The Greater Victoria Chamber Business Hall of Fame presented by RBC, will be the first of its kind on Vancouver Island and will celebrate the legacy of pioneers and leaders who have played a role in the region’s economic growth and prosperity.

Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce CEO Bruce Williams has been named to the inaugural Canadian Chamber of Commerce BIPOC and Inclusion Council.

Diversity initiatives across the country are playing a part in creating a more socially inclusive economy. Small businesses play an important role, but often don’t know where to start.

"Chambers are experts at building connections and bringing people together," Chamber CEO Bruce Willams says. "We talk about being more inclusive and diverse, and we also need to walk the walk by hearing directly from voices and lived experiences that will guide us in making meaningful change."

The new council will inform the Canadian Chamber’s initiatives in supporting BIPOC, drive meaningful action to address the identified challenges and opportunities BIPOC face in participating in the Canadian economy, share and recognize best practices and advocate for changes that facilitate diversity and inclusion.

The Chamber has repeatedly advocated that inclusion is a key economic driver. Across Canada, improved participation rates could add 2.2 million workers to the labour force by 2040, including more women, Indigenous peoples and persons with disabilities, thereby growing our economy by $101 billion.

In less than 10 minutes, you can share your thoughts on your Chamber membership by taking our Membership Matters Survey.

Your Chamber Membership provides you with discounts on our benefit programs, opportunities to connect with the business community and supports your business through its advocacy efforts. Are you getting your full membership value?

Help us help you! Enter to win round-trip flights to Vancouver for two from Helijet. by completing the survey. Early bird prize, get your answers in by July 26th and you could win free membership & 150 free driving minutes from EVO Car Share.

Tourism businesses received welcome news on Monday as the federal Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, Mélanie Joly, announced the $500-million Tourism Relief Fund. The program aims to help businesses and organizations make their products and services more resilient from future shocks.

Eligible applicants can receive up to $100,000 in non-repayable contributions for 50% of eligible costs, or up to to $500,000 in repayable contributions for up to 75% of eligible costs.

The pandemic has made it clear that affordable and accessible child care is needed to ensure employers can access the talents and skill sets of parents. Last week, the federal government announced that BC will receive $3.2 billion over five years to improve access to child care for kids under six years old. The provincial and federal governments say they are working toward $10 per day child care, with BC also committing another $2.5 billion over three years. The agreement is expected to lead to 40,000 new child care spaces in the next seven years.

"Studies show that for every dollar invested in early childhood education, the broader economy receives between $1.50 and $2.80 in return," states the federal government news release.

Applications are now being accepted for the first stream of the Canada Digital Adoption Program, initially announced in the federal government's 2021 budget.

The $4 billion fund is comprised of two streams. The first provides funding of up to $336.8 million for not-for-profit organizations to support small businesses as they adopt digital technologies such as digital storefronts and e-commerce platforms, and expand their digital presence. The deadline for applications is Aug. 6.

Click here for key dates, the nomination process and the voting procedure. Download your application, including a request for a bio and photo for the election ballot — as well as a form to gather your nomination supporters. Additional questions can be directed here.

There are more people working in Greater Victoria than before the pandemic, with 212,200 people employed in June. That compares to 194,200 in June 2019 and 187,400 last year. One explanation for the increase could be migration into Greater Victoria.

The unemployment rate was 5.4% in June, still higher than it was before COVID-19, but BC didn't enter Step 3 of the province's Restart Plan until July 1. With visitors from across Canada now welcome, the expectation is for the numbers to improve in July. However, until international travellers return, the recovery will continue to be difficult for many businesses in the tourism sector. The Chamber has been working with our national network and our community partners to ensure government has a plan to safely open borders and support the return of cruise ships.

Get re-acquainted with emerging and established members of Greater Victoria's business community at the Prodigy Group's first in person event this year.

Securing your data often doesn't seem like a top priority until it's too late.

In this Chamber Chat, Chamber CEO Bruce Williams speaks with two experts to help ensure businesses and employee data stays protected.

Joining Bruce are Caroline Dixon, Senior Manager of Risk and Forensic Services at Grant Thornton, and Ryan Smith, Security Manager of Island Savings.

Island Savings: Member since 1984

Grant Thornton LLP: Member since 1973

Special thanks to our series sponsor: Island Savings

Let us know what aspects of Chamber membership mean the most to you! Next time you login to your Member Portal, click on “Edit this profile” and then “Update What’s Important to You.” From here, you will see a list of numerous benefits and opportunities available with your Chamber membership.

Are you interested in advertising opportunities, utilizing The Chamber’s job board or the Ambassador program? Select from 17 possible interests and we would be happy to send you more information. If you haven’t updated your benefits of interests since you joined The Chamber, now is the perfect time to review and refresh.

If you have any questions about your new Membership Portal, please contact Thomas at [email protected]