News Influencing Decision Makers in BC
Todd Stone
Todd Stone has been appointed as the new President & CEO of the Association for Mineral Exploration (AME), the premier organization representing the mineral exploration and development sector in British Columbia, with effect from August 5, 2025.
Sumat Singh has been named the new Geotechnical Engineer in Training at Klohn Crippen Berger.
Dané Va was promoted to the position of Director of Sales at Anthem, and Chase Melnychyn joined the company as Vice President of Real Estate Finance.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. sold all eight Canadian Olive Garden restaurants to Recipe Unlimited. Recipe has a full development deal with Darden to expand Olive Garden across Canada in addition to the acquisition.
The Wanderlust Travel Awards have recognized British Columbia with a nomination for Most Desirable Region Worldwide.
AI4Enterprise.ca is working with VIATEC, PlusROI Online Marketing Inc., and the Victoria Data Society to organize “Prompt >_ Victoria AI Conference” on November 20th! This one-day event will bring together business leaders, technologists, and creatives to explore how AI is reshaping work, community, and culture. The event is designed to be engaging to everyone.
Jessie Sunner
Jessie Sunner assumes the position of Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills for British Columbia.
As part of the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project, a massive expansion of the Port of Vancouver’s container terminal, the Vancouver Fraser Port Authority has begun the procurement process for selecting a construction team for the landmass and wharf component.
CIBC Mellon is set to grow its asset servicing, fund accounting, and administration team in Vancouver. This move aligns with the company’s national growth strategy aimed at enhancing client service, increasing access to Canada’s skilled workforce, and improving operational coverage across the country’s time zones.
T’way Air has initiated its inaugural scheduled route to North America, offering year-round, four-times-weekly service between Vancouver (YVR) and Seoul (ICN).
TransLink has awarded the City of New Westminster $3.96 million as part of its yearly Local Government Funding Programs to support transportation improvement projects. Of this amount, more than $3 million will be used to finance the installation of safety measures and pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure that are specified in the City’s Active Transportation Network Plan.
Stephen O’Connor
Stephen O’Connor has been appointed as the new Chief Technology Officer at BCNET, starting August 4th.
Hormone replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms will be covered by the government for free at the new Complex Menopause Clinic at BC Women’s Hospital beginning in March 2026.
The feasibility study for Canagold Resources Ltd.‘s 100% owned New Polaris gold-antimony project in northwest BC has shown excellent economics, low Capex, and low AISC.
Chard Development Ltd. officially broke ground on July 15, 2025, on the first new hotel in downtown Destination Greater Victoria. The eight-story, 167-room Hyatt will be situated at 1306–1324 Broad Street in the city’s historic Old Town.
The Anahim Lake Solar Project, positioned to become Canada’s largest off-grid solar farm, officially commenced construction on June 11 in the territory of the Ulkatcho First Nation.
Kanaris Paraskevopoulos
Kanaris Paraskevopoulos joins Westland Insurance as Chief Information Officer.
The retail centre Taylor’s Crossing, located at 1025 Marine Drive in North Vancouver, has been acquired by Spire Development Corporation.
The construction of Podium, a 384-unit complex at 1555 McKenzie Avenue in Victoria, has been started by Nicola Wealth Real Estate.
The Okanagan Gondola, an all-ages tourist attraction halfway between Vernon and Kelowna, is now being constructed by Ridge North America.
The River Routes, a new regional shop local initiative, has been officially launched by the Town of Smithers and the Village of Telkwa. This initiative replaces the previous “Love Smithers” and “Love Telkwa” initiatives. It serves as an illustration of the variety of our community.
The Capital Regional District (CRD) Board has adopted a loan authorization bylaw to secure capital funds totalling $32.3 million to purchase 1,973 hectares of land from the Kapoor Lumber Company. The lands will be included in overall stewardship and watershed maintenance strategies to ensure the continued provision of high-quality, safe drinking water for residents of Greater Victoria.
Two new Tourism Destination Development Toolkits were introduced by Destination Canada in collaboration with the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) to over 1,500 elected officials at the FCM Annual Conference and Tradeshow.
Lori Wanamaker
Royal Roads University has appointed Lori Wanamaker as the new chancellor and chair of the Board of Governors, effective August 1, 2025. Wanamaker was previously the deputy minister to the premier, cabinet secretary, and chief of the BC Public Service.
The $5,700,000 acquisition of 5013 Cordova Way to become the new fire hall for the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has been approved by the Fort Nelson Regional Council. The Growing Communities Reserve Fund will provide $1,850,000 of this total, with the Facility Reserve Fund covering the remaining sum.
Concerns regarding a planned policy that would mandate that 50 per cent of units in new projects be adaptable have been expressed in a letter sent by UDI to the Port Moody City Council.
Anthem Properties’ six-story rental building and 43-story strata tower, The Standard, located in Burnaby’s Central Park District at 6468 Willingdon Avenue and 4241 Maywood Avenue, has received occupancy.
Troika Developments and the City of Kelowna are collaborating to build two new affordable housing projects for middle-class families in Glenmore and Rutland.
Beacon Community Services has been nominated by the BC Council for Families for the 2025 Carol Matusicky Disenfranchised Service to Families Award. This recognition is in acknowledgement of the organization’s solid and continuous collaboration with the Individual Learning Centre (ILC) and School District 63 (SD63). This partnership benefits families and students by offering wraparound support and inclusive programming.
Delta-Q Technologies, a Canadian manufacturer of battery adapters, a subsidiary of ZAPI GROUP based in Europe, has announced the acquisition of SMPC Technologies Ltd, a battery manufacturer of power conversion products for EV charging solutions. SMPC Technologies Ltd is located in Greater Vancouver.
The CleanBC Plastics Action Fund, administered by the Province of British Columbia and Alacrity Canada through the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, has awarded Metro Vancouver-based Debrand over $325,000 in funding.
Three Hills has announced a strategic minority investment from British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI), designed to support the firm’s long-term growth plans.
Pyrocal has been selected as the preferred contractor for a groundbreaking biosolids project in British Columbia, marking a national first for Canada.
Nicola Mining has completed an oversubscribed private placement, raising $2.175M to enhance exploration efforts at the New Craigmont Project in British Columbia.
The Township of Esquimalt has launched a new, dedicated economic development and investment attraction website. The website, WhyEsquimalt.ca, serves as the digital home of the township’s place brand: “Esquimalt – The Place to Be.”
A conditional agreement to purchase the Eaglecrest Golf Course lands has been reached, giving the Town of Qualicum Beach an opportunity to guide land use and preserve natural areas with public consultation.
The Institute of Certified Management Consultants of British Columbia, CMC-BC, will feature Chris Legler, found and CEO of Axios Growth Consultants as their speaker October 24th from 4-6:30 at the Neighbourly Cafe @Kwench, 2031 Store St Suite A, Victoria.
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