News Impacting Southern Vancouver Island Business
Janeil Mackay
VICTORIA
Janeil Mackay has been appointed President of the Truffles Group.
Bruce Davies, who joined the staff at the Craigdarroch Castle Historical Museum Society in July of 1975, is this week is celebrating his incredible legacy of 50 years at the Castle with the announcement of his retirement.
Schneider Electric was awarded the Sustainable Business Practices Award at the 2025 Greater Victoria Business Awards.
FRS Clipper welcomes their new Director of Sales and Marketing, Nik Coutinho. Coutinho is an experienced tourism leader with over a decade of work along the British Columbia coast, most recently leading sales and marketing for Prince of Whales. In addition to his new role with FRS Clipper, Nik volunteers as Vice President of the Wilderness Tourism Association of BC and sits on several tourism and sustainability committees.
Sotheby‘s agents Logan Wilson, Brayden Klein, and Thomas Pye are marketing three parcels on Oak Bay’s oceanfront near the Oak Bay Beach Hotel complex under the name Butchart Point.
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 next edition of the COAST Blue Pathways Lunch & Learn series will be on July 23, and will be hosted by Dr. Eric Saczuk, a FAA Part 107 Certified Drone Pilot, Director of the BCIT RPAS Hub and the Flight Operations Lead and Chief Pilot for InDro Robotics.
Local Pizza in downtown Victoria’s 1400-block Douglas Street donated 50 percent of revenues and staff their day’s salary on July 12 to support Charleigh Pollock, whose $1 million Batten Disease prescription will no longer be funded by the province.
Cook Street Village‘s food court, situated on Cook Street at McKenzie Street, is now home to a smoothie bar, adjacent to Mexican Village.
According to an Insolvency Insider Q2 2025 report, real estate led all industries with 23 filings, followed by food & accommodation and retail with 6 filings each, and financial services with 5 filings. 45 filings mentioned were in Ontario, followed by 13 in Québec, and 10 in British Columbia.
Jawl Properties, which acquired the land in 2022, and BCGEU, which administers a housing non-profit organization known as the Affordable BC Housing Society, are collaborating to propose a 177-unit rental proposal for the former Volvo lot at Cook and Yates streets. The union will also be provided with 32,000 square feet of office space as part of the initiative.
The Port of Victoria has been ranked No. 2 in a survey of 102 ports, highlighting its status as one of the world’s top cruise destinations.
Prospera Credit Union, Sunshine Coast, and Coast Capital will now look for the regulatory clearances required to finalize the merger.
Western Financial Group has been named a recipient of the 2025 Canadian Business Excellence Award for Private Businesses, a national recognition presented by Excellence Canada.
The August Emerge Connector, which is co-hosted by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, EF Vancouver Island, and Oak Bay Volunteer Services, is scheduled to take place on August 14 at the EF International Language Campus, located at 1952 Blanshard St. Victoria.
For the first time ever, downtown Victoria’s i-Land Fest and the Classic Boat Festival at the Maritime Museum of British Columbia will be working together to provide an unforgettable event over Labour Day weekend. Historic vessels, Caribbean culture, live music, food sellers, and family entertainment will fill Ship Point and the Inner Harbour from August 29th to the 31st, 2025.
Pacific Opera Victoria is set to host Open Air: Opera in the Summer from July 18 to 27, offering a mix of free and ticketed music events across the Capital Regional District.
Esquimalt council has approved an amendment to the official community plan, allowing developer Intracorp to proceed with a 21-storey tower and a nearly half-acre public parklet, set to replace two older apartment buildings on Saunders Street in Esquimalt.
The Gorge Farmers Market, located at 1070 Tillicum Road, will host the July mixer for the Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce on July 28.
Esquimalt’s 40-year-old facility, the Archie Browning Sports Centre, is scheduled for renovation in 2026 at an estimated cost of $2.5 million.
Jenn Raappana
Jenn Raappana of South Island Home Team – Royal LePage Coast Capital Realty, has received the Platinum MLS® Award.
Fabricland‘s West Shore location, located in Millstream Village, is set to close.
SoberFest Victoria 2025 will return to Langford on August 2.
The Olympic View Golf Club and Table Nineteen is celebrating 35 years anniversary.
Construction on the Luther Court Society-led intergenerational complex, which will consist of 95 affordable units at 3781 Cedar Hill Cross Road in Saanich, is expected to start in early August, with move-in anticipated in August 2027.
Herb Haldane, a former councillor, has been elected in the recent by-election in Sooke.
Camosun Innovates, the applied research hub of Camosun College and the first Technology Access Centre in British Columbia, will be hosting a Lunch & Learn on July 23.
The fourth Speedwash store in Victoria (Colwood) has officially launched.
The Kapoor Lumber Company sold CRD roughly 2,000 hectares of land in the Sooke watershed for $32.3 million after CRD secured bank authorization to finance the acquisition.
The 25th Annual Oak Bay Collector Car Festival was held on July 13th along Oak Bay Avenue.
Cascadia Seaweed has been honoured with the Blue Horizon Award at the inaugural Ambition 2035 Awards, which took place in Ottawa, organized by Canada’s Ocean Supercluster.
Tsawout First Nation formalized its investment in Cascadia Seaweed and its expanding position in the regenerative Blue Economy during a signing ceremony on Monday, June 23.
Cameron Rose Gifts is celebrating its 21st anniversary at its new location in Sidney, at Unit 100-2506 Beacon Ave.
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