Susan Davis
Susan Davis is the newly appointed chief technology officer of Certn. She joins the company with over 15 years of senior engineering expertise. Davis’ experience reorganizing huge departments into tiny teams to speed up product development will benefit Certn’s engineering culture in terms of speed and efficiency.
Nexii Building Solutions and Omicron Canada have announced that Nexii has acquired Omicron as a wholly owned subsidiary. Both companies will retain their business names and separate office headquarters in Vancouver and will continue to service existing clients and projects to completion.
The 15th annual “State of the Island” economic summit is now open for both virtual and in-person registration. Visit viea.ca for more information.
Westland Insurance Group has announced the acquisition of the Calgary-based digital brokerage Nuera Insurance effective July 1, 2021.
TELUS and the Victoria Cool Aid Society have launched a new relationship that will offer primary care to underserved people in the Victoria area through TELUS’ revolutionary mobile Health for Good program.
The City of Victoria is giving 53 grants totalling more than $470,000 to local community organizations through Strategic Plan grants, ranging from $2,500 – $28,000. These grants will help the residents of Victoria to improve their quality of life and to build resilience to future challenges.
The Maritime Museum of BC is excited to move to its new temporary home in August. The museum will move to the City of Victoria-owned storefront, next to the Victoria Conference Center, around the corner on Douglas Street behind the Fairmont Empress Hotel.
The Oakland Sunset Market lights up Oakland Community Center on Wednesdays from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. The biggest event of the season will last until September 1 at 2827 Belmont Ave.
Gonzales Coffee, a coffee shop owned by Doug Pelton and managed by Sam Benson has occupied the former Starbucks at Fairfield Plaza that closed its doors in 2020.
Vancity announced a major campaign to support local businesses, Load up on Local. For shopping locally, Vancity Visa* cardholders earn 50 per cent more Vancity Rewards™ points. President and CEO of Vancity, Christine Bergeron said Load up on Local will raise awareness to the members to support local businesses.
Grant Whitmore
Grant Whitmore joined STN Video as the new Head of Strategic Partnerships. He joins them from BeeSpoke, ad tech and media company he created after leaving Tribune Publishing in March 2020.
Smuggler’s Cove Pub at 2851 Penrhyn St. is now open from 12 noon to 9 p.m.
Habitat for Humanity Victoria successfully raised $28,500 during an online auction for the benefit of building homes for families in need.
Private liquor retailers are now allowed to sell their products to holders of special event permits to serve liquor at events such as community festivals, family gatherings and private functions. The change follows a recommendation from the Business Technical Advisory Panel.
Emily Ohler has been appointed chair of the BC Human Rights Tribunal, the independent tribunal responsible for accepting, screening, mediating and adjudicating human rights complaints.
The Province has appointed Michael Skinner, former lawyer and adjudicator, as ICBC’s new fairness officer, effective July 12, 2021.
The Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC (IAF) will be delivering the Farmland Advantage program to support BC farmers and ranchers improve ecosystem goods and services on their land. Farmland Advantage is a payment for ecosystem services program that works with farmers to protect and conserve critical, natural lands, streams and wildlife habitats in the province.
Victoria’s Locelle has been selected as one of six finalists in the #CloudInnovateHER Pitch Challenge. They are the only Canadian company involved in the initiative, put on by Women in Cloud and TIE Seattle.
Startups in the province have raised a total of $1.02 billion in the first quarter of 2021, representing a 914 per cent increase from last quarter and a 238 per cent increase from Q1 2020.
True Key Hotels & Resorts is excited to announce the launch of the True Key Vacations, a new short term rental management company offering an abundance of vacation rental options in British Columbia. Property locations include the Columbia Valley, Sooke and Parksville on Vancouver Island.
The Gustavson School of Business welcomes global marketing leader, Phillip Rubel as a new executive in residence. His new role started on July 1, 2021.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) encourages consumers to support small-scale businesses in the community. CFIB is bringing back its #SmallBusinessEveryDay contest for both business owners and consumers.
TELUS is now in its second year of supporting small businesses in Canada by investing a total of $1 million to be used for funding, advertising, and mentorship.
Flair Airlines, the only ultra-low-cost carrier in Canada is adding affordable, non-stop flights in between Victoria and 3 other Canadian cities: Kitchener-Waterloo, Calgary, and Edmonton. The inaugural service was held at Victoria International Airport, in British Columbia.
Swoop has announced a new non-stop service from Victoria to Las Vegas and Puerto Vallarta. Swoop’s Head of Commercial and Finance, Bert van der Stege, said the airline will provide affordable air travel to further its commitment to Greater Victoria.
A new partnership between Destination Greater Victoria and CHEK News to promote farm-to-table and sea-to-table cuisine will benefit restaurants and agri-tourism operators in Greater Victoria.
The District of Saanich is promoting electric vehicles and e-bikes as part of its transition to electric mobility.
Tesla is on the hunt for a service centre location in Victoria as the company has cancelled its announced acquisition of the former Volvo dealership at Douglas and Hillside.
The Songhees First Nation opened the first educationally focused cannabis store at 901 Gordon St.
Soap for Hope Canada opened a thrift store to the public in Vic West, located at 444 William St.
The Prestige Oceanfront Resort Sooke was featured on the game show The Price Is Right. A six-night stay at Sooke resort was won by a successful contest on the June 25th episode.
The board of education of Sooke School District approved a $154-million budget for the school year 2021-22. The new budget for SD62 is reportedly $6 million higher than last year.
Sidney Street Market showcases a great selection of homemade delicacies and handcrafted products every Sunday through October 10th outside Mary Winspear Centre.
The Sidney North Saanich Yacht Club offers courses for all levels of sailors. For more details on registration, visit www.snsyc.ca.
Lighthouse Cake Company, a bakery in Langford was featured on the Food Network’s Project Bakeover.
Brewery & The Beast is returning to Greater Victoria for its ninth year. Tickets are on sale.
Westshore Dental Centre at 152-2945 Jacklin Rd. is expanding and welcomes Dr. Sophie Motet to serve their clients better.
The Royal BC Museum is looking for qualified candidates to design and build the facility for research and collections in Colwood. Submission of applications ends on Sept. 8.
Candidates are being asked to apply to design and build the Royal BC Museum’s new collections and research facility in Colwood. $224 million in provincial funding was recently designated for the project, which is part of the Royal Bay development. The process asks companies to detail their qualifications for constructing projects of this size, with the chosen developer to be announced in spring of 2022. The facility is projected to open its doors to the public in 2025. The design/build application deadline is September 8th.
A Quality Foods grocery store and Cascadia Liquor store are two of the latest retail developments planned for The Commons commercial district in Colwood’s Royal Bay neighbourhood. Construction on the adjoining retail stores will begin this summer, with an expected opening in 2023. The Commons will account for 41.5 acres of the 108-acre total development, which will consist of 1,300 mixed-use development units across an 80,000 square foot retail village. PCRE Group is helming the project.
The Lady Minto Hospital Foundation and Capital Regional Hospital District are sharing costs for the $10.4-million the Lady Minto Hospital expansion project, contributing $7.3 million and $3 million, respectively. The Salt Spring Island hospital will see the number of acute and primary care patients it can treat doubled.
Oak Bay council approved a parking variance for the 2,440-square-metre National Centre for Indigenous Laws addition to the Anne and Murray Fraser Law Building, which will go up to the south of the Fraser Building. Construction is scheduled to finish in 2023. The $27-million project, funded by the province, the federal government and the Law Foundation of BC will be the world’s first joint degree program in Indigenous legal orders and Canadian common law.
Our Place Society has rebranded its pre-employment training service as Our WorkPlace. The Society’s employment training program supports those experiencing employment barriers of homelessness, trauma or addiction.
Josh Matte is celebrating nine years as a Chartered Business Valuator at XPS Group in Victoria.
Bicycle Pizza, an online only, take-out only pizza business on the Saanich Peninsula, is now offering Vancouver Island’s first frozen pizza subscription. The subscription offers pizza fans a frozen, craft pizza made locally and delivered to their home every month. Bicycle Pizza operates out of a shared kitchen at Beauregard Cafe in Brentwood Bay.
Ecologyst, a sustainable Canadian fashion brand and apparel company which makes clothing locally in Victoria, is taking over 2110 Store Street, a former heritage building built in 1892, operated at the time by National Electric Tramway & Light Company. The 4,500 square-foot space, re-designed by Colin Harper Architect, will support, amongst other things, the expansion of their local production.
National Car and Truck Rental, a locally owned and operated family business, will open their new office at 727 Courtney Street next to the Strathcona Hotel on July 9th. National Car and Truck Rental are a three-generation local family business with 13 locations.
Andrew McLeod has been recognized as the Remote Tech Breakthrough Awards CEO of the Year for 2021. Andrew is CEO of background screening company Certn, one of Canada’s fastest growing tech companies.
With the support of Juno award-winning artist Bruce Cockburn, Victoria’s Gettin’ Higher Choir raised more than $22,000 with their annual concert Voices Rising: a Fundraiser for Mozambique. The full concert can be viewed here.
Sooke Home Hardware has contributed $6,000 toward the Sooke Tennis and Pickleball Group’s plan to resurface a Sooke tennis court into three dedicated pickleball courts at Art Morris Park. Sooke and the CRD both donated $6,000, the Sooke Rotary Club and Langford-based developer Keycorp also made contributions. People have donated $2,600 so far through their GoFundMe.
The province has invested $50,000 toward the Bridges for Women Society, an organization that provides women and families throughout Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands with trauma counseling, employment programs and more.
The Bottle Depot’s fundraising efforts recently collected $11,254 to be used for the construction of a new lodge at Camp Barnard near Sooke. Charity donation bins at the Bottle Depot’s three Victoria locations on Glanford Avenue, Queens Avenue and Quadra Street accept donated refundable beverage containers in support of a different charity each month.
The British Columbia Social Procurement Initiative is being provided $500,000 by the province. The program supports small and medium-sized businesses by offering a greater chance to win local government contracts. The aim is to encourage local governments and organizations to team up, giving them the tools and training to make purchasing decisions that focus on achieving greater community value and outcomes, amongst other goals. To learn more, click here.
Abstract Developments has partnered with United Way Southern Vancouver Island (UWSVI) to support their Blue Love Campaign, contributing $15,000 towards counseling, peer support and outreach services for youth in crisis and for young first-time moms who need mental health support.
The Sooke School District’s board of education has passed a $154-million budget for the 2021-22 school year, allocating $125 million for operations, $19.6 million for a special purpose fund and a $9.4 million capital fund, a total increase of $6 million over last year due to the rising numbers of students.
Saanich has sent an electric mobility strategy to the Union of BC Municipalities for approval, seeking to incorporate a rapid transition to electric vehicles and e-bikes. Developed to deliver on specific climate targets and maximize community and economic sustainability benefits, the motion was unanimously adopted last year. The District of Saanich is considering sustainability measures as the application goes forward, with issues such as cultural, social, economic, and environmental factors in mind.
Royal Roads University recently began its first cohort of 17 students in their climate action leadership masters program after approval from the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Training. The program will examine the intersections between climate science, social science, justice and climate leadership, through 36 credits gained over two years. Students in the program hold degrees in such fields as geography, sustainable agriculture, environmental studies, social sciences and political science.
Mike Geric Construction has acquired a 36,000 square foot (3,343 square meter) lot on Quebec, Montreal, and Kingston Streets in James Bay. The high-profile site will be transformed into valuable amenities for the community.
The Greater Victoria Harbour Authority welcomes the decision by Transport Canada to move up the order suspending cruise visitation in Canada to Nov. 1, 2021. Canada’s cruise lines and ports need time to get ready for a full resumption of cruise operations, and this announcement signals that the industry is welcome to return for next year’s cruise season.
The Naval Association of Canada has given the Maritime Museum of British Columbia $5,000 to help finance the purchase of museum-quality artifact storage supplies that will help preserve the naval ships’ badges and collections of uniforms.
The Vancouver Island Ecostar Awards have returned after a year hiatus and are now accepting applications. Organizations can apply for any of the 11 award categories range from Clean Oceans to COVID-19 Community Leaders.
ecologyst, a sustainable fashion brand, is proud to announce the public opening of its headquarters building and production facility in Victoria, British Columbia, on July 16, 2021.
The BC Chamber of Commerce and local chambers of commerce from across the province, have supported the BC Urban Mayors’ Caucus’ post-covid rehabilitation plan. The Blueprint for BC’s Urban Future outlines a vision for economic recovery that focuses on critical areas that have a broad impact on the social and economic fabric of the province’s urban centres.
The BC government and Shell Canada ($35M combined), alongside the federal government ($35M) have all pledged funding to the new BC Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy, with the goal of decarbonizing the economy and scaling up clean energy. The centre will bring together entrepreneurs, business sector, public sector, and academia to accelerate the commercialization and scale-up of clean energy technologies developed in British Columbia.
Cedar Hill Middle School has received more than $43 million to be used for the construction of a more environmentally-friendly building that is expected to be complete by January 2025.
Oak Bay Lodge is seeking feedback with a second round of community consultation on the future use of the property located at 225 Cadboro Bay Road.
The Sooke Fine Arts Show marks its 35th anniversary with a free online show from July 23 to August 2. Added to this year’s show is a dynamic virtual gallery allowing participants to remotely visit various gallery rooms. For more information about the event, visit www.sookefinearts.com.
The Sooke Night Market, hosted by the Sooke Region Museum and Visitor Centre, takes place weekly on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Sooke Region Museum, ending to September 2, 2021.
