The first winners of a free meal courtesy of the Picnics & Patios campaign were at Fire + Water, Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour, when they were randomly selected by Miranda Ji (second from right), Destination Greater Victoria's VP of Sales and Business Events. See details below for more on this initiative.

The Greater Victoria Picnics & Patios Campaign begins this week with a tasty chance to win great prizes!

The Chamber is meeting with the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services on Monday to offer guidance on the next provincial budget.

Chambers have a long history of being the effective voice of business in their communities. We've worked hard to earn the trust of decision makers as we advocate to make a real difference in policies that help business thrive.

"I'm available to our members any time they want to reach out and discuss concerns or seek support," Chamber CEO Bruce Williams said. "We don't always see eye to eye with government officials but we're always respectful and do the work needed to show why policies need to be implemented or changed. A robust and vibrant economy is good for business and everyone in our community."

Individuals can also share their views with the committee by filling out an online survey or sending in written comments by 3 pm, June 24.

The provincial government has launched a new BC Bid portal, making it easier for businesses to participate in procurement opportunities offered by hundreds of public sector organizations.

The single-point of access is used by school districts, municipalities, health authorities, Crown corporations and other government agencies to post contracts for goods and services across industries.

People looking to buy a home in Greater Victoria have more options to choose from as there were 30.1% more listings in May compared to April.

"The real estate market in Greater Victoria is returning to a steadier pace following the strange two years we experienced over the course of the pandemic," Victoria Real Estate Board President Karen Dinnie-Smyth said in a news release. "While inventory is still below historical levels for a spring market, it is now within our pre-pandemic five-year average, which is good news for buyers."

The cost of a single family home continued to increase, however, with the benchmark value for May at $1.446,400. That's up from $1,424,900 in April.

Help us help you by sharing your thoughts on your Chamber membership through our 2022 Membership Matters Survey. In less than 10 minutes, you could win round-trip flights to Vancouver for two from Helijet.

Last June's heat dome caused major disruption across the province, shutting down a number of businesses because of uncomfortable or even unsafe conditions. The weather event was especially damaging because it caught people off guard. Tragically, the extreme heat was also linked to the deaths of 619 British Columbians. The province has now launched a Heat Alert and Response System to identify and support people at risk during extreme heat. The system will categorize extreme heat events as warnings or emergenices, with thresholds varying across regions.

As well, prevention and mitigation strategies can help the public better prepare for future climate events.

With cooler than seasonal temperatures so far this spring, experts are continuing to watch their long-range forecasts for any indication of a summer heat wave.

This Chamber Chat is Part 2 of our conversation about the work being done by Ocean Networks Canada, based at UVic, to steward the oceans of the world.

Bruce Williams continues the chat with Ocean Networks Canada CEO Dr. Kate Moran.

Ocean Networks Canada: Member since 2019

Make sure you're putting your best self forward by updating your online directory listing! Through strong SEO practices, thousands of users are viewing The Chamber’s member directory every month. So, we made an easy checklist to ensure your listing is getting the views it deserves.

It's easy to make changes to your listing - simply login here. To update your logo, photo or video, scroll to the Upload Media table listed at the bottom of the page. To update your listing description, keywords and social media channels, select the Edit this Profile button.

Remember to visit the Exposure Opportunities and Deals tab to learn more about unique ways to showcase your business.

As always, you can email us the changes you would like to see and we can update your listing on your behalf.

Members can post Coupons and Discounts free of charge here.