News Impacting Southern Vancouver Island Business
VICTORIA
Don Krusel
Don Krusel has been named the Interim CEO by the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority.
Isabel Chung is marking her first anniversary as Executive Chef at the Fairmont Empress.
Lajah Warren, an artist from Victoria, has received the B.C. Multiculturalism and Anti-Racism Emerging Leader of the Year award.
Bruce Alexander has been appointed as the new head coach of the Victoria Shamrocks for the upcoming 2026 Western Lacrosse Association season.
Magnolia Hotel & Spa celebrates two remarkable honours in 2025: recognition as a MICHELIN Guide 1 Key Hotel and being named #1 Hotel in Canada by Condé Nast Traveller (UK) Readers’ Choice Awards.
Lisa Sillanpää
Lisa Sillanpää has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Alitis Investment Counsel Inc., a discretionary portfolio manager, with effect from January 1, 2026. Lisa will succeed Todd Blaseckie, Portfolio Manager and the acting Chief Executive Officer for the past 3 years.
Munro’s Books is now jointly owned by four of its long-standing employees: Megan Ames, Kirsten Larmon, Sarah Mead-Willis, and Jessica Paul, alongside Jessica Walker.
BCI received a Global Stewardship Disclosure Award from the International Corporate Governance Network (ICGN) for our latest Stewardship Report.
Victoria has been recognized as Canada’s most generous community by the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe, 3 years in a row.
Jeff Zamluk
Jeff Zamluk has joined the team at Chinook Business Advisory.
Bite Brands Ltd. launched its British Columbia location at 100–1520 McKenzie Ave., Building A, in Victoria.
The Canadian Veteran Services Society (CVSS) Food Bank of Victoria officially opens on December 19 in Victoria.
The University of Victoria‘s Institute for Integrated Energy Systems, led by Madeleine McPherson, along with the University of Calgary, Polytechnique Montréal, and York University, has secured $5 million from Natural Resources Canada (NRCan). This funding aims to enhance Canada’s ability to develop and plan transparent, evidence-based policies related to energy, climate, and energy transition through the Energy Modelling Hub – Carrefour de modélisation énergétique.
A $270 million Royal BC Museum’s Collections and Research Building (CRB) that will house the BC Archives, Provincial collections and multiple research departments is expected to complete in 2026.
Remarkable Communications and Language Foundry have announced a partnership to revive Indigenous languages in Canada. The announcement was made on December 10th.
Grocer, Sabayons, is nearing completion and will be opening soon in The Bay Centre.
Mr. Sub opens at the Uptown Shopping Center in Victoria.
The Belfry Theatre is set to open on January 10, featuring an interactive open house to kick off its 50th anniversary celebrations.
The Victoria Whisky Festival marks its 20th anniversary this January at the Hotel Grand Pacific, running from the 15th to the 18th.
The daily buffet breakfast service is now available at Himalayan Flavours Restaurant, 3945 Quadra Street, Victoria.
Koto Sushi Izakaya located in the 500-block of lower Fort Street, has closed.
Santiago’s, a Tex-Mex restaurant located on James Bay’s 600-block Oswego Street, has closed.
The Veterans Food Bank of Victoria, located in a ground-level warehouse space at #326-4342 Westshore Parkway in Langford, is now operational.
The District of North Saanich has received a grant of $750,000 for the construction of a Harvest Hub, intended to assist food producers with primary processing and storage needs.
The Donate & Double Your Impact campaign has doubled the matching funds for the Shelbourne Community Kitchen‘s holiday fundraising drive. Initially starting in November with $20,000 in matching funds, the initiative has now increased to $40,000.
Greg Lowis has been appointed as the new Director of Corporate Services and Corporate Officer for the District of Sooke, starting January 7, 2026.
Lisa Leclerc has been named the Sooke School District‘s new associate superintendent, beginning January 1.
Lone Soul Tattoos will soon move to its new location.
Applications for new board members are being accepted by the Sooke Region Museum through January 14, 2026.
On December 8, the Sooke council voted 4-3 to approve a revised Official Community Plan (OCP) after reaching a split decision. The council decided to accept staff recommendations in spite of criticism that the enlarged DPAs would violate property rights, which regulate development in hazardous or environmentally sensitive locations.
The Sidney Museum & Archives will host its annual LEGO Brick Exhibition, sponsored by Peninsula Co-op, from December 20, 2025, to April 6, 2026, marking its 20th anniversary.
Boxing Day fundraiser will take place at Small Gods Brewing on December 26th, in partnership with Teddy’s Boxing & Fitness, to benefit the Saanich Peninsula Lions Food Bank.
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