Your weekly round up of BizNews across Greater Victoria
On Thurs, Apr 14 from 5 to 7 pm join the Prodigy Group and The Chamber for the joint April Mixer and Mingle hosted by The Parkside Hotel & Spa. This is your chance to mix and mingle with emerging and established members of Greater Victoria's business community. Sign up here!
Take The Chamber's Membership Survey!
In less than five minutes, you can share your thoughts on your Chamber membership by taking our Membership Matters Survey.
Your Chamber membership provides you with discounts on benefit programs, connection opportunities to the business community and advocates for your business. Are you getting your full membership value?
Help us help you! When you complete the survey, enter to win round-trip flights to Vancouver for two from Helijet!
Vancouver-based developers shared with an audience of more than 100 their lessons learned about building in Greater Victoria last week. Their recommendations included recognizing the influence of community groups and our shallow labour pool.
Suggestions included de-politicizing the planning approval process, with development permits vetted according to whether they comply with existing rules, such as the Official Community Plan.
"Development often involves external investment, which supports local businesses and creates local jobs," said Chamber CEO Bruce Carter. "We need to understand how development process differs from other jurisdictions just as much as do external developers, to help attract such investment."
With over 400 million members worldwide, smart organizations are looking for strategies to help them get the most out of this tool. Presented by Viveka von Rosen, internationally known LinkedIn Expert.
Leading desktop software analytics provider Redbrick has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Brazil-based DeskMetrics, a pioneer in desktop software analytics technology. The acquisition marks a key milestone, and the first major push in Redbrick's aggressive growth strategy.
"The synergies between DeskMetrics and Redbrick are undeniable and bringing them into alignment with our own product development allows us to truly spread our wings in the analytics business," said Tobyn Sowden, CEO, Redbrick. "This is a rare opportunity to combine two amazing pieces of technology with our management expertise and create the next generation of desktop software analytics."
Redbrick: member since 2012
Esquimalt a Go!
The province's request for proposals to examine an integration of municipal services in Greater Victoria includes "... fact-finding and discussion among local governments in the capital region to inform opportunities towards the efficient delivery of service that citizens need".
Leading the charge, Esquimalt hosted a meeting last week to get a better read from the community about what approach to take, with the results appearing that Esquimalt residents want to be more efficient in how services are shared.
"Focusing the discussion on how taxpayers will benefit make sense, whether it be reduced taxes, enhanced municipal service delivery, or a blend of both," said Chamber CEO Bruce Carter.
The BC Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General Mike Morris is responsible for policing in BC, security industry licensing, emergency services, road safety and more.
Join Minister Morris for lunch and discuss the Province's strategy to improve community safety in British Columbia.
New date!
Tues, May 17 | 11:30 am-1 pm
Harbour Towers Hotel & Suites 345 Quebec St.
Meet Thrifty Foods Liquor
Thrifty Foods, the Victoria-based subsidiary of Sobeys, has finalized a deal to buy Metro Liquor locations at Tuscany Village and University Heights Shopping Centre. The stores will be branded as Thrifty Foods Liquor.
The liquor store at University Heights, beside Save-on-Foods, transferred to Thrifty Foods last week, while the Tuscany Village location officially transferred at midnight Tuesday.
Sobeys operates liquor stores in Alberta and Saskatchewan and will use that experience to help guide them in operating the new Saanich locations.
Thrifty Foods: member since 1981
Victoria: Homeless Haven?
During the last two months, Victoria Police officers have seen a substantial increase in the number of new people they're encountering on city streets - many are from other parts of Canada.
Al Tysick, former executive director of Our Place Society and founder of the Dandelion Society, has worked with people living on the streets for the last 35 years and has seen some major changes during that time, but claims there's no more homeless living in Victoria than any other city with the same population.
"Paul Nursey from Tourism Victoria will be addressing this very issue with Victoria Council next week," said Chamber CEO Bruce Carter. "It will be interesting to see the tourism perspective."
Hear Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps reflect on her first year in office. Find out what's ahead for the City of Victoria over the next three years and how this could impact your business.
Tues, May 10 | 11:30 am-1:30 pm
Hotel Grand Pacific, 463 Belleville St.
Find out more about UVic and Camosun's Co-operative Education Programs.
It's Complicated.
Airbnb's incursion into Vancouver is a complicated situation. As reported in Business in Vancouver, it's about "... incumbents with a lot to lose, upstarts with a lot to offer and the city largely unable to look the other way but inert in reaching resolution."
