JULIE LAWLOR
WESTSHORE – Throughout April, I have had the pleasure of representing the WestShore Chamber at a number of events out in the community. These have included a ribbon cutting of new business Carts West in Colwood, and new premises for Gaining Altitude Financial in View Royal. I joined a workshop co-hosted by Parks Canada and the City of Colwood about a National Urban Park, and watched new ground being broken for a new child care and community arts centre in Langford.
Each of these represent innovation in their own way, and what really drove the point home for me was attending the launch of REV at the John Horgan Campus on April 15th. Standing for “Relationships -Entrepreneurship – Ventures,” REV is a “community-based innovation and start-up hub…designed to support entrepreneurship, venture creation, and innovation in the West Shore.” During the opening, REV Associate Director Daniela Fischer spoke to her experience of moving to Canada from Brazil and trying to understand the concept she found here that innovation is somehow reserved for a select few. REV will actively dispel that perception. It is “grounded in the principle that innovation should be accessible to all, regardless of age, background, or stage of life and career.”
I couldn’t agree more. “REV will bring together students, faculty, businesses, and residents to help bridge the gap between ideas and action.” At the WestShore Chamber we look forward to supporting this, learning from it, and continuing to provide services that compliment, rather than compete with, up and coming programming.
To connect with REV, go to royalroads.ca. To find out the latest WestShore Chamber news, sign up to our e-news at westshore.bc.ca or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, or Instagram.
Julie Lawlor is Executive Director at the WestShore Chamber of Commerce
