Last week's Get outside with the Prodigy Group Mingle, held Sept. 16, was a major success for The Chamber's return to in-person events with small groups in three great locations across the region. Join us tomorrow for our Virtual Business Mixer on Zoom to establish or renew valuable business relationships.

The Chamber and our national network are calling on parliament to:

If you want to see where Greater Victoria's newly re-elected MPs stand on these and other issues, check out our online sessions with candidates.

How does your business plan to mark Canada's first National Truth and Reconciliation Day on Sept. 30?

Canada's civil service will take the day off with pay. As well, the province and numerous institutions such as the University of Victoria, Camosun College and the Greater Victoria School District are also giving staff the day off.

“The Chamber has also made the decision to close our office on Sept. 30. We felt it was the right thing to do for our organization and reflects the decision we made, earlier in the summer, to create a new task force to help Indigenous entrepreneurs and First Nation businesses fully participate in Greater Victoria’s business community,” Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said, noting that the day is not a statutory holiday according to BC's Employment Standards Act. “Every organization will make their own decisions based on their business and sector.”

The Chamber will be using our Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter channels to reflect on the importance of this day as well as ongoing efforts to support the reconciliation process. Please follow and share, and let us know if you're planning anything to mark the day by emailing members@victoriachamber.ca.

For more resources to help your organization, click here.

It was an emotional moment last Friday when the Victoria Clipper sailed into the Inner Harbour for the first time since the pandemic began. Families waited anxiously for the boat to dock so they could reunite with relatives.

For business leaders, there was also a sense of relief as a vital link for our visitor economy was finally restored.

The federal government re-opened the marine border after vocal advocacy efforts by The Chamber, Clipper Navigation and our community partners, including Destination Greater Victoria and the City of Victoria. And a special thanks to CFB Esquimalt, Harbour Ferries and the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority for helping make the welcome back event so special!

The federal government has work to do after Alaskan politicians proposed changing an Act that has been a keystone in the development of Greater Victoria's cruise ship industry.

The Chamber continues working with the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority and other community partners to make sure all levels of government are prioritizing this issue.

The federal and provincial governments responded to our earlier calls to action, ending the prohibition on cruise ships in Canada on Nov. 1 instead of waiting until next year. The industry contributes $130 million annually to our region's economy and provides more than 800 jobs.

Each fall, The Chamber holds an election to fill open seats on our board. This year, there are 11 amazing candidates nominated for four (4) positions on The Chamber Board of Directors.

Election ballots were emailed Thursday, Sept. 9, to the main contact of every Chamber member. Voting closes at noon Thursday, Oct. 7.

Personal write-ups for each of the nominees are included with the electronic ballot. You can also view the nominees on The Chamber’s website here.

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 on Jan. 1, 2022 for at least a two-year term. Here are our committees:

The opportunity to apply for any of the above committees will be open until Oct. 15, 2021. At the end of the application period, the chair of the committee will be in contact by email or phone.

Businesses that are enforcing BC's proof of vaccination requirements can download new posters designed to help spread the message about the importance of being kind.

The posters were created in collaboration with the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, the City of Victoria, Destination Greater Victoria, Downtown Victoria Business Association, and the Hotel Association of Greater Victoria.

The province is now seeking feedback to help decide if paid sick-leave will be a minimum of three, five or 10 days as it moves into the next stage of its consultation process.

More than 26,000 surveys were completed by employers and employees between Aug. 4 and Sept. 14. The survey results found that employers and employees reported concerns about staff coming to work sick and infecting others. Of the employers who offer paid sick-leave to their employees:

About 70% of workers with access to paid sick-leave indicated they typically don't use all of the paid sick-days in a year.

The public can comment on the current round of engagement until Oct. 25. The province plans to implement permanent paid sick-leave on Jan. 1, 2022.

In May, the government announced a temporary paid sick-leave program that paid up to $200 per day to help businesses that didn't already provide paid sick leave. The subsidy was available for up to three days and was meant to help reduce the transmission of COVID-19.

A new online portal will streamline the approval process for special event liquor permitting, the province announced Sept. 21.

Application requirements are unchanged, but must now be made through the new portal. Processing is expected to be quicker, or even immediate.

"Applicants who have approved but unpaid special event permits as of Sept. 21, 2021, must pay for and download their permits through the LDB’s online system before it is decommissioned Oct. 4, 2021," states the news release. "Applicants with applications still under review as of Sept. 21 will receive notification of the outcome of their application from the LDB system soon after. They, too, must pay for and download their permits within the LDB system before Oct. 4, 2021."

If you registered for the original Live Event Mixer scheduled for Sept. 23, please confirm that you will be joining us virtually. If you have any questions please contact Ashley McCartie at eventsmanager@victoriachamber.ca

Zoom

Take a sneak peek at an incredible item available at the 2021 Virtual Chamber Auction from Nov. 7 – 14!

A perfect gift for the beer connoisseur in your life! This gift basket includes a hat, shirt, and a growler from Sooke Brewing Company. You also receive a $25 gift card to fill it – Kindly donated by Sooke Brewing Company.

Interested in having your products or services showcased at our auction?

Fill out our 2021 Auction Donation Form, call (250) 383-7191 or email specialevents@victoriachamber.ca

As an event sponsor, Maximum Express, Courier, Freight and Logistics is offering donors complimentary delivery of their auction item to The Chamber Office.

As the weather gets cooler, take a moment to think about those in Greater Victoria who may not have warm clothes or a place to stay. View Chamber member non-profits here to learn how you can give back this autumn.

PARC Retirement Living has joined our roster of Chamber Champions, which also includes Big Wheel Burger, TELUS Business, Knappett Projects, CIBC, Kinetic Construction, Mike Geric Construction, MNP, CHEK, the University of Victoria, Seaspan Victoria Shipyards, Spinnakers and RBC.

The Chamber Champions initiative was created last year to add a powerful resource for leadership and guidance to our organization and members. Learn more about how these organizations are championing the work of The Chamber.

For more information on what Chamber Health Benefits can do for your business call Ryan Davies at RDF Group 250-383-6241

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.