1863 web project, a special endeavour that highlights the history of commerce and the many communities that contributed to the growth of commerce in our region.

As part of our forward planning, the Greater Victoria Chamber 1863 Impact Award was announced in November and will provide local post-secondary students a total of $160,000 to help build the next generation of skilled workers. Find out more at Victoriachamber.ca/impact-award.

On Feb. 14, The Chamber facilitated a Zoom session with Paul Robinson of the Vancouver Island Transportation Corridor Coalition and Larry Stevenson, CEO of the Island Corridor Foundation.

Members of chambers from across Vancouver Island attended to listen and ask questions about the corridor's future. It's currently uncertain as a March 14 court-imposed deadline looms. In 2021, the BC Court of Appeals gave the federal and provincial governments 18 months to renew their commitment to improve the infrastructure required for rail. The deadline was triggered by a lawsuit launched by the Snaw-naw-as First Nation. They want to reclaim the land that runs through their territory, arguing the right-of-way granted by Canada in 1912 is no longer being used as intended.

Island communities enjoyed rail service for more than 100 years, until it was suspended indefinitely in 2011. Since then, a vocal group of train enthusiasts, environmentalists and transportation planners have been calling for a modern passenger train that will reduce the number of cars and transport trucks on Island highways, cut greenhouse gas emissions and offer an alternative for commuters.

There are a few fresh faces on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission. On Monday, the province appointed six new people to the commission:

They join Oak Bay mayor Kevin Murdoch and Sooke mayor Maja Tait, who continue their work with the commission.

The transit commission decides on fares, routes and service levels as well as distribution of its share of revenue raised from taxes on fuel and property.

After hosting The Chamber's 160th celebration, the Royal BC Museum continues its work reinventing itself for the future. The Victoria landmark has long been an important anchor for tourism business that cater to the visitors attracted to our destination. The museum lobby is currently hosting the 17th annual Mammoth Sale, featuring props from former exhibits as well as merchandise from the gift store.

On Monday morning, the museum was the site of an inspirational moment as members of the Nuxalk people were on hand to receive a totem pole that was taken from its home near Bella Coola in 1912. The pole will make its way back to Nuxalk territory.

"The museum is part of the fabric of Greater Victoria and many people feel strongly about what they want to see happen," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "I'm fully confident in the work that museum staff are doing to modernize their facility, and The Chamber is excited about helping to ensure the museum continues to serve its important role in our region for generations to come."

February 13 - 17, 2023 is Chamber Week. This is an opportunity for Chamber Members to celebrate community and build relationships in Greater Victoria.

During Chamber Week, make sure you're putting your best self forward by updating your online directory listing! Through strong SEO practices, thousands of users are viewing The Chamber’s member directory every month. So, we made an easy checklist to ensure your listing is getting the views it deserves. 

It's easy to make changes to your listing — simply login here. To update your logo or photos, scroll to the Upload Media section at the bottom of your Membership Portal. To update your listing description, keywords, and social media channels, select the “Edit this profile” tab at the top of the page.

As always, you can email us the changes you would like to see and we can update your listing on your behalf.

Learn more about historic events and The Chamber in our 1863 Web Project.

The Chamber is committed to Indigenous reconciliation. We’re proud to feature new Indigenous members, including Two Worlds Consulting!

Stay tuned as we highlight more Indigenous Chamber members — #IndigenousBusinessVicBC

Are you an Indigenous-owned business working in Greater Victoria? Learn more about Chamber membership and opportunities to connect by emailing [email protected]

One of the biggest impacts on the rise in our cost of living has been the steadily increasing price of food.

In this Chamber Chat, CEO Bruce Williams discusses the factors contributing to this increase with Travis Shaw of ColdStar Solutions, one of the major links in our food supply chain.

ColdStar Solutions Inc.: Chamber Champion since 2023

ColdStar Solutions Inc.: Member since 2012

Special thanks to our series sponsor: Island Savings

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.