Your weekly round up of BizNews from throughout Greater Victoria
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Just announced! Be first in line to hear about Budget 2020
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Just announced! Hear from B.C. Finance Minister
Carole James at her first public event in Victoria following the tabling of the provincial government's 2020 Budget.
Learn more.
Take a tour at the
Point Hope Maritime Shipyard then join The Chamber for lunch and hear from
BC Ferries President and CEO
Mark Collins about how this new class of vessel is changing the future of the company, and contributing to a sustainable environment.
Register here.
Chamber Week is Feb. 17 to 21 and The Chamber will be celebrating with our quarterly
Member Networking Breakfast. This popular must-attend event for new and existing members is almost sold out!
Join The Chamber for
lunch with
Joy MacPhail, Chair of
ICBC on March 4 to learn
about recent changes including the
announcement of a new Fairness
Office and improving customer service.
Only five booths left! Showcase your business to the more than 300 people attending the
2020 Marketplace Mixer (Mar. 19).
Book your booth now!
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Good business requires good government, too
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Times Colonist
column
by Chamber CEO Catherine Holt
If you follow Bill Gates and Warren Buffett — those icons of American capitalism — you might have been startled recently, as I was, by their adamant view that they, and other members of the one per cent, need to pay way more taxes.
This goes against what has been considered gospel — that the private sector does not support handing over hard-earned money to government.
We want our politicians to enable the private sector so it can thrive and create jobs and a strong economy. But when it comes to the public sector, there is often an attitude that government is wasteful and a financial burden that needs to get out of the way.
Read the entire
column
by Chamber CEO Catherine Holt.
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Saanich adopts 2020 Climate Plan
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Saanich adopted its 2020 Climate Plan last week, calling on residents and businesses as well as neighbouring municipalities and senior levels of government to use 100% renewable energy.
To help people understand ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Saanich created an online
carbon calculator.
The Chamber
supports innovation led by business as the best way to find solutions to our changing climate. Saanich's 2020 Climate Plan is a good initiative to help with the transition to a low carbon economy.
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District of Saanich: Member since 2018
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Promote your job across Canada
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Desperately seeking a larger talent pool? The Chamber, with the help of HotHouse Marketing, will be connecting workers from the rest of Canada with jobs in Greater Victoria during February and March. Make sure your job posts are online to showcase why we really are the best place in the country to live, work and play.
Every Chamber member receives one free job post annually.
Learn more
here
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Chamber Member Tip of the Week
“An organization that is fun and flexible attracts and retains its talent. Great co-workers establish strong friendships and those relationships keep people together. We are all equal in our desire for balancing our personal needs with career goals and a culture that embraces individuality is a great place to work. People don't leave great places to work!”
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The Chamber comes with
numerous benefits
for your team, including The Chamber’s Group Insurance Plans.
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Citizens' Assembly process back on track
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The ball is now in the province's court as Saanich and Victoria have
signed off on a
Terms of Reference to create a Citizens' Assembly. The terms call for 75 people who mirror as closely as possible the demographics of the two municipalities. The budget for the process is $750,000 evenly split between Saanich, Victoria and the province.
Saanich and Victoria deserve credit for moving the process forward, and The Chamber applauds both municipalities for taking a practical approach to the composition of the assembly. An initial term that could have limited the participation of Chamber members due to our organization's longstanding advocacy efforts was removed from the final document.
“We think the citizens’ assembly can be launched in the summer, run through the fall [and] deliver its results in 2021 first quarter,” Saanich Mayor Fred Haynes
told the
Times Colonist.
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City of Victoria: Member since 1962
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District of Saanich: Member since 2019
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Business gets chance to vote in Victoria by-election
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The
City of Victoria by-election is a rare opportunity for people who have businesses in the municipality but live outside its borders.
Typically during civic elections, voters will cast their ballot in the municipality in which they reside. But doing so disqualifies them from also voting in a different municipality where they own commercial property.
With the
April 4 by-election only happening in Victoria, there's a lot of interest from people who have a business in the city but live outside its borders.
For information on who is eligible to vote as a
non-resident property elector, here’s a
link to the details. A few notable requirements include:
- You must be a registered owner of the real property and are not holding the property in trust for a corporation or another trust. There is no corporate vote in BC.
- If there is more than one registered owner, you’ll need written consent of the majority and only one of you can cast a vote as the non-resident property elector.
It’s a great opportunity for business owners to ensure their voice is represented on Victoria council.
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City of Victoria: member since 1962
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Provincial Finance Minister Luncheon
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Hear from B.C. Finance Minister Carole James at her first public event in Victoria following the tabling of the provincial government's 2020 Budget.
The presentation will provide an overview of the recently unveiled budget and details on province-wide changes that could impact our community and your bottom line.
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Thurs., Feb. 27 | 11:15 am - 1 pm
The Fairmont Empress
721 Government St.
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Wed., Mar. 4| 11:30 am - 1 pm
Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
100 Harbour Rd.
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Tue., Mar. 24 | 11:30 am - 1 pm
Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
100 Harbour Rd.
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Most In-Demand Skills for 2020
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With a constantly
evolving labour market, it is essential to develop your soft skill set. Soft skills pertain to how someone approaches the task (through collaboration, for example) rather than the ability to use applied knowledge. LinkedIn has recently posted a list of the
most in-demand soft skills for 2020.
Top 5 Soft Skills:
- Creativity
- Persuasion
- Collaboration
- Adaptability
- Emotional Intelligence
Although different skills are needed for certain industries, it is important to continually learn and adapt in new situations. Learn new skills this year by attending a Small Business BC
webinar (email us for a
discount code) or take a class/workshop through an
education provider.
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Hosting a Valentine's day event?
We want to hear from you
*Members only*
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Seaspan christens new vessel
In January, more than 2,800
Seaspan ULC employees welcomed federal Minister Jonathan Wilkinson and Vice-Admiral Art McDonald to a
ceremonial keel laying event to christen the Royal Canadian Navy’s new vessel, HMCS Protecteur. A freshly minted coin was placed near the keel of the ship to bring good luck to the vessel. It will remain on the keel for the ship’s entire operational life.
CFB Esquimalt has served the Royal Canadian Navy
since its inception in 1910 and is the home of the Pacific Naval Fleet.
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Seaspan ULC: member since 1972
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CFB Esquimalt: member since 1979
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Vancouver Island Business Excellence Awards
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Business Examiner: member since 2009
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Victoria Comfort Keepers: member since 2016
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Abeego Inc: member since 2014
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Oui Jewellery: member since 2017
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Sherri Bell appointed Chair for BC Colleges
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Camosun College: member since 1981
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BC Colleges: member since 2018
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Congratulations to both Tessa McLoughlin, founder and CEO of
KWENCH
and Toni Desrosiers, founder and CEO of
Abeego
for being nominated as finalists in the
BCBusiness Women of the Year Awards
! Tessa is a finalist in the Community Builder category, while Toni is a finalist in the Innovator category.
The award ceremony will be hosted on April 2
nd
and will be judged by influential women including Laurel Douglas, CEO of the
Women’s Enterprise Centre.
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KWENCH Enterprises Inc: member since 2019
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Abeego Inc: member since 2014
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Women’s Enterprise Centre: member since 2015
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The District of Saanich has been named a finalist in the “
Open For Business Awards” hosted by Small Business BC. Saanich, which received a letter of support from The Chamber, is competing in the large category (25,000+ residents) along with Campbell River and Coquitlam. The winner will be announced on Feb. 21.
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District of Saanich: member since 2019
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The Coldest Night of The Year
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On Feb. 22,
Our Place Society
’s annual event,
The Coldest Night of the Year
, will once again raise money and support for those who are homeless in Greater Victoria. This family-friendly walk at dusk aims to bring awareness to the challenge faced by those experiencing homelessness during the cold winter months.
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Our Place Society: member since 2010
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Welcome to our newest members!
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Member to Member discounts
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Costco Wholesale Langford
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Chateau Victoria Hotel & Suites
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Signature Merchant Services
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Victoria Bullion Exchange
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Looking to add a Member to Member deal to your online business listing?
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Need to get one of our snazzy Chamber name tags?
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250-383-7191
victoriachamber.ca
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