Kick-off the new year at the Prodigy Group January Mingle this Thurs, Jan 11 from 5-7 pm co-hosted by Van Isle Paint Inc. and Island Digital Marketing at Earls Kitchen & Bar. This will be a fantastic opportunity to mix and mingle with emerging and established members of Greater Victoria's business community.
Member Value Summed Up
Have you ever tried to tally up exactly how many benefits you get for your Chamber membership dues? Well for 2018, The Chamber has created a Member Value Summary which breaks it down into four categories:

Discounts & Savings
Take advantage of our many discount and savings programs available to you and all of your employees.

Marketing, Advertising & Business Exposure
Reach the entire Chamber membership and beyond. Make sure that your business isn't one of Victoria's hidden treasures.

Building Connections (Events)
Nothing can duplicate the face-to-face connection with the people you need to do business with.
Join us in expanding your network, being inspired or learning something new.

Chamber Branding, Affiliation & News
Research shows people have more confidence in Chamber Members when deciding who to do business with and where to spend money.  We also communicate weekly to make sure you're in the loop with other business leaders.

Click here to read the full Member Value Summary to see exactly what's included in your Chamber membership.
Chamber News
Events
2018 Business Awards Nominations
Peter Legge Luncheon
Marketplace Mixer
Webinars
Business Mixers
Prodigy Group Mingles
Event Photos

Committing to Multi-Modal Downtowns
Downtown Victoria needs to remain accessible for people of all ages and abilities - including those who drive. The city is building bike lanes designed to accommodate all ages and abilities. The same approach needs to be applied to the downtown as a whole. 

To keep parking free and accessible in its downtown the City of Langford is buying residential properties and turning them into parking lots. Langford's justification for doing this? Local businesses pay three times the residential tax rate - or more in some municipalities - and provide 35% of Langford's income. "We're just going to reinvest it to make the economy strong in the downtown core," City of Langford Mayor Stew Young said in a Times Colonist article.
 
That's the same approach Victoria took forty years ago when it built five parkades, but they are no longer adequate to fill the demand. 
 
"Loss of parking in downtown Victoria due to construction on former parking lots is an issue we hear about from our members constantly," said Chamber CEO Catherine Holt. " Many of our members would like to see investment in more parking to keep Victoria's downtown functional."
 
Recent development of parking lots into residential construction has eaten up parking spaces but there are benefits. 
 
"Yes parking is an issue we need to address - it's top of mind and we're looking for solutions - though there are no short term fixes," says City of Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps. "But also loss of parking has turned into thousands of new customers living in the downtown, it's reducing downtown vacancies, and it's seeing hundreds of millions of dollars in investment in the city." 

Downtowns need to be multi-modal accessible. The Chamber would like to see a plan from the city to ensure that. Ideally it would include partnerships between the city and the private sector. For example, how about a public private partnership to build and operate a parkade at the Save On Food Memorial Arena?
BUSINESS LEADERS LUNCHEON
 
Hear Peter Legge, one of Canada's most inspiring entrepreneurs, on why good is the enemy of great - and how to move you and your company to the next level of success.

Peter Legge is Chairman and CEO of Canada Wide Media Limited, the largest independently owned magazine publishing company in Western Canada controlling a network of over 25 magazines across the country in addition to providing a diverse range of media services and products with over $15 million in sales annually.
Sponsored by: 
Wed, Jan 31 | 11:30 am -1 pm      
Coast Victoria Hotel & Marina
by APA, 146 Kingston St.

   
 

Members Around Town
Elite's New Ownership
Elite Sportswear & Awards has changed its name to Elite Promotional Marketing and Tony and Mallory Drolet bought the BC chapter in December 2017. 
 
Elite Promotional Marketing: member since 2004
United Way Celebrated 80 Years! 
The United Way of Greater Victoria celebrated 80 years of changing lives in 2017. To celebrate their 80th, they've complied a list of 80 of their favourite things that are meaningful to them. 
  United Way of Greater Victoria: member since 1972      
Gordie Tupper Retiring after 30 Years
After 30 years of being the face and voice of CHEK television and adding a smile to everyone's face, Gordie Tupper is set to retire on Jan 31. Gordie, a native Victorian, helped create and hosted CHEK Around, which continues to this day. He also hosted Go! Magazine, Island 30 (Gordie on the Go), countless parades and CHEK Charity Drive Thru(s), and contributed to CHEK News doing weather and reporting.  
 
 CHEK News: member since 1971 
25 Years of Compost Education in 2017!   
In the past 25 years the Compost Education Centre has reached over one million individuals living in the South and Central Island and Gulf Islands with their programming. In 2017 the Compost Education Centre delivered almost 200 hundred compost and conservation programs in schools across the south island and gulf islands and ran another year of sold-out workshops that included topics such as an Indigenous plant walk, herbalism, canning, fermenting, and organic gardening
  Compost Education Centre: member since 2008
What Business Impressed You This Year?  
Make someone's day by nominating them personally or their business for a 2018 Greater Victoria Business Award!

Nominating only takes two minutes and you can nominate as many businesses in as many different categories as you want.

The are 12 award categories from Business Person of the Year to Innovation, Sustainable Business Practices to New Business and everything in between! Check out the full list here.

What are you waiting for? Nominate now!

A Big Step Forward on Better Governance
At the Saanich Council meeting on Jan 8th, the Saanich Council passed the following two motions unanimously:
  1. That it be recommended that Saanich remain receptive to any initiatives for the creation of a Regional police force and request the Mayor to write to local mayors requesting participation in discussions on the potential of a Regional Police Force.
  2. That it is recommended that Council call on the Province of British Columbia to establish and fund a Citizens' Assembly on Amalgamation with interested municipalities.
At the Victoria Council meeting January 11, Councillor Loveday will be proposing the following motion:
  1. Be It Resolved That Council call on the Province of British Columbia to establish and fund a Citizens' Assembly on Amalgamation with interested municipalities from Greater Victoria
  2. And Be It Further Resolved That the City of Victoria remain receptive to any initiatives for the creation of a regional police force and request the Mayor write to local Mayors requesting participation in discussions on the potential of a regional police force.
The Chamber is fully supportive of these motions and is very encouraged to see this leadership from our two largest municipalities. A Citizen's Assembly on Amalgamation established by the Province is an appropriate way to evaluate options and recommend how best to improve public services and local governance through fewer governments.

The Chamber is an advocate for a regional police service as a more effective way to ensure public safety, especially in light of the request by VicPD for six more officers to help them maintain social order in the downtown core that is frequented by locals from all the municipalities.

We urge Victoria Council to pass the motion tomorrow and the Province to act on the request for a Citizen's Assembly and a regional police service immediately. Encourage Victoria Council with an email to take this important step.
Chamber Information Session for Business Investors from China
Are you new to Greater Victoria and a business investor from China? Do you know someone like that?

This free information session about the benefits of being a member of The Chamber is an excellent opportunity to network, ask questions about our offerings, meet some of the executive team and learn how to connect and gain exposure with the business community in Victoria.

This event is open to members and non-members. Please contact us. Language will not be a barrier - we will have a Mandarin translator facilitating this event.

Tue Jan 16 | 5-7 pm
Max Furniture
1-2745 Bridge St. 



Top 5 Leadership Issues in 2018
Chamber member Merge Gupta-Sunderji of Turning Managers Into Leaders in a recent article in the Globe and Mail identified the five top leadership issues to watch out for in 2018:  
  • The increasing profile of mental wellness
  • The aging work force
  • The influx of Generation Z
  • The proliferation of flexible work
  • The advent of artificial intelligence
To read the full article click here.

Turning Managers Into Leaders: member since 2017
Healthy Start to 2018
Keep yourself and your employees healthy and productive this year with a great Employee Benefits Plan. More than 30,000 business just like yours choose the Chamber of Commerce Group Insurance plan to protect their employees. The Chambers Plan is customizable to match the needs of your organization from one person firms to midsize businesses. Click here to learn more.
 
Welcome to Our Newest Members!  

 
 
 


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250-383-7191  

victoriachamber.ca
chamber@victoriachamber.ca
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