News Impacting Southern Vancouver Island Business
Kim Haakstad
Kim Haakstad has been appointed as the new president and chief executive officer of COFI.
Allan Douglas George Wade, a co-developer of Response-Based Practice, has been named to the Order of Canada.
Tammy Hopper has been appointed as the first dean of the University of Victoria‘s newly formed Faculty of Health, starting her five-year term on May 1.
Ellen Mayberry of LURE Restaurant & Bar at Delta Hotels by Marriott, Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort has been named the December winner of the Victoria Hospitality Awards, as announced by Destination Greater Victoria.
Jennifer Glougie has been reappointed as the chair of the BC Labour Relations Board and the Employment Standards Tribunal by Niki Sharma, the Attorney General, at the conclusion of a merit-based recruitment process.
Mark Zuehlke has been appointed to the Order of Canada, recognizing his achievements in the Canadian Battle Series and Tofino mystery novels.
BC Construction Safety Alliance announced the launch of its new First Aid Assessment App to support construction employers in BC.
Josue Dubon
Josue Dubon, CFP®, B.Comm.(Hons) has been named the 2025 Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce‘s Member of the Year.
Sharon Giffen, an actuary, will succeed Donald Smith as director of WorkSafeBC’s Workers’ Compensation Board beginning December 31, 2024, and serving until December 31, 2027.
A social and public policy specialist who has significantly advanced disability rights in Canada, Michael Prince was named a member of the Order of Canada.
The B.C. government has announced the appointment of Glen Clark as the new chair of the BC Hydro board of directors. Joining him are three other directors: Merran Smith, president of New Economy Canada; Brynn Bourke, executive director of the BC Building Trades; and Don Kayne, president and CEO of Canfor Corporation, who previously served as CEO of Canfor Pulp Products Inc.
Jacob Bros. Construction has secured a contract for the Highway 1 Bus-On-Shoulder-Lanes project. This initiative will widen almost four kilometres of the highway between the McKenzie and Colwood interchanges, allowing for continuous bus-on-shoulder lanes in both northbound and southbound directions.
Telus Ocean, a new office tower in downtown Victoria, will reach a height of 10 storeys. It will be built located at the intersection of Douglas Street and Humboldt Street.
The Oak Bay Beach Hotel has been recognized as the #5 Top Hotel in Western Canada by the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Choice Awards for 2024, and the top hotel on Vancouver Island.
Accent Inns Inc., located in Victoria, has been awarded the title of Tourism Employer of the Year by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada.
The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce welcomes its newest members, 10X Spring, The Other Guise Theatre Company, IMM Recruitment, and Alchemy Wellness.
B.C. Ferries is seeking cost estimates from contractors to enhance its cellular network connectivity for crews by delivering LTE and 5G data coverage.
A new Korean tapas restaurant named Cera is set to open in January at the former site of Little Jumbo, which closed earlier this year in the 500-block of Fort Street.
Freshslice Pizza is now officially open at 1600 Government St, Victoria.
Camosun College introduces ‘EVan’, a new electric vehicle aimed at boosting trades training for students in Greater Victoria.
The second level of the Victoria Conference Centre has been transformed with a multi-court pickleball setup, available until January 17th.
Road Safety at Work, supported by WorkSafeBC, oversees the annual Shift into Winter campaign. This initiative focuses on assisting employers in creating effective winter driving safety programs and policies.
South Island Farm Hub, a local produce distributor, is offering half-off prices for charities and schools as part of their community support initiative.
The Westhills Aquatic Centre and 186 adjacent parking spaces might be purchased for up to $35 million, according to a unanimous vote by the Langford council.
The WestShore Chamber of Commerce is inviting Langford-based business members for a Member Business Roundtable on January 23, 2025. Venue will be announced soon.
Cafe Zanzibar in Central Saanich will be closing its doors on New Year’s Eve.
The District of Sooke is taking steps to enhance the clarity of its development bylaws. This initiative includes mandatory public information meetings for all residential rezoning applications.
Dr. Cassandra Stiller-Moldovan, a family doctor and sports medicine physician based in London, Ont., has been appointed as the first family doctor for the municipally operated Colwood Medical Clinic.
The City of Coolwood is hiring doctors on a full-time basis as municipal employees, complete with salaries, perks, and pensions, in an effort to address the medical shortage. Doctors will no longer have to manage their own private practices, allowing them to concentrate on patient care rather than administrative duties. With the goal of helping up to 10,000 people in the area, the program is on schedule to hire seven more staff members in addition to its first doctor.
Aragon Properties Ltd. has launched its inaugural venture into the hospitality industry with the launch of Janevca Kitchen and Lounge, situated in Esquimalt at 429 Lampson Street.
The Trans-Canada Highway will be widened to include lanes for southbound and northbound bus travel for nearly four kilometres between the McKenzie interchange and the Six Mile area in Colwood. This $54.5-million project aims to improve transit service from downtown to the West Shore by adding dedicated bus lanes.
Sea Glass Waterfront Grill, located on Harbour Road at the Van Isle Marina, has closed its doors after over a decade of operation.
Scientists from Sidney, including Dr. R. Ian Perry, Denny Sinnott, Dr. Richard Thomson, Dr. Howard Freeland, and Dr. Michael Foreman, have received the King Charles III Coronation Medal for their innovative contributions to fisheries and oceanography in British Columbia and beyond.
The Sidney Information Centre will be closed for the holiday season and will reopen on January 6th, 2025.
Odyssia Restaurant, owned by Bill Macris, is back in business with their dining room now open.
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