News Impacting Southern Vancouver Island Business
VICTORIA
Michelle Staples
Michelle Staples has been selected as the next chair of the Island Coastal Economic Trust board of directors.
Melanie Mallman and Jeremy Burgess will join the Board of Directors of PISE (Pacific Institute for Sport Education), strengthening the organization’s leadership in changing lives via sport and healthy activities.
Jeannette Armstrong, Satsan (Herbert George) and Lina de Guevara have received honorary degrees from the University of Victoria during its fall convocation on November 12 and 13.
Rapper Jelly Roll will perform in Victoria on March 6th at the SOFA.
Six winners of the second annual Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Maritime Achievement were announced in a partnership between the Government House Foundation and the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. These recipients include: Bent Jespersen, Billy Proctor, Captain Alex Rueben, Dr. Marianne Scott, Graham Scholes, and Scotty Manufacturing Ltd.
Destination Greater Victoria announced today that Victoria was named as a winner in Good Housekeeping’s 2025 Family Travel Awards.
Aristos Mail Tech a locally owned mail service provider is celebrating 35 years in business in 2024.
Synergy Enterprises is collaborating with 4EVER Strategies (part of 4VI Social Enterprise Group) to help Vancouver Island tourism businesses grow and support a low-carbon future. Businesses with electric vehicle (EV) charging stations can create and sell BC Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) compliance credits for free through the Synergy x 4EVER Low Carbon Fuel Standard MicroCredit Partnership.
The ride-hailing service Uber Technologies Inc. is currently only accessible in Victoria, Metro Vancouver, and Kelowna, but in May 2023, the BC Passenger Transportation Board approved its operation throughout the province. The company is currently hiring drivers in preparation for its expansion outside of BC’s major cities beginning the following year.
Starlight Developments has announced that Downtown Victoria will see its largest single-phased residential project, featuring nearly 530 rental residences above ground floor retail spaces, set to be completed by 2028.
The former Bear & Joey diner on Cook Street at Fort Street is now The Breakfast Shop, a new venture by the teams behind Discovery Coffee and Yonni’s Donuts, along with the operators of Jones Bar B Que and The Ruby.
Tobyn Sowden
Tobyn Sowden of Victoria-based Redbrick has been awarded Entrepreneur Of The Year.
The Dollarama dollar store on Douglas Street has discontinued its self-serve checkouts after utilizing the technology in conjunction with manned cash registers for a number of years.
The Greater Victoria Festival Society is hosting the 42nd Annual Peninsula Co-op Santa Claus Parade presented by Chek on November 30th, 2024 kicking off at 530pm at Belleville and Govt. This is the largest parade to date and the largest night time parade in Canada kicking off Christmas on the West Coast
The District has received proposals from Oak Bay-based Hillel Architecture for 18 one- and two-bedroom suites spread over four stories, along with surface parking for 10 cars, on a quarter-acre land on Eastdowne Road at Fair Street, close to Oak Bay High School. According to BC Assessment, if granted, the wood-framed lowrise would replace a 1951 single-story duplex. The property was sold for $1.55 million in 2022.
In comparison to the previous year, property sales in Greater Victoria increased by more than 60% in October, with a total of just over 650 transactions and stable residential real estate prices. In contrast, the condominium market in the south Island continues to present a growth opportunity, particularly in light of the anticipated improvement in social policies, which is anticipated to alleviate the current stagnation in condominium sales in the city centre.
Pacific Opera Victoria is proud to present the inaugural Luminary Series, a dazzling showcase of exceptional artists bringing their notable projects to Victoria’s McPherson Playhouse for one-night-only events. The first concert on December 2 at 7:30PM features world-class artists, soprano Barbara Hannigan & pianist Bertrand Chamayou, as part of their Canadian Tour that includes stops in Montreal (Montreal Museum of Fine Arts), Toronto (The Royal Conservatory), Vancouver (Vancouver Recital Series), and Victoria (Pacific Opera Victoria). The Luminary Series promises unforgettable performances and intimate encounters with some of classical music’s most extraordinary talents.
Along the 800-block of Fort Street, the third floor of an 11-story rental tower presently houses a retail base. It is anticipated that 120 apartments would be occupied by 2025.
The Victoria Events Centre on Broad Street will reopen as Encore under the management of Paparazzi nightclubs.
Seafirst Insurance is looking to hire a Branch Manager at Salt Spring Island.
The Stanley Cup is set to make an appearance at the Century Celebration, a family festival marking the 100th anniversary of the Victoria Cougars‘ Stanley Cup victory.
On November 27, the Think Local First Event will take place at Victoria Specialty Hardware, offering a fantastic opportunity for networking.
Brasserie L’ecole in downtown Victoria has officially reopened its doors.
The City of Victoria has announced that the pool, sauna, and hot tub at the Crystal Pool aquatic complex will not be reopening until November 20th due to maintenance.
Sushi Jiro, a sushi restaurant in Cook Street Village, will close down on November 27.
A Starbucks that has been open for ten years at the Belleville Street steamship terminal, directly across from the British Columbia legislature, has shut down.
Victoria’s Quadratic Sound music venue has shut down due to a zoning issue. This marks another closure of a musical performance space in the city, following the recent shutdowns of Hermann’s Upstairs on View Street, Club Loading on Johnson Street, and the Victoria Events Centre on Broad Street.
The Victoria storefront of Cowichan Trading Company at the corner of Johnson and Government streets is going out of business.
Foresight Canada compiles a list of the 50 most investable cleantech ventures in Canada. British Columbia is home to 25 of the 50 companies, underscoring the province’s critical role in fostering innovation in the cleantech and climate tech sectors. See the complete list here.
Saanich mayor Dean Murdoch announced that the municipality will look into additional locations for homeless services, alongside the existing Regina Avenue Native Friendship Centre, which offers year-round shelter spaces for those in need.
A plan to build around 200 market and affordable rental units at the corner of Hovey Road and East Saanich Road for local people, veterans, and seniors was rejected by the Central Saanich council. Over the past two years, more than $1 million has been committed in the application process for the two-building rental project in collaboration with the Legion Manor Housing Society and Aryze Developments of Victoria.
Olive Olio will close its doors at the end of this month, concluding 30 years of service in Cadboro Bay.
The newest Bulk Barn bulk food store is set to open at a shopping centre in Saanich on Shelbourne Street, which runs between Pear Street and Cedar Hill Cross Road.
Cafe Zanzibar, located at Stellys Cross Road and West Saanich Road in Central Saanich, is set to close its doors on New Year’s Eve after 24 years of operation.
The communities of North Saanich, Central Saanich, Sidney, and members of the W̱JOȽEȽP (Tsartlip), BOḰEĆEN (Pauquachin), SȾÁUTW̱ (Tsawout) and W̱SIKEM (Tseycum) First Nations are being invited by the Capital Regional District (CRD) and the Peninsula Recreation Commission (PRC), which offers recreation programs and services throughout the Saanich Peninsula, to offer their opinions on recreation facilities.
Candy Cane Lane at the Saanich Fairgrounds opens on December 14 from 9:30 to 4:00 p.m. with more than 120 vendors, live music, a children’s craft area, food trucks, and hot apple cider!
A three-story complex with 15 surface parking spaces and a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom suites—with ground floor units possibly functioning as live-work spaces—has been proposed for the multi-plex or “missing middle” development at 3333 Metchosin Road at Lagoon Road. The complex was designed by Victoria-based Hillel Architecture.
TIDES Consulting Ltd has officially started the structural design for its latest eight-storey multi-family building project in Colwood, in collaboration with the teams at PARSI DEVELOPMENT LTD and Finlayson Bonet Architecture.
2024 Colwood Church Christmas Craft Fair is scheduled on November 30th at the Colwood Church Gym.
Cliff McNeil-Smith, the mayor of Sidney, will lead the Capital Regional District board in 2025.
Cascadia Liquor announces the launch of it’s newest limited edition wine – Basalt. A collaboration between Cascadia and Sleight of Hand Cellars. This unique red blend is from one single barrel and only 288 bottles were produced.
Business owners in Sidney are urged to fill out the Sidney BIA survey by November 19th to contribute to the development of our local business community.
Sidney will host its Annual Kick-Off to Christmas on Friday, November 22, in downtown Sidney.
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