The Chamber is setting up Election Panels to help our members get information on candidates running in Greater Victoria for the provincial election on Oct. 24.

We'll be collaborating with community chambers so make sure to save the following dates and plan to watch via Facebook Live!

As for the election itself, it will, of course, look a little different this fall. Voters will have a number of options to safely mark their ballot, including by mail, and physically distanced voting stations.

Candidates have until 1 pm on Oct. 2 to register, so keep reading BizNews for the latest on when the Election Panels will be held, and who is running in your riding.

Each week, The Chamber will profile one of the 14 different award categories, encouraging members to nominate a deserving Chamber member.

The Community Builder award honours a business, not-for-profit or public sector agency that:

Need some inspiration? Check out the videos of the 2020 Community Builder finalists below. Thanks to Camosun College for sponsoring this award.

Victoria Cool Aid Society (Winner)

Scale Collaborative (Finalist)

BizNews readers can access the full column by Chamber CEO Bruce Williams in the latest edition of Business Examiner - Greater Victoria.

The bill to approve expanded Employment Insurance passed unanimously in the House of Commons last night. The program replaces the Canada Emergency Relief Benefit, which officially ended on Monday.

The new federal relief is designed to help transition people back into the workforce.

“We are still north of 10% unemployment, so that is not healthy and we need to address that as quickly as we can,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams told CHEK TV, noting The Chamber's ongoing advocacy efforts to encourage up-skilling of workers to fill job openings that continue to be in demand. “If we can find a way to collaborate with government and post-secondary institutions to train people, (we can) get people into jobs that needed to be filled even before COVID.”

The federal government's multi-pronged approach includes a new Canada Recovery Benefit of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks for people ineligible for Employment Insurance, including those who are self employed.

As well, the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit provides $500 per week, for up to two weeks, for people who can't work because they are sick or must self-isolate due to COVID-19. There is also a new Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit of $500 per week for up to 26 weeks for people unable to work because a dependent requires their care.

The Chamber is adding our voice to calls for a better approach to helping businesses struggling to pay their rent. The Canada Emergency Commercial Rent Assistance (CECRA) program runs out today, and there is still no plan to replace it. CECRA never really provided the urgent help needed by many businesses. It was complicated and restrictive, and failed to consider that businesses need to plan over a longer-term than month-to-month. The sudden end of the program will also hurt businesses that are seeing improved revenue but are not back to pre-pandemic levels.

"We know that economic recovery is being led by businesses that are able to find innovative ways to adapt and carry on, but many businesses will need time as they slowly return to the level of activity they need to cover their hard costs," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams says. "In Greater Victoria, our tourism and hospitality sectors especially need help to survive the devastating loss of business that resulted from the ban on international visitors."

The Chamber is calling on the federal government to work with the provinces on an improved plan to provide long-term help for businesses struggling to pay commercial rent. Governments had time over the summer to learn from those landlords and tenants who were able to make use of CECRA, as well as those that couldn't make the program work.

Travellers departing from Victoria International Airport will now have their temperature checked, as Transport Canada regulations take effect today. The rule also affects all passengers arriving in Canada on international flights.

Temperature screenings were initially implemented on July 30 for passengers departing from airports in Vancouver, Calgary, Montreal and Toronto. The program has been extended to 11 other Canadian airports, including Victoria, as of today.

If screening finds anyone with a temperature of 38C or higher, they will not be allowed to proceed unless they have a certificate explaining a valid reason for their elevated temperature. Passengers who are turned back will need to wait two weeks and re-book their trip.

People travelling aboard BC Ferries can no longer stay in their vehicles if they are on an enclosed deck. The Transport Canada regulation is back in effect today, after having been suspended in March to allow for physical distancing. You can still remain in your vehicle if you are parked on an open deck.

BC Ferries must comply with the federal rule, and has implemented enhanced cleaning and sanitization as well as physical distancing measures. Face masks are also mandatory on all passenger decks.

Chamber members will have a chance to hear more about this new rule, and other major developments, directly from BC Ferries CEO Mark Collins. Make sure to register for The Chamber's Business Restart Series on Oct. 6. Details below!

If you're an employer looking for your next great hire, make sure to post your career opportunities on the Chamber job board.

The job board is an exclusive benefit of Chamber membership.

If you have any difficulty posting, email [email protected].

We will get back to you within one business day. We know how important hiring the right person can be.

All jobs posted to our job board have been vetted by a member of The Chamber team.

The Chamber has a number of active and engaged committees that report to our Board of Directors. A key reason for the success of our board committees is the involvement of our Chamber members as volunteer committee members.

Each year, there are a few openings on our committees for new members. We are recruiting now for members who will be available starting Jan. 1, 2021 for at least a two-year term. Here are our committees:

The opportunity to apply for any of the above committees is open until Oct. 11.

At the end of the application period, the chair of the committee will review your application and you will be contacted by email or phone.

The Chamber is pleased to welcome Ty Austin as our new Events Assistant co-op student!

Ty will be helping out with the first Virtual Chamber Auction, as well as assisting on other Chamber events throughout the Fall.

Ty is in his fourth year of studies at the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria, focusing on a Bachelor of Commerce degree with a specialization in International Business. Ty looks forward to getting to know Chamber members and community leaders. You can connect with him at [email protected] or 250 953-6684 with any questions related to the Chamber Auction, or any other events throughout the Fall.

The Chamber was able to utilize federal programs in order to hire Ty. Hiring a co-op student is an investment in our future and a great addition to your team. We strongly encourage you to reach out to co-op programs at Camosun and UVic to see how you can work a co-op student into your 2021 plans.