“We want this plan to support downtown businesses for the long-term by building on the success of the Build Back Victoria program, create more accessible and welcoming public spaces, and work with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to tell a more complete history of this land through cultural interpretation and economic development opportunities,” Helps said.

The draft design includes a new gateway to a Lekwungen plaza at Humboldt and an intersection realignment to create a new plaza for Chinatown.

Area businesses can expect to receive an invitation to one of two virtual discussions on March 8. There is also an online survey at engage.victoria.ca.

The Bank of Canada increased its interest rate to 0.5% this morning. The move had been forecasted earlier by the bank, which is attempting to use its financial tools to address soaring inflation. The bank cited the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, ongoing supply-chain bottlenecks and faster than expected economic growth for causing inflation in Canada to reach 5.1% in January.

The increase will make borrowing more expensive, but it remains uncertain whether it will be enough to cool down housing markets.

Housing affordability for many Greater Victoria employees has become even more strained in recent months as the cost of renting increased by 3.1% and the vacancy rate dropped to about 1%.

With more people choosing to move to our region, the demand for new housing is putting intense pressure on our ability to add to the supply. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Rental Market Survey Data Tables for Greater Victoria shows that a total of eight private apartments were added in the City of Victoria between October 2020 and October 2021. A further 643 were added in all other Greater Victoria municipalities during the same time. Meanwhile, the region's population increased by 29,467 between the 2021 and 2016 censuses.

The provincial government recently announced plans for a "cooling-off period" for home buyers, allowing them to opt out of purchases for a limited time after agreeing to buy. BC Finance Minister Selina Robinson said the goal is to reduce pressure on buyers so they can make sound decisions.

However, the Victoria Real Estate Board says there are better solutions than the government proposal, which doesn't address the root of the problem — a lack of housing supply.

The BC Real Estate Association says the province needs to add another 25,000 homes for sale before supply will be in balance with current demand.

People are showing their support for Greater Victoria's Ukrainian community as their homeland remains under siege by Vladimir Putin's Russian forces. Several thousand people attended a rally at the BC Legislature on Sunday, and The Flag Shop has been working non-stop to try to meet the demand of people wanting the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag.

The flag has been displayed in numerous places across the region, including on top of the Hotel Grand Pacific.

As well, the Times Colonist published a pullout Ukraine flag in the print edition of Wednesday's paper.

There is also a growing call to fast-track immigration for people fleeing the Ukraine and looking to start a new life in Canada. The federal government has approved more than 4,000 applications from Ukrainians who were in line to immigrate here. The government also extended temporary status for Ukrainians already in Canada to work, study or visit.

If you're interested in learning more about the situation in Ukraine, the University of Victoria is hosting a free Teach-In tonight at 4:30 pm. UVic experts on Ukraine will help explain what is happening and how to help.

In the early days of the pandemic, BC Housing made a number of purchases of hotels and other properties to house people experiencing homelessness. The deals cost taxpayers a total of $221 million, raising questions from people concerned about the expense.

Those questions were answered this week by the Office of Auditor General of BC, which released its audit of the purchases.

"BC Housing met all relevant approvals and policy requirements for the purchases of nine properties in Vancouver and Victoria in 2020 and 2021," the report concludes.

"BC Housing obtained market value appraisals for all nine properties as required by internal policies and procedures. The total of the purchases ($202.4 million) was 8.5% below the total appraised market values ($220 million) for the nine properties."

Within Victoria, properties purchased by BC Housing include the former Comfort Inn at 3020 Blanshard St., Paul's Motor Inn at 1900 Douglas St., Capital City Centre at 1961 Douglas St. and a housing project at 225 Russell St.

We will be taking the appropriate precautions as directed by the current PHO to protect the health of all of our guests and staff supporting our events. Please review our COVID-19 Safety Protocols before attending to understand how we can work together to keep everyone healthy. 

Thurs., Mar. 17 | 4:30 - 6:30 PM Horticulture Centre of the Pacific

Please review our COVID-19 Safety Protocols before attending to understand how we can work together to keep everyone healthy.

The Chamber, in partnership with the World Trade Centre Vancouver, is inviting you to the upcoming ICE Integrated E-Commerce Essentials Workshop on March 11, 2022. ICE is a quintessential cross-border e-Commerce workshop that equips small to medium-size enterprises for online market entry and international market development.

·    Seeking assistance to expand their international footprint online

·    With a proven track-record of domestic sales

·    Willing to actively participate in the program

100% of ICE graduates stated that they are better equipped for e-commerce following the workshop and would recommend ICE to other SMEs.

We have all come face-to-face with the reality of climate change with the series of extreme weather incidents we have seen. Atmospheric Rivers, the heat dome, extreme snow and rain.

If you’re wondering what more you can be doing in your own work and home life to mitigate these effects, we have some ideas for you with Synergy Foundation’s Jill Doucette — one of the finalists for this year's Business Awards.

Did you know that, in 2021, nearly 50,000 Canadians were direct victims of fraud with $231 million being stolen?

March is Fraud Prevention Month and a good time to learn about COVID-19 scams, which, unfortunately, are on the rise. Here are a few ways you can help make sure your loved ones and colleagues are educated in the identification and prevention of fraudulent activities.

If you think you are a victim of fraud:

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.