Business Matters January 2015 by Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce

The Chair’s Address

Economically Vibrant Victoria

Aerospace and Aviation

BUSINESS MATTERS

January 2015 VICTORIACHAMBER.CA

Home Sweet Home

Island Style

BUSINESSMATTERS

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Cover COVERStory STORY

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CONTENTS

Photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria.

5 The Chair’s Address—Frank Bourree 6 Economically Vibrant Victoria

Reminisce on an economically vibrant 2014. Learn how key sectors of our local economy fared and hopes for 2015.

Business Matters is a bi-monthly publication of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and a key business resource targeted to 2,000 business leaders in our community.

9 Member News

Keep up with what’s happening in The Chamber community.

14 Home Sweet Home—Island Style

What makes Greater Victoria extraordinary place to live, work, and play.

The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce is a progressive, inclusive and dynamic community leader. It is a supportive resource for business people who wish to learn, grow and create a stronger business and a more robust and sustainable community while respecting people, planet and profit.

17 Calendar of Events 18 Soaring High in Aerospace and Aviation! 21 New Members

Studies show that people prefer to do business with Chamber members. Check out who has recently made the decision to join us.

24 Industry Profile

Meet Sitka, a uniquely Vancouver Island business. Learn how a UVic co-op combined the owners’ passions for the outdoors and environmentalism into a successful business.

26 Advocacy in Action

Minister Rejects Waste-flow Control, Ten-year Transportation Plan, BC Ferries, New Municipal Councils, Amalgamation Referendum.

BUSINESS MATTERS January 2015

To advertise in Business Matters, contact us at:

The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce #100 - 852 Fort St. Victoria, BC V8W 1H8 (250) 383-7191 chamber@victoriachamber.ca

Publication Mail Poste-Publications 40005319 Cover photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria.

MEMBER DIRECTORY

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INFORMATION 55 INFORMATION

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DEVELOPMENT 88 DEVELOPMENT

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PROMOTION 99 PROMOTION

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BUSINESSMATTERS

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VICTORIA CHAMBER ANNUAL REPORT

2015 Chair’s Address It is my great honour and pleasure to serve as the Chair of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce for my second year in 2015.

live and do business and we all want to see continued prosperity in our community, while further improving our quality of life.

With the municipal election now behind us, we are looking to a productive year in Greater Victoria. Our city councils are very important to our communities as they provide a variety of services for both residents and businesses alike. We will look to our civic leaders to focus on these core service areas throughout the new fouryear municipal term.

As your Chamber, we advocate on issues that affect your business, and we remain committed to ensuring government at all levels address these priority issues.

The Chamber will also be involved in further amalgamation discussions as the provincial government studies this area. The results of the referendum across Greater Victoria showed an overall support of 75 per cent for some type of amalgamation in our region. This has been a long-time Chamber initiative and with member and community support will move forward accordingly. My goal at The Chamber this year will be to advance many of the priorities that you, our members, identified as important to you. We all know that Greater Victoria is a wonderful place to

I emailed my supplier.

I called my Professional Association.

At the municipal level, the four priorities identified by our members were safe streets, affordability, traffic reduction and regional cooperation. Members told us that they wanted their store fronts to be safe and welcoming to customers. We need our local officials to do more to alleviate the effects on the community related to homelessness and panhandling, while continuing to address the underlying issues. Members also want to ensure that taxes and spending remain within our means and do not want to see taxes increasing faster than their income. Members also want to see a long-term transportation solution that will reduce traffic so they can spend less time in their cars and more time doing the things that are important to them. Lastly, members indicated that municipalities need to cooperate on

I texted my colleague.

Chamber Chair Frank Bourree.

issues that affect us all and that we need to move forward cooperatively on a sewage treatment solution. I look forward to a promising and prosperous 2015, working with The Chamber’s Board and staff to continue being the voice of business in our community. I am proud to be involved with an active and strong Chamber that makes a difference.

I Facebooked my friend.

bring it Let’s

#LetsBringIt

Who do I know?

Conferences bring people to our hotels, restaurants, and stores. Introduce us to someone in your network — we’ll do the rest. Contact me: BrendaA@VictoriaConference.com

BUSINESSMATTERS

Photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria.

Economically Vibrant Victoria Greater Victoria’s name is synonymous with beauty, it is after all the Garden City. Our region offers a wonderful place to visit and for the lucky few of us that call it home, a fantastic quality of life. To complement our natural beauty, our region also boasts the economic brains that drive a strong and vibrant economy. Apparently we’re not getting older, we’re getting better and 2015 looks bright and promising. With 2014 now behind us, we have perspective on how well our region has done. The Capital region’s diverse sectors support a healthy and strong economy that fares well during economic storms. But even a highly stable environment like Victoria will see some degree of flux in specific sectors. Many of the industries in our region impacted by recent global economic issues have since seen strong comebacks and steady growth. Economic recovery has taken hold all over the province with real GDP gaining 2.4 per cent in 2014. According to the Conference Board of Canada, we can expect a further 2.9 per cent growth in 2015. The Capital region’s unemployment rate hovered around the five per cent mark for most of 2014, making it one of the lowest unemployment rates in all of Canada. Our diversified economy fared well in 2014, and there are strong expectations that it will continue to grow in 2015. Some of the integral economic drivers in our region include tourism, technology, advanced education, manufacturing, film production, and marine and ocean science.

BUSINESSMATTERS

Tourism Tourism is one the largest employers in our community, employing approximately 22,000 people and has an astounding $1.9 billion economic impact to our region. In 2014, tourism numbers were excellent with revenue per room exceeding 20 per cent growth from 2012 to 2014. The region also had a recordbreaking August, with occupancy rates at 92.4 per cent. This is the first time occupancy rates have exceeded 90 per cent in 15 years. In addition, tourism has seen steady increases over 2013 in both BC Ferries’ traffic and travelers at Victoria International Airport. The local economy will continue to benefit from international ferry service with the provincial government signing lease extension agreements with both the Black Ball Ferry Line (MV Coho) and the Victoria Clipper. Black Ball Ferry provides ferry service between Victoria and Port Angeles and generates an astonishing $120 million in economic activity on Vancouver Island each year. If this trend continues, it will generate $1.2 billion over the next decade. In addition, Victoria Clipper passenger service between Victoria and Seattle is a driving economic force generating $60 million in economic activity every year. Tourism marketing campaigns have had an impact in 2014. Tourism Victoria’s Victoria Calling campaign had great success bringing at least $4.7 million in economic activity. According to third party researcher Insignia Market Research, the campaign in Seattle was directly responsible for more than 10,000 Washington residents visiting the Island. This particular campaign showed a 39:1 return on investment, when the

industry standard is 12:1. Without a doubt destination marketing is crucial to the region and contributes to further successes in the tourism sector.

Technology Game on, Silicon Valley. The technology sector in Greater Victoria is booming. In a new study released in 2014 by the Vancouver Island Advanced Technology Council (VIATeC), the tech sector now contributes over $4 billion to our regional economy. Greater Victoria has become a tech centre in BC with an estimated 884 high-tech companies located in the Capital region and $3.15 billion in annual revenues. In 2014, VIATeC moved to its new downtown location creating a vibrant hub for creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship in the downtown. The new Fort Tectoria location will also be home to VIATeC’s accelerator program for technology startup businesses. Now that Victoria is on the technology map of innovation, we hope to see further growth in this sector of our economy with our ability to attract innovative technology entrepreneurs to work in an environment that supports high-tech industries. Much like the success we have seen in the video-gaming industry. As part of the high-tech sector, video gaming has expanded in Greater Victoria now employing 240, which is up from 40 in 2006. By the end of 2014 seven new games were launched by Victoria-based studios.

Education The Capital region is home to three growing post-secondary institutions; University of Victoria (UVic), Camosun College and Royal Roads University. In 2014, UVic received top rankings from Times Higher Education World University Rankings, which placed it on the Top 200 list of more than 400 top-ranked universities world-wide. In addition, UVic was again named Top Canadian Comprehensive University by Maclean’s magazine. The results are clear, the University of Victoria welcomed its largest incoming student class to date with 21,255 students. In spring of this year, UVic is set to open its Centre for Athletic Recreation and Special Abilities, otherwise known as CARSA. This new building will house the UVic sports programs, offices, labs and machine shop for CanAssist, which uses customized technologies and programs for people living with disabilities. Other features of this three-football-field sized centre include a new gym with seating for more than 2,000 spectators, a 16-meter climbing wall and indoor field to name a few.

In 2014, the university also received a gold rating for sustainability performance in academics, engagement, operations and planning, and administration from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). Royal Roads continues to add new programs to its array of offerings and is developing MBA specializations in International Business—Asia Pacific Trade & Investment and International Business & Innovation—Europe for 2015. In the fall of 2014, Royal Roads launched the Future View campaign, the first of its kind in Canada, which uses new technology and social media through Google Glass and GoPro cameras aimed at directly engaging perspective students and giving them a taste of life at Royal Roads. With the provincial government’s commitment to increasing international student enrolment by 50 per cent by 2016, the Capital region is in an optimal position with three quality post-secondary institutions in the area to prosper from this commitment. The economic benefits are abundant, well beyond simply tuition and books. Other economic spin-offs include visiting families, accommodations and other living expenses, arts and culture, and in many cases businesses being established by family members. Province-wide international students spend $2.3 billion and support 25,500 jobs!

Manufacturing Manufacturing in our region is a diverse sector with respect to the types of products that are manufactured here. While not a complete list of the fascinating items manufactured locally; a few examples include: fishing reels, boots, control systems, Twin Otter seaplanes, rigid-hull rowboats, sporting equipment, surfboards, and even plankton! Approximately 120 manufacturing companies call our region home with $650 million in annual sales. Many of these manufacturers sell their products world-wide driving new money into our community and stimulating an increased need for a skilled workforce. When done well, export companies provide a foundation of economic stimulation that is unparalleled.

Film Production Film and television production has seen significant growth in 2014. With Oak Bay and Sidney transformed into the town of Gracepoint for the FOX series by the same name, the Capital region saw direct spending double on film production in 2014 over 2013. This has been the best year for film production since its peak in 2007. As of November 2014, local spending for film production totaled $7.3 million, which did not include last year’s productions business, let our of Bridalwave (TVBusiness movie), a Bollywood feature, as well as Unreal (a Vancouvertailored based1to TV your series).needs.

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Camosun’s new Trades Education and Innovation Complex is on track to open in 2015. This new space includes 250,000 square feet of new and renovated classroom, land and yard space dedicated to deliver 20 different trades foundations and apprenticeship programs. Camosun is preparing students to meet looming skills shortage right here on Vancouver Island. Camosun not only has a $1 billion economic impact on the Island but 93 per cent of graduates live and work in Vancouver Island communities. In addition, Camosun’s Enterprise Point will be located in the new complex providing industry clients access to Camosun’s leading-edge innovation, research, prototyping, technology, trades and business training services. Royal Roads University welcomed almost 500 international students in 2013, adding to its over 21,000 alumni in 60 countries.

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Increased production has been attributed to the introduction of a film tax credit on labour, which was adopted in February 2014. The Chamber advocated for the Capital region to be included in the location Distance Tax Credit. Its inclusion was a significant policy win for the Chamber in 2014. The positive economic benefits are already flowing from this change in film and television production regulations. For 2015, this will be an additional draw for productions to come to the region.

Seaspan also invested $15 million in upgrading facilities at Victoria Shipyards, where the new operational centre will support testing, trials and commissioning of the new federal vessels.

Marine and Ocean Science

The Capital region’s coastal location benefits from shipbuilding as well as other ocean sciences. The region is a world leader in ocean observatories and is soon to be the world leader in safe ocean management.

From shipbuilding to underwater laboratories, Greater Victoria is seeing an economic rising tide in both marine and ocean science sectors. Shipbuilding and repair has a long history in Victoria. Today in BC, the shipbuilding industry is set for significant growth with the National Shipbuilding and Procurement Strategy (NSPS), which will see Seaspan building up to 17 non-combat vessels. Currently Greater Victoria is the central location for repairs, refit, maintenance and modernization in the shipbuilding and repair industry. Right here in Greater Victoria we have the largest dry dock on the west coast of North America, making the region well positioned to take advantage of increased shipping traffic, and shipbuilding and repairs.

In addition, in early 2014, Point Hope Maritime completed a land swap with the provincial government in order to expand its operations and is expected to double its workforce to approximately 300.

Just off the coast of the Capital region is the world’s largest underwater laboratory owned by the University of Victoria’s Ocean Networks Canada. With over 850 km of cable the NEPTUNE and VENUS observatories provide unique scientific and technical capabilities that permit researchers to operate undersea instruments remotely and receive data in their home laboratories anywhere in the world in real time. Ocean Networks Canada received $20 million from the federal government over three years for its Smart Oceans™

program. This program will combine existing and new marine sensing technology so that coastline and offshore areas of Canada can be safely managed. Smart Oceans™ will cover areas of the BC Coast including: Strait of Georgia, port of Vancouver, port of Prince Rupert, Kitimat, Campbell River, Port Alberni, Douglas Channel waterway and associated shipping routes. The infrastructure includes marine safety monitoring, public safety with warning systems for earthquakes and tsunamis, and environmental protection. Both marine and ocean science sectors have seen significant investments in our region, and we look forward to the economic growth and prosperity they will bring to our communities. Greater Victoria is blessed with a diversified economy that provides us with a stronger economy than many other single-sector dependent communities. The current industries that make up our regional economy will hopefully continue to make great strides in the coming years, with hopes of new and innovative sectors joining the ranks of many of our already successful industries. Regional economic development initiatives will prove crucial in this area. Marketing our region in this arena is essential to attracting investors and businesses to our region on a continual basis.

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MEMBER NEWS The Fairmont Empress Hotel.

$30 million on Fairmont Empress Renovations A change is as good as a rest, so expect a revitalized 106 year old Fairmont Empress Hotel in the coming years. This winter, the grande dame demonstrated the first change with the addition of an ice skating rink on the hotel’s front lawn. This is just the

beginning of the changes coming from Bosa Properties for their newly acquired hotel, including updating the gardens, spa and swimming pool as well as modernizing and expanding various rooms to create more choices.

Newport Realty Joins International Network

The biggest change pending is turning the current Pacific Coach Lines building into high-end rental accommodation called “Residences at the Empress.”

Founded in 1979, Newport Realty is led by President John Hayes, managing partner Jack Petrie and managing broker Michael Ziegler. The brokerage is recognized for its foothold in the luxury real estate market throughout Greater Victoria and Southern Vancouver Island.

Newport Realty has been awarded International Affiliate status with the leading luxury real estate network Christie’s International Real Estate which consists of more than 45 countries internationally.

Although many changes are planned, the exterior of the building will remain the same and The Empress’ historic accents will be left untouched. Bosa Properties is one of the recent influx of successful big project developers in Greater Victoria. Bosa is widely known for developing one of Victoria’s most impressive new buildings, the Promontory at Bayview Place, and have more new development prospects on the horizon.

Have you checked your caboose?

“Serving as a successful independent real estate firm on western Canada’s beautiful Vancouver Island for more than 35 years, we are recognized as a leader in the marketing of fine homes in all price ranges,” says Newport Realty President John Hayes. “This Christie’s partnership will open more doors for us and provide a higher profile and level of service for our valued clients. It is a dynamic era for all of us at Newport Realty.”

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MEMBER NEWS Photo courtesy of the Royal BC Museum.

Totem pole exhibit at the First Peoples gallery in the award winning Royal BC Museum.

Royal BC Museum Wins Top Awards

and opinions from TripAdvisor travellers. RBCM welcomes nearly one million visitors annually and according to visitors surveyed in August 2014, 33 per cent said the primary reason they came to Victoria was to see the museum and archive’s major exhibition for 2014, Vikings. Furthermore, 48 per cent of summer visitors were from outside of BC.

RBCM is honoured to know that the awards were won by popular vote of visitors that enjoyed their time at the Royal BC Museum and took the time to share their positive experiences.

The Royal BC Museum (RBCM) was rated the number one museum in Canada for 2014 by TripAdvisor. In addition, RBCM was TripAdvisor’s 2014 Traveller’s Choice Winner. Both awards celebrate top attractions worldwide based on millions of valuable reviews

Flip to page 12 to catch a glimpse of the museum when it co-hosted the Chair`s Holiday Reception.

Uptown Wins Awards and Welcomes New Storefronts The International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) awarded Uptown with three national Maple Leaf Marketing Awards. Since Uptown’s inception in 2010, it has won a total of eight ICSC awards recognizing Uptown as a leader in Canada for innovation in responding to market trends and creativity in giving back to the community. Uptown’s awards were in the categories of publicity, customer service experience and engagement and cause-related marketing. The campaigns included Zip over Uptown that generated more than 1.6 million impressions, Uptown Personal Shopping Room that was recognized for creating a new category of personalized shopping services and for the Baby Iver fundraiser that raised more than $23,000. Uptown also recently welcomed a huge expansion of new storefronts just in time for the 2014 winter holiday season, and looks forward to announcing phase three of Uptown in 2015 including a 45,000 square foot grocery store along with Michaels and other retailers.

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MEMBER NEWS Tourism Victoria Wins International Award

Photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria.

Tourism Victoria won the Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International’s (HSMAI) Gold Adrian Award for the Media Relations team’s Find Christmas Here storybooks.

media and putting our destination on the world stage. It is through the collaborative camaraderie we enjoy with the Victoria Hotel Destination Marketing Association, our agency partners and our members that makes these successes possible.”

Harbour Air and Eagle Wing Tours for the win!

The Find Christmas Here storybooks recounted a special Christmas in Victoria experience, from holiday lights on the Legislative Buildings to Father Christmas at the Royal BC Museum to the jingle of horses pulling carriages down BC’s Legislative Buildings decorated in holiday lights inspired cobblestone streets. The the story, Christmastime in Victoria: A Magical Night Out. storybooks were coupled with sending key media contacts segment of the industry including holiday-themed postcards hotels, airlines, cruise lines, destinations over the course of seven weeks. and more. This unique and creative approach received excellent feedback and media “It is a huge honour for our media coverage. relations team to be recognized by this organization for this creative campaign,” Out of 1,200 international entries says Trina Mousseau, Chief Marketing submitted, the storybooks were Officer at Tourism Victoria. “By judged to be exceptional by experts in integrating our marketing and media hospitality, tourism, travel and media. HSMAI’s Adrian Award embraces every relations efforts, we are impacting key

Harbour Air Ltd. and Eagle Wing Tours won Tourism Industry Association of Canada’s (TIAC) 2014 Canadian Tourism Awards this past November in Ottawa. In his 10th year at Harbour Air, Manager of Flight Operations Guillaume Fortin won the InterContinental Hotels Group Tourism Employee of the Year Award for being a front-line employee whose professionalism, dedication, attitude and quality of service best exemplify excellence in the tourism industry. Eagle Wing Tours won the Transat AT Sustainable Tourism Award for making outstanding contributions to the practice and promotion of sustainable tourism in Canada. Eagle Wing Tours’ win was based on its practice of

Business & Strategic Planning

Meet Dinah, Senior Consulting Manager at Chemistry Dinah is the Senior Manager of our business consulting team and a specialist in the areas of strategy and business plan development, feasibility evaluation, research and socio-economic impact assessment. From start to finish, Dinah’s work is professional, reliable, and insightful. As her client Dan Brady of the Nanaimo Tourism Leadership Committee said upon completion of their strategic planning project, “ We definitely couldn’t have done it without you!” Speak to Dinah to discuss your strategic and business planning needs: 250-382-3303 ext. 203 | d.white@chemistryconsulting.ca

400-1207 Douglas Street, Victoria, BC V8W 2E7 p 250.382.3303 e info@chemistryconsulting.ca chemistryconsulting.ca

BUSINESSMATTERS

The Chair’s

Holiday Reception Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated the holiday season with us at the Chair’s Holiday Reception co-hosted by the Royal BC Museum and Vancity. The Chamber wishes to take this opportunity to thank those who have contributed to our success throughout 2014. It was great to see so many familiar and new faces out to enjoy a night at the museum. The night kicked off with Woolly Mammoth Martinis and a dance performance by the Le-La-La Dancers and ended with exploring the exquisitely decorated Old Town on the third floor of the museum. Best wishes to all our members and community supporters from The Chamber Board, staff, and Chair! We look forward to a prosperous 2015 of building business and community, and hope this year brings continued success for Greater Victoria’s diverse economy.

THANK YOU TO OUR DOOR PRIZE DONORS:

AON Reed Stenhouse Inc. Atomique Productions Collins Barrow Victoria Ltd. Elite Sportswear & Awards Ocean River Sports Tom Harris Cellular University of Victoria Wilson’s Transportation Ltd. THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

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MEMBER NEWS fulfilling economic, environmental and social-cultural obligations while generating income, contributing to employment, maintaining cultural integrity and preserving ecological processes and biological diversity. The Canadian Tourism Awards are presented annually by TIAC to recognize success, leadership and innovation in Canada’s tourism industry, and to reward those people, places, organizations and events that have gone above and beyond to offer travelers superior tourism experiences in Canada.

VICA Launches Construction Orientation Workshops Vancouver Island Construction Association (VICA) ran its first Welcome to the Construction Site workshop this past October in response to a visible disconnect between formal education and the culture of actually being on a construction site. Third party agencies mentioned that they had employees that felt discouraged and would quit shortly after beginning as they found the culture intimidating, so VICA took the opportunity to create a workshop that would help fill these gaps. Welcome to the Construction Site is set up as a full day workshop with the first half of the day in a classroom on acclimatization to construction sites by learning what different words and symbols mean, site etiquette, what to avoid doing on the site, as well as the different positions on a construction site and their specific roles and purposes. A subject matter expert comes in to speak about their experiences on the site and to answer any questions that trainees might have. The second half of the day is spent on an actual site with the subject matter expert so that course attendees can get a feel of what it is like in person. VICA is very pleased with the results from their first session of Welcome to the Construction Site as four attendees were given opportunities to work right away and their leadership on this program has sparked interest among provincial and national construction associations. In the face of looming labour shortages there is hope that this program will not only help their members recruit entry-level employees, but also to help them retain these employees through the knowledge and confidence gained in the workshop.

Ralmax Welcomes New COO Ralmax Group is proud to announce its first COO, Sage Baker. The new position was created to help oversee business development plans for the Ralmax Group. Reporting to Ralmax’s President and CEO, Ian Maxwell, Sage will work in collaboration with the Ralmax executive team to optimize the businesses for Ellice Recycle Ltd., Ralmax Contracting Ltd., United Engineering Ltd., Point Hope Maritime Ltd., TRIO Ready-Mix Ltd. and Salish Sea Industrial Services Ltd. Sage brings with her over a decade of experience in launching and leading a number of successful companies throughout the west coast of Canada and the US and most recent work as the Executive Director of economic development for the City of Victoria. “Ian and his team have built a number of solid successful businesses in and around Victoria over the years and are significant contributors to the local economy,” says Sage. “My career has been focused on aligning the right opportunities with the right people to build sustainable companies

that support growth-based regional economies. Ralmax offers a great chance to do this in a real way, while staying focused locally in a community I really care about.”

Ito Inducted into Hall of Fame The Inn at Laurel Point’s Executive Chef Takashi Ito was inducted into the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s Hall of Fame this past September. Takashi has been recognized for making his restaurants a special experience for customers as well as demonstrating exceptional professionalism in the restaurant industry. Takashi had a long stint with Fairmont hotels before taking on Aura at the Inn at Laurel Point in 2011. In his 34 years in the kitchen, he has won numerous awards for both his food and his ice carvings (including a world title). Luxuries like Vancouver Island’s locally-sourced ingredients and available culinary talent have made Takashi fall in love with Greater Victoria and proud to make his culinary mark here.

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BUSINESSMATTERS

Home Sweet Home – Island Style

Photo courtesy of the Capital Regional District.

Victoria has a stable and growing economy but what truly makes it an extraordinary place to work is the environment in which we work. Victorians embrace a productive work-life balance that is fostered by natural assets, a temperate climate and a general attitude that world domination doesn’t have to be a 24/7 occupation. And maybe this dynamic environment, full of people who have fun while getting things done, is why the 2014 Vital Signs reported that 88 per cent of us are happy. This survey also cited our natural environment and climate as the top two “best things about Greater Victoria.” Apparently the secret is out that Greater Victoria is the place to be. In 2014, we were cited as one of the Top 10 Attractive cities in Canada by the Conference Board of Canada. Looking at all the benefits of living and working here, it’s not hard to figure out why Greater Victoria is a growing place. With a current population of 350,000 that number is expected to catapult over 452,000 by 2034. As new converts to the Victorian lifestyle drive up in moving trucks, we’re seeing

14 BUSINESSMATTERS

real estate sales booming. The sales numbers from 2014 are projected to be 16 per cent more than 2013. Our business community is cognizant of the value of our great quality of life, not only from a tourism perspective but also as a draw for the labour pool. Our lifestyle is a huge selling point to attracting both entrepreneurs looking to build a business as well as a skilled workforce for local businesses that need to recruit qualified and talented staff to grow. The Capital region is a wonderful place to raise a family. We have three new high schools currently under construction in the region that are set to open this year. For families with children moving to our city, saving for university may be easier with three local post-secondary institutions to choose from. And for those with aging parents looking to move in, here’s your chance to pack them a lunch and send them off to school to enjoy a course or two at a senior rate. Greater Victoria has one of the mildest climates in Canada and as a city with the warmest wintertime temperature, we now welcome Canadian “Snowbirds” to our city every winter as they escape colder regions of the country. The average wintertime high in Greater Victoria is 8.80C with lows of 3.50C, yes all above zero!

Temperatures like that mean boots are for fashion not protection and shovels are for gardening not shoveling snow (a fantastic benefit we all brag about at least once a year). It also means that most outdoor activities can be enjoyed year round. If you are an avid golfer or cyclist, you can enjoy these activities virtually 12 months of the year. Along with our optimal climate that boasts half the rainfall (average 608mm annually) Vancouver receives, Greater Victoria’s natural environment is one of the most intriguing attributes of the region. There is a sense of being part of a postcard as you walk in any of our parks with a backdrop of snowcapped mountains as idyllic sail boats drift across the ocean or when you take a deep cedar-filled breath amongst the quiet old-growth trees. The natural landscape combined with our mild climate makes for the ideal place for outdoor recreation. Victorians and visitors enjoy the many parks and trails in the area. The Capital Regional District (CRD) alone manages 13,000 hectares in its 33 regional parks on the south island and southern gulf islands. That figure doesn’t include the many beautiful city owned parks in our region. Cyclists, runners and walkers have a cornucopia of choices for their activities including the Galloping Goose Trail that connects Sooke to Victoria or the Lochside Regional Trail between Saanich and the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal.

Although all types of recreation abound in the Capital region for every age group and lifestyle, with potentially 12 months of cycling time, Greater Victoria is a cyclist’s paradise. Also, as the Cycle Capital of Canada, Victoria has more cycling routes and bicycle commuters than any other Canadian city. The CRD is committed to a Pedestrian and Cycling Master Plan, which was developed in 2011, that proposes a 788 km bike way network and as of June 2014, 186 km was completed. Golf is another year-round pastime that locals and tourists enjoy at over a dozen private and public courses on the South Island. Other outdoor activities include kayaking, paddle boarding and kiteboarding. Recreation activities are as diverse as the ages of the participants. You’re as likely to see retirees kayaking across the waterways or ziplining at 60km/hour as you are to see children chasing across the ice or field enjoying more traditional sports like hockey, lacrosse, rugby, baseball and soccer. For the spectator at heart, there are many sports teams in the area including the Victoria Royals and Victoria Grizzlies hockey teams, the Highlanders Football club and the HarbourCats baseball team. Our natural beauty inspires our inner artists. For those not personally talented, you’ll see Greater Victorians loudly applauding the many cultural and musical events in our region. For nearly 75 years the Victoria Symphony has made music that ignites the heart and once a year performs to a massive fireworks display in the Inner Harbour. Besides music, many enjoy the various art galleries located in the city including the Robert Bateman Center found on the Inner Harbour, and the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria which plays host to the Moss Street Paint In each year. Several museums in the area offer experiences of history and culture from our region and around the world. Also home to the “Best Museum in Canada,” the Royal BC Museum welcomes visitors who can discover various exhibits to enjoy on their own or with the family. The Capital region celebrates a variety of annual cultural festivals. Actually, we host all sorts of festivals, likely if you’re wondering, we have a festival for that. Celebrating our diverse cultures with Indian, Greek, French, Chinese and Aboriginal festivals. Just a glimpse into the array of festivals celebrated in the region you will find festivals for tea, music, art, film, cycling, strawberries,

Photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria.

food and wine, and vegan food. On top of our seasonal festivals, there are several that attract international attention including the chalk art, buskers, and kite festivals. Lastly, but definitely not least is the outstanding food culture available in Greater Victoria. With ethnically diverse choices as well as vegan and gluten-free dining options you will undoubtedly find something to savour. From award winning restaurants to amazing food carts the local cuisine seems to never disappoint.

Scenic wineries, inventive breweries, and even distillers and ciderhouses pair perfectly with the many dining options available to Greater Victoria. There are many reasons people move to Greater Victoria and adamantly refuse to transfer out. The quality of life is fantastic and people want to live here. Whether it’s to start a career, raise a family or enjoy retirement there is something for everyone in Greater Victoria. It’s home sweet home, island style.

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Improve compliance and reduce the risk of audits and penalties with help from Professional Development seminars from Canadian Payroll Association (CPA). CPA offers seminars for all levels from beginner to advanced. On a variety of topics covering Year-end, Taxable Benefits, Employment Standards, Pensions and more. Upcoming Seminar Taxable Benefits & Allowances Victoria – February 27

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BUSINESSMATTERS

Dinner Auction Gala The 32nd Annual

T H A NK YO U Thank you to our sponsors for their support, our generous donors, and everyone who attended. The Chamber will be using the funds raised to support our ongoing advocacy work in 2015, keeping Greater Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s community vibrant.

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CALENDAR of EVENTS January SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

February WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

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Prodigy Group January Mingle Date: Thursday, January 15 Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm Hosted by: Ambrosia Your Event Centre on Fisgard

Prodigy Group February Mingle Date: Thursday, February 12 Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm Hosted by: TBA

Business Awards Nominations Deadline: Monday, February 16 Time: 4:30 pm www.victoriachamber.ca/nominate

January Business Mixer Date: Thursday, January 22 Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm Hosted by: Swans Hotel & Brewpub

Chamber Week February 16 – 20 Watch for your Chamber Events email to keep up to date on all the Chamber Week celebrations and events.

February Business Mixer Co-hosted with Tourism Victoria Date: Thursday, February 19 Time: 5:00 – 7:00 pm Hosted by: TBA

Monthly Mingles Where emerging business leaders need to be. Mark your calendars for the second Thursday of every month from 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm! These events are fun, laid back and can help foster great business connections in Greater Victoria’s growing business economy. The opportunity to advance your career is here with the Prodigy Group.

Whether you’re a current or future member of The Chamber, come down and see what it’s all about – and invite your friends and colleagues! Richard Van Leeuwen 2014 Prodigy Group Chair

For more information visit us at prodigygroup.ca

BUSINESSMATTERS

Photo courtesy of Alessandro Roethel.

Soaring High in Aerospace and Aviation! As Greater Victoria’s Economic Development Officer, I get to tell the story of our regional economy—and how it relates to our outstanding quality of life—to hundreds of people as they consider making investments here or moving to the region. Each year the GVDA tells this story as loudly and as frequently as we can—through radio and TV interviews, through articles like this one, through social media and our website (www.gvda.ca), and through dozens of public speaking engagements. While I tell this story often to those from outside the region the story should also be celebrated by the local community. The truth is that Victoria and Vancouver Island are solid investments and it is because of our quality of life that these investments pay off. While the cost of living may seem high, it’s far less than Seattle, Vancouver and San Francisco— some of our neighbouring metropolitan peers. Our GDP is remarkably stable overall. Additionally, even throughout the recession, the region had one of the lowest unemployment rates in Canada and real estate has remained consistently strong. Our economic opportunity story is one of optimism and long-term stability and it is rooted in our economic diversity. Just one example of the region’s diverse economy is the local aviation and aerospace sector. This sector is growing and evidence points to continued optimism for its future in Greater Victoria.

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The most well-known asset within our aviation and aerospace sector is of course Viking Air. Viking Air is a remarkable success story. They have been able to capitalize on their 20052006 investment that acquired the design rights to out-of-production de Havilland aircraft. At the time Viking Air had 180 employees based at their headquarters on the Saanich Peninsula. Now they have over 600 employees—475 in their headquarters, and over 125 more at their Calgary facility. But Viking’s success is only part of this sector’s potential. As they grow, so does their demand for high-quality components and other supplies. As an aviation company, their quality is not only highly regulated—it is a mandatory element of the de Havilland brand. For this reason, Viking Air CEO David Curtis often talks about the importance of developing domestic and North American supply-chains. Victoria and Vancouver Island are well-positioned to take advantage of this opportunity through companies like Straightline Precision Industries in Sidney, which supplies custom-crafted components to Viking Air. Another remarkable regional asset is our position as home of Canada’s Pacific Navy. We don’t often think about “aerospace” when it comes to our Navy (navy means boats, right?), but the largest building on Vancouver Island is now the new 443 Maritime Helicopter

Squadron facility located at Victoria International Airport. The facility will soon be home to nine of the Canadian Military’s new Sikorsky Cyclone helicopters. Supply-chain capabilities will be essential to maximizing the longterm economic impact of this facility as local companies adapt to procurement opportunities. Companies such as VIH Aviation Group (formerly Vancouver Island Helicopters) are already well positioned in this space, providing a diverse fleet of helicopters composed of models from the world’s leading helicopter manufacturers, including Sikorsky. VIH serves many markets including search and rescue (SAR), offshore and onshore aerial construction, executive charter services, forestry, air ambulance, firefighting, mining exploration, tourism, as well as helicopter repair and overhaul. The University of Victoria, with its new Centre for Aerospace Research (UVic CfAR) located near Sidney, BC, is positioning itself at the leading edge of aerospace research and at the forefront of an emerging unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) industry. There are many applications for this technology including: forest fire patrol, coast guard surveillance, port security, border patrol, avalanche prevention, agricultural crop surveys, aerial fish spotting and habitat assessment, wildlife preservation, migration studies and poaching patrol, pipeline patrol, infrared mapping and power-line inspection.

“The UVic CfAR has been engaged with the aerospace industry for several years now, from small startups to large corporations such as Boeing. CfAR relies on Vancouver Island’s local aerospace and manufacturing sector to complete these projects and our clients are always surprised at the capabilities available on the Island,” says Dr. Jenner Richards, Chief Technology Officer at UVIC CfAR. One company, Quaternion Aerospace, has already spun the research out into practical use. Quaternion Aerospace is a research and development company focused in the design, manufacture and operation of energy efficient and novel aircraft designs for manned and unmanned air systems. They also consult within the aerospace industry using research-backed consulting applications.

Looking forward, it is Victoria’s attractiveness as a place to live that will be the foundation of its diverse and stable economy. The fact that our region can attract very talented researchers and innovators in the aerospace sector along with many talented entrepreneurs to both supply the sector and commercialize the technology, is reason for optimism. Victoria and Vancouver Island’s aerospace sector is positioned for success.

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Perhaps the least understood opportunity that Victoria and Vancouver Island are well-positioned to capitalize on is the proximity to Washington, a central location of Boeing’s aerospace production. Several companies on the island have formed an alliance to gain positioning as part of Boeing’s global growth projections. Some of them, like Racerocks 3D in Langford, have already done work for Boeing. Racerocks 3D Dallas Gislason develops interactive training for both Economic Development Officer, defence and aerospace clients. 14.VictoriaChamberAd 14-11-17 12:41 PM Page 1 Greater Victoria Development Agency

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BUSINESSMATTERS

2014 Greater Victoria Business Award Winners

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NEW MEMBERS: Oct 10th - Dec 9th Barker Manufacturing

Barker Manufacturing has over 30 years of experience in creating rich, luxurious textured finishes for high-end developments and renovation projects in Victoria, BC and across North America. (250) 881-5567 barkermanufacturing.com

Beehive Wool Shop

A remarkable range of domestic and imported yarns (from the tried-and-true classics to the newest novelty choices) continue to arrive weekly -- yet one hundred years of warm hospitality and top-notch customer service hasn’t changed a bit. (250) 385-2727 www.beehivewoolshop.com

Bridgemans Bistro

Bridgemans Bistro is located at the beautiful Mill Bay Marina on the water in Saanich Inlet. With menu selections to please every palate, an extensive wine list, and tempting variety of beer and cider on tap, Bridgemans has something for everyone. (778) 356-3568 www.bridgemans.ca

Cineplex Odeon Victoria Cinemas

In business for over 65 years, the Cineplex Odeon Victoria Cinemas has the latest and greatest in visuals, sound, seating, concession, ambience, and movie selections, giving its audiences a top quality movie theatre experience. (250) 383-0513 www.cineplex.com

Hernande’z

Scratch cooked, nutritious, microwave free meals from family recipes by Jerson Hernandez. Self-serve 735 Yates St. or full-serve 1600 Bay St. (250) 884-5313 www.hernandezcocina.com

Law Office of Sarah L. Klinger

Providing personal and practical solutions for personal injury, employment law, and estate litigation. (250) 388-4075 ext 223 www.slklaw.ca

Leanna Rathkelly Photography

Leanna shoots architecture and relaxed lifestyle imagery. She’s photographed homes for magazines, builders, architects and designers, provided key tourism images to the marketing agency Destination BC, and portraits for business leaders. (250) 882-3732 www.leannarathkelly.com

Lightlever Systems Inc.

Lightlever will help you create a brighter business - one that leverages your people with technology and innovative processes to get more done with less stress and a deeper level of satisfaction. (250) 704-6767 www.lightlever.ca

Made In Canada Promos

We support our fantastic Canadian manufacturers and offer our clients the opportunity to use amazing quality and creative products made in Canada. Made In Canada Promos includes an outstanding selection of branded quality products made in Canada. (800) 735-2654 www.madeincanadapromos.ca

Maycock Eyecare

We pride ourselves on our clinical care, customer service, and expertise in all aspects of lens and frame design. A sophisticated, yet comfortable environment ensures a warm relationship with all our patients and an unforgettable eye care experience. (250) 384-4175 www.maycockeyecare.com

Meizhen Green Graphics & Signs

Our state of the art digital printing provides vibrant, full colour signs that capture attention and bring in sales for your businesses. We work with customers to create a unified, environmentally friendly, professional look for all of your signs. (778) 433-3084 www.mz1.ca

Victoria Clipper

Victoria Clipper passenger-only ferry service with year-round daily departures to Victoria, BC and seasonal daily departures to the San Juan Islands. (250) 382-8100 www.victoriaclipper.com

CommPlan Canada

CommPlan Canada is a communication management consulting firm based in Victoria that helps people build awareness, understanding and support for their organizations, programs and/or projects. (250) 658-1583 www.commplancanada.com

Engagement Consulting

When your employees really care—when they’re engaged—they use discretionary effort; dramatically increasing your customers’ gratification and positively impacting your bottom line. (250) 413-3161 www.inspire2engage.ca

BUSINESSMATTERS

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22 BUSINESSMATTERS

NEW MEMBERS: Oct 10th - Dec 9th Mill Bay Marine Group

RL Film Productions

The Little Cheese Shop

MSR Solutions Inc.

Robin Hood Motel

Theatre SKAM

Princess Auto

Student Works Painting

West Coast Evergreen Gardening

Mill Bay Marina, located in Cowichan Valley, is now open for fuel sales, long term, short term and transient moorage. Our state of the art floating breakwater provides safe harbour for boats up to 88’. We offer power, water and WiFi at our slips. (778) 356-4303 www.millbaymarina.ca

MSR Solutions is a civil engineering firm with specific expertise in wastewater and water treatment facilities, reclaimed water, and storm water management. We consult throughout BC, specializing in decentralized facilities. (250) 479-5164 www.msrsolutions.ca

We’re a Canadian company with 36 stores with over 1800 team members serving you coast to coast at our home office, retail stores, distribution centres, mail order, manufacturing division (Shur-Lift Industries), and electronic fulfillment centre. (250) 391-5652 www.princessauto.com

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Start your own business today. Canada’s leading commercial cleaning franchise system has franchise opportunities available in Victoria starting as low as $11,900.

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We’re committed to high-quality film and television productions that honour and respect the heart and soul of independent productions. Vancouver Island is ideal for fulfilling the goals of both independent productions and the individuals involved. (778) 677-8993 www.rlfilmbc.com

Our family owned business takes pride in offering clean and comfortable accommodations for excellent value. The Robin Hood Motel is centrally located, just three kms from Victoria’s beautiful Inner Harbour and its attractions. (250) 388-4302 www.robinhoodmotel.com

We are in the business of providing professional painting services in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. All of our owner/operators and most of their painters are full-time university students, earning money for school tuition and expenses. (250) 686-1626 www.studentworks.ca

The Little Cheese Shop features many of our wonderful local cheeses as well as imported varieties. The stock is always changing to bring you your favourites as well as some new exiting tastes to explore. Stop by to try samples of our variety of cheeses. (250) 388-5810 www.thelittlecheeseshop.ca

Known for our sense of fun, Theatre SKAM was formed in 1995 with a mission to create theatre that is innovative and entertaining, and above all -- never boring. We produce high-quality provocative theatre for audiences in Victoria and on tour. (250) 386-7526 www.skam.ca

West Coast Evergreen Gardening is a garden/lot maintenance company that maintains properties for many of the largest property managers on the Island from Chemainus to Victoria. Give us a call for a free of charge estimate today. (250) 743-4769

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BUSINESSMATTERS 23

Industry profile:

Sitka Sitka opened its doors to the Greater Victoria Development Agency and The Chamber this past November to give members a chance to learn about Sitka’s brand, advocacy, business operations, and community culture. In a nutshell: Through its flagship stores, online store, and a few likeminded wholesalers across Canada, Sitka provides purposeful clothing and equipment for people to explore the natural world. # of Employees: 45

Industry Sector: Wilderness Activism Area of Town: Downtown Victoria, lower Yates St. Primary Product/Service: Retail of clothing and outdoor accessories. How would you describe Sitka in 30 words or less? Sitka is in the business of wilderness activism and the provision of quality goods to explore the natural world. What is the best part about doing business in Greater Victoria? Greater Victoria molded Sitka to be what it is. We love nature and the west coast lifestyle. We wanted to create

a business where we could live and promote the outdoor lifestyle. The connection between the business world and nature makes Greater Victoria perfect for us. What is the best thing Sitka is doing for Greater Victoria? We’ve created a space to have a strong community built around a similar lifestyle and views of political activism. The company is both shaped by the community and is for the community. Having the head office in Victoria brings business, jobs, and money to the Island. We are also very active in the local community and open our space to groups such as the Surfrider Foundation to hold meetings and events. We also hold many charity fundraisers through the year for environmental and social causes.

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Keeping Great Company! The Union Club of British Columbia has a long history with the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and other Business, Educational, Social and Tourism organizations. The Union Club actively participates with great business establishments in Victoria, connecting with many owners, executives and entrepreneurs. Chamber Members are offered a very special opportunity for membership at the Union Club with 66% discount off standard Initiation Fees. Join now for a $500 Initiation Fee as a Victoria Chamber of Commerce member. Take advantage and make connections through these two well-known and established organizations.

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What is it like working at Sitka? Sitka is a very vibrant company and there is always change and activity on membership/events: the horizon. We embrace change and salesandmarketing@unionclub.com constant improvement. We deal with challenges consistently by trying to 250.384.1151 (x320) find better ways to reduce our carbon footprint as well as what we consider more ethical business practices. The Union Club of British Columbia We’re also a fairly youthful and active company with all of our employees currently under 35 years old. The • Exclusive women’s/men’s Club Sitka team is like a big family, every • Excellent food & beverage services Christmas we have a potluck and we • 22 room Boutique Hotel have an annual Halloween party in • Wine, scotch & spirit tastings celebration of our anniversary. We • Fitness centre w/lockers, change rooms enjoy hosting these type of events • Reading room, Library, Billiard Tables for our staff and find it helps us grow • Art Gallery displays throughout closer as a team. • 3 private meeting rooms w/optional full service, available to rent by the hour • Event spaces for 25-200+ guests • 19-34 age group join @ reduced rates • 450 Affiliate Clubs worldwide • Victoria’s private club since 1879 • Spouses join at no additional charges • Family Legacy program - no Initiation

What are three things few people know about Sitka? We have moved almost all of our production to domestic suppliers. By finding great suppliers close by, we’ve gone from only 10 per cent North American production to 75 per cent. Our goal is to have all of our production in North America by 2016. Any products not made in North America by then will have to be dropped from the line.

We’ve recently expanded our product line, which started as mainly clothing and surf equipment, to now include skateboard equipment, fishing products, and camping supplies. We find that they all have a symbiotic relationship and that it’s important to encompass the west coast outdoor lifestyle by being well represented in different areas that embody it. All furnishings in Sitka from the fixtures, to the shelves, to the seats, all come from reused materials. Some of the most interesting origins are of the wood features we have. Some was harvested from the bottom of a lake and our wood paneling was previously from a long house at the Royal BC Museum.

Conservation. Our non-profit’s mandate is creating a world of balance by taking ethical steps to reduce our carbon footprints. Our non-profit allows Sitka to spin off sales from our normal Sitka sales channels into the non-profit to be used for our environmental activism group. We can now also engage the community and bring in funds and donations from others to help promote our causes as many people have wanted to contribute to our videos and environmental initiatives. We are proud to be moving towards a hybrid business model where one side is for profit and the other is non-profit.

Are there any other fun facts we should know about Sitka? Sitka was born as a University of Victoria (UVic) Commerce project. My business partner Rene Gauthier and I were students in the Commerce program and already made surfboards together as a hobby. We convinced our professors to allow us to start a small garage-based surfboard manufacturing company for our first co-op term. For our second co-op term, we expanded the business by renting a manufacturing space. To finish off the Commerce program, we developed a full business plan for Sitka. We are so thankful for the Commerce program at UVic as it allowed us to create a business supporting the causes and hobbies we love.

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What is Sitka proudest of? Sitka promotes wilderness activism through our actions that highlight wilderness conservation issues such as threats to the coasts, forests, and waters. We have also just started a non-profit that we are very proud of called the Sitka Society for

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ADVOCACY IN ACTION The Chamber is the voice of business in Greater Victoria. In regular meetings with MPs, MLAs, and local mayors and councils, The Chamber is a strong advocate for business initiatives and policies in the community. Minister Rejects Waste-Flow Control In the fall of 2014, the Minister of Environment Mary Polak rejected Metro Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bylaw 280 on waste-flow control. This bylaw would have prevented waste diversion outside of the region. The Chamber had concerns over the potential impact on the Capital Regional District if this bylaw was approved. If a similar bylaw was implemented in the Capital region, it could see local governments forcing the delivery of materials to regional facilities rather than the most cost effective and efficient waste removal method. With the Ministerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s recent rejection of bylaw 280, it is unlikely that waste-flow control will be implemented in the Capital region. The BC Chamber policy against bylaw 280 was endorsed at the May 2014 AGM and is a significant win for the chamber network.

Ten-Year Transportation Plan The BC government was seeking feedback on its 10-year Transportation Plan from October through December 2014. This public engagement initiative asked citizens to provide feedback on transportation improvements as well as transportation infrastructure that are important to them. The survey included strategies for moving people and goods safely and reliably; growing the economy; and, connecting and strengthening communities. The Chamber participated in public engagement outlining the top three transportation priorities with recommendations to the provincial government. The first transportation priority for the Capital region focuses on transportation infrastructure investments. In particular there are specific recommendations to invest appropriate provincial funding for the McKenzie overpass and develop dedicated bus lanes to the Westshore. Secondly, BC Ferries continues to be a top transportation priority for the

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region. Recommendations included increases to provincial funding for BC Ferries to prevent further rate increases if efficiencies cannot be implemented. The third priority outlined was Belleville terminal and its importance to the Inner Harbour as a key asset to the city and the province as a whole considering its role as an international gateway into Canada. The investment of appropriate provincial funding for Belleville terminal revitalization is also strongly recommended.

BC Ferries Continuing challenges with BC Ferries is a top priority for The Chamber. As an integral part of our regional economy, and that of the entire Island, its continued success is crucial. The Chamber has advocated for a sustainable approach to our coastal ferries system. Late last year, attention was brought to a BC Ferries report outlining potential areas for increased efficiencies. While the Minister of Transportation dismissed any changes to routes and terminals, the provincial government appears to be committed to maintaining ferry rates. This leaves us in a predicament as the only other option seems to be greater provincial government subsidies. The Chamber continues to be an advocate on this important file and will be involved in discussions on this matter with various stakeholders and government.

New Municipal Councils New and returning mayors and councillors were sworn into office in December, starting the first four-year term in office. In the next few months, Chamber representatives will be meeting with mayors and councillors in the region to discuss municipal and regional priorities. Specifically, we will address issues of cooperation particularly on matters that are regional in nature. We still face challenges regarding sewage treatment solutions and we look to elected officials to cooperatively find low-cost alternatives that meet the needs for all areas of our region for years to come.

Amalgamation Referendum The civic election also brought focus back to amalgamation as over half of the Capital region weighed in on their views of amalgamation with a non-binding referendum question on the matter. The results showed overwhelming support overall with 75 per cent of voters in favour. Amalgamation has been a long-time priority for The Chamber (over one hundred years!) and we will continue to pursue amalgamation efforts. The provincial government has committed to funding research into the area of amalgamation in the Capital region.

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