Members Big Wheel Burger, Coastal Community Credit Union and Wilson's Group at Hiring Day

"We are proud to have a long-standing partnership with The Chamber — students can make a real impact in workplaces across the region, and they are key to supporting the economic recovery in this community. This type of hiring event helps facilitate these important connections,” said Andrea Giles, Executive Director of UVic’s Co-operative Education Program and Career Services.

Employers have a little more clarity about the new requirement for five days of paid sick leave. On Monday, BC's Labour Minister Harry Bains said the requirement is for every "calendar year" of employment, regardless of an employee's start date.

As well, the government amended language relating to collective agreements so that no employees are excluded.

The Chamber continues to collect feedback from the business community about the introduction of paid-sick days in BC. Let us know your experiences to help inform our advocacy efforts by emailing [email protected].

To help British Columbians deal with high gas prices, ICBC announced last week it is providing drivers with a one-time $110 rebate ($160 for commercial drivers).

Rising fuel prices — caused by what Premier John Horgan called "Putin's illegal war in Ukraine" — have made life more expensive and led to calls for the province to reduce fuel taxes. And while consumers will welcome the rebate, there are concerns that the cash back from ICBC could increase demand for fuel. A better solution, some economists say, would be to focus relief on commercial vehicles facing higher costs — costs that will inevitably be added to the price of goods and services.

The ICBC rebate will be directly deposited in customer's accounts or applied to their credit card, depending on how they pay for vehicle insurance. ICBC will not text or email information about the rebate and warns customers to be vigilant about fraud attempts.

Innovation led by business is the key to addressing climate change. The Chamber supports the latest round of investment through CleanBC in developing technology that reduces harmful emissions.

On Monday, CleanBC unveiled its fourth round of funding for three streams:

The program is aimed at supporting industrial jobs in communities across BC. The application process is open until April 29 for Emissions Performance RFPs, and May 27 for Innovation Accelerator RFPs.

Creating safe communities requires getting to the root of issues that make people feel unsafe. The Chamber advocates for adequate funding of enforcement, health care services and housing, and we applaud news that the City of Victoria will receive a grant to increase community safety.

"People in Victoria at risk of harm or victimization will benefit from a $30,000 grant to create a community-based team of front-line workers to deliver better, faster access to services," a provincial government news release states. "The teams, known as 'situation tables,' ... proactively identify vulnerable individuals or families who have a significant probability of committing criminal offences or experiencing harm or victimization, and rapidly connect them to services before they experience a negative or traumatic event."

To continue to safeguard the health of our community we require all in-person event attendees to be fully vaccinated. Mask wearing is to each individuals' discretion. You can review our COVID-19 safety protocols here.

The AGM is also your chance to catch up on chamber business, including recent advocacy wins, a report from our chair and audited financial statements.

Kick-off the April long-weekend with signature cocktails, upscale dishes and fabulous décor in a place that offers both a classy VIP experience and be-yourself atmosphere. Friends of Dorothy Lounge is the perfect place to foster great connections and future collaborations as one of Greater Victoria’s emerging professionals.

The South Island has seen a boom of lights, camera, action! The film and movie industry has discovered Greater Victoria has a lot to offer productions.

We get an outline of recent activity and the prospect of even more happening in the future in this Chamber Chat with Film Commissioner Kathleen Gilbert of the Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission.

Our #ChamberLocalVicBC campaign aims to help individuals understand what local means on a social, economic, and community level — and we want to hear from you.

Being a local business can mean many things, and we would like to invite our members to showcase their thoughts on what it means to be a local business.

Let us know how your organization defines local and we'll feature you in our campaign. Contact Thomas at [email protected] to share your story.

Check out our previous #ChamberLocalVicBC participants to read stories about great local Chamber members.

From buying gift cards to leaving reviews of your favourite local businesses online, we can continue to support our friends, family, and our #ChamberLocalVicBC community.

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.