SOUTH VANCOUVER ISLAND MOVERS & SHAKERS OCTOBER 7, 2025

VICTORIA

Synergy Foundation announced this year’s 2025 Ecostar Award finalists!

• Circular Champion: Building Material Exchange (BMEx) – Vancouver Island, Surfrider Foundation Canada, and The Thingery
• Clean Oceans: COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies), Outer Shores Expeditions, and Pacific Wild
• Climate Action: Pacific Northwest Transportation Services (PNWTS), Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures, and Urban Thrive Developments Inc.
• Construction and Manufacturing: Green Island Builders Ltd, Holocene Distilling Project, and Ron Anderson Sons Ltd.
• Ecological Stewardship: Pauquachin First Nation Marine Department, Redd Fish Restoration Society, and Wilder Restoration
• Ecopreneur of the Year: Amanda Swinimer of Dakini Tidal Wilds, Meaghan McDonald of Salt Legacy, and Susan MacDougall of Focal Engineering
• Experiential Tourism: Ahous Adventures, Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours, and Hello Nature Adventure Tours
• Greenest Retailer: Easy Vegan Foods Inc, Recertified Furniture, and Stephen Whipp Financial
• Innovation: ALUULA Composites, COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies), and joni® 21st-Century Period Care™
• Inspirational New Venture: Sustain Grooming, Wise Hawk Environmental, and Your Place Victoria
• Leadership in Hospitality: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort, Naturally Pacific Resort, and Pacific Sounds Lodge
• Legacy: Archipelago, Nezza Naturals, and Rugged Coast Research Society
• Local Food: Easy Vegan Foods Inc, Little Qualicum Cheeseworks, and

Sandown Centre for Regenerative Agriculture

• Non-Profit of the Year: Loaves & Fishes Community Food Bank, Power To Be, and Wild Wise Society
• Sustainable Workplace: Gathering Place Trading, Harmonic Arts, and Power To Be
• Waste to Resource: Alberni Valley Makerspace, Building Material Exchange (BMEx) – Vancouver Island, and The ReUse People of Canada
• Youth Leadership: Elspeth McGillivray of Prince of Whales Whale & Marine Wildlife Adventures, Janna Wale of Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions, and Maddie Lemke of Campbell River Whale Watching and Adventure Tours

Layne Hellrung

Layne Hellrung is relocating his litigation practice to Victoria and is joining Cook Roberts LLP.

Rebar, a vegetarian fusion restaurant in downtown Victoria’s Bastion Square on Langley Street, has closed. It has been sold to a new operator who plans to rename it Urban Rebar and serve South Asian food there.

Usman N. Afzal, a Portfolio Manager and Wealth Advisor at Alitis Investment Counsel, and Sofia Pastro, the owner of Lustre of Pearl, have joined the board of Think Local First Victoria.

Paul Healy, Partner of Futurus, will give a ground-breaking holographic keynote at this year’s Vancouver Island Economic Alliance ‘State of the Island’ Economic Summit, which will be held October 28–30 at the Vancouver Island Conference Centre in Nanaimo.

Rosemead House in Victoria has reopened following a decade-long, $25 million restoration, revitalizing this historic Edwardian estate.

Oak Bay Rec Centre is celebrating its 50th anniversary on October 24th.

Solar distributor, Charge Solar, has partnered with Financeit to launch an exclusive new nationwide solar financing program designed to empower homeowners to make the switch to solar, and accelerate clean energy adoption.

Victoria Market Collective is marking its fifth anniversary!

WestJet has announced that it intends to enhance its customer satisfaction by eliminating the option to recline seats, unless passengers elect to pay for the service.

Bridgemans Services Group has confirmed the delivery of the Bridge Cat 450 via heavy lift at the Port of Victoria.

Central Block, a six-story condominium project located on Tillicum Road in Esquimalt, is currently accepting purchasers for display home tours by appointment. The site is nearing completion.

Camosun College announced a generous $625,000 pledge from The Gwyn Morgan and Patricia Trottier Foundation to sustain its trades sampler program for the next two and a half years. The 12-week trades sampler is a cornerstone initiative that introduces people to a wide range of skilled trades.

The construction of 930 Pandora Avenue, a 20-story affordable rental and supportive housing tower located across from Our Place, is soon to start. The tower will be constructed along the 900-blocks of Pandora Avenue and Mason Street.

A high-density official community plan update was approved by Victoria council to increase residential density in the city centre, James Bay, Vic West, and downtown perimeter. In areas where single-family zoning dominates, the new OCP will allow mid-rise residential buildings by-right and multi-plexes.

The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce welcomes its newest Chamber members, Available Light Photography, Delacruzph Services Corporation, Cabrera Business Solutions, and Hour Accounting Service.

Applications for Alacrity Canada‘s APEX November Cohort are now open, with a deadline of October 9.

Artemis Whisky Bar will be hosting the November Emerge Connector, organised by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce, on November 13.

Westcom Business Solutions Inc is among the finalists for this year’s Better Business Bureau of Vancouver Island Torch Awards.

Highland Pacific Golf and Mood Swing Golf successfully raised more than $20,000 during their annual fundraiser for youth mental health on September 12th. The funds will directly benefit CMHA BC Division and the Victoria HeadStrong Summit.

COAST Pitchfest 2025 is currently accepting applications from ocean tech firms based in B.C. and Canada, as well as early-stage companies with innovations that revolve around the blue economy. The finalists will be announced by October 20.

During Victoria Tech Week, which takes place from November 17 to 21, VIATEC collaborates with the local tech community to transform Greater Victoria into a showcase for innovation that draws inspiration from successful global models.

Still Life, a former long-standing LoJo fashion retailer that was most recently situated on Govt, has closed.

A high-rise tower will be constructed on campus by the University of Victoria as part of a 500-bed project. The estimated overall cost of the project is $178 million, of which UVic will provide $57 million and the Province will contribute $121 million.

The province will be urged by the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) to enhance construction accessibility following the passage of Resolution NR41 by the Saanich council. It is mandated by the resolution that the B.C. Building Code incorporate the most recent accessibility guidelines from the CSA Group and Accessibility Canada for all buildings. Additionally, all new provincial buildings are required to obtain Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification (RHFAC) Gold.

The District of Saanich was honoured with the esteemed President’s Committee Choice Award by the Union of BC Municipalities at this year’s Community Excellence Awards.

The largest secondary school in Langford, which is expected to open in 2030, is receiving a nearly $220 million investment from the province. The school will add 2,000 student spaces.

Additional programs that are designed to mitigate isolation will be implemented in Saanich for seniors, as a result of federal funding exceeding $2.5 million.

The British Columbia Aviation Museum will be closed from October 7 – 11, and will reopen on October 12.

Sonja Bidese

Sonja Bidese from Success Fitness has been honoured with the 2025 Fitness Professional of the Year Award.

A benefit concert in support of the Sooke Food Bank is being organized by Nautical Disaster at the Sooke Community Hall on October 18.

The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce welcomes its newest members, Fresh Cut Mowing,  Rabro Enterprises Inc., Canada’s Best Karate Learning Centre, and Barb and her Salon.

The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce Breakfast Brainstorming mixer is scheduled on October 7th at West Coast Grill.

To help businesses better understand the Clean Economy Investment Tax Credits (ITCs) program, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) are hosting free webinars. Click here for more info.

Amazon‘s delivery station in Sidney is currently recruiting seasonal personnel for the holiday season.

The demolition of the former Cedarwood Inn and Suites property in Sidney has commenced, and the property has been relocated to the adjacent Tseycum First Nation on the Saanich Peninsula.

The Peninsula Celebrations Society has announced that the annual Sparkles Holiday Parade is being organized for Sunday, December 7, 2025, along Beacon Avenue in Sidney.