Business Matters July 2015 by Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce

Dedicated Delivery Models

Ogden Point: Victoria’s Maritime Gateway

BUSINESS MATTERS

Email 101: Tech Meets Technique

July 2015 VICTORIACHAMBER.CA

Housing One size does not fit all

BUSINESSMATTERS

Savour the Taste of Summer

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Brewmaster’s Dinner Wednesday, August 19 English Inn

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Harvest Dinner Thursday, September 24 Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse

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CONTENTS 4 Housing: One size does not fit all

Workforce housing can make or break the economic viability of a community. Greater Victoria’s challenges are not what you think.

Member News

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

12 Dedicated Delivery Models

Should essential services financial support be integrated or independent from municipalities?

14 YYJ Eats

See photos from the inaugural YYJ Eats food festival in Market Square.

15 Calendar of Events 16 “X” will Soon Mark the Spot for Investment

Mapping Economic Success is the tool of the future, melding business information with a GIS map for easy use.

18 Ogden Point: Victoria’s Maritime Gateway to Victoria An update on the cruise industry in Greater Victoria.

20 Email 101: Tech meets Technique

Communicate with style, grace and fewer “oops” emails.

22 New Members

Check out who has recently made the decision to join us.

YYJ Eats 2015 Turn to page 14 or visit victoriachamber.ca for more photos

BUSINESS MATTERS July 2015 Business Matters is a bi-monthly publication by the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and a key business resource targeted to 2,000 business leaders in our community. 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. 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

24 Industry Profile: BMW/MINI Victoria Get your motor racing for this issue’s Industry Profile.

26 Advocacy in Action

Publication Mail Poste-Publications 40005319

An update on The Chamber’s policy positions, meetings and successes.

BUSINESSMATTERS

Housing One size does not fit all

ffordable housing is a big part of creating a vibrant community. The Greater Victoria area is fortunate to offer people a great place to live with a great quality of life. This global attractiveness has resulted in the cost of housing in our region being higher than what the local earnings level can generally support. Over the years, we’ve watched communities like Whistler struggle as they bus in their workers from a neighboring community nearly an hour away because the average worker can’t afford the million dollar homes and rental property is all but nonexistent. Our economy relies upon a wide variety of labour to meet its needs. To keep and attract a workforce, it is essential that the region has an appropriate level of workforce housing i.e., homes for those people who wish to live and work in the area. In Greater Victoria, do we simply have a lack of affordable housing? The answer might surprise you.

BUSINESSMATTERS

Affordability There are two broad categories for housing: (1) ownership of housing in the form of a single detached home, condominium or townhouse; and (2) rental. It’s a commonly held belief that housing costs should be less than 30 percent of income to be considered affordable. Indeed, this measure is commonly used by financial institutions to determine the amount of mortgage for which one would be eligible. A slightly higher percentage might be reasonable if a person or family was able to all but eliminate transportation costs by living close to work and

entertainment. It’s important that we recognize the opposite is also true. If one were to live north of the Malahat, housing costs might be lower, but transportation costs could be higher. As such, the guideline of 30 percent remains valid with some room for people to make lifestyle choices that affect affordability. On the home ownership front, the Victoria Real Estate Board (VREB) says the benchmark price for a single family home in the Victoria core was $593,200 in May. This price does vary widely throughout the region with a low of $419,700 in the West Shore.

Recommended Percent of Salary to Spend on Rental Housing

Availability

those who choose to not pursue home ownership. A healthy rental market is important to business operations as the rental inventory provides housing for employees at all levels of the employment spectrum, and most importantly, for entry-level employees Employers are increasingly finding the issue of rental availability to be a hurdle to recruitment and retention of employees. In some areas, extremely low vacancy rates may have adverse effects on the ability of businesses to grow. The April 2015 vacancy rate for rental accommodation in B.C. was 1.8 percent, down from 2.4 percent a year earlier. In Victoria, we have moved from 2.7 percent vacancy to 1.2 percent. With a rental market of 1.2 percent vacancy, it can be safely assumed those apartments with lower rents don’t come on the market often and if they do, they are not available for long.

Vacancy rate %

Owning a Home On the home Wage Annual 30% of Monthly Salary Salary Housing Budget ownership front, the VREB report indicates $10.25 $19,987.50 $5,996.25 $499.69 that there are areas with great variety that $11.00 $21,450.00 $6,435.00 $536.25 offer more options in terms of property $12.00 $23,400.00 $7,020.00 $585.00 and price. As such, $13.00 $25,350.00 $7,605.00 $633.75 supply appears sufficient—the issue $14.00 $27,300.00 $8,190.00 $682.50 is location. The cost $15.00 $29,250.00 $8,775.00 $731.25 of houses within high-demand areas, $16.00 $31,200.00 $9,360.00 $780.00 e.g., typically near amenities, workplace, $17.00 $33,150.00 $9,945.00 $828.75 daycare/schools, $18.00 $35,100.00 $10,530.00 $877.50 etc., are too high for many individuals to $19.00 $37,050.00 $11,115.00 $926.25 purchase on their own. For example, the In terms of higher density homes, monthly mortgage for a single family the Greater Victoria benchmarks are home in the Victoria core is nearly $408,700 (townhomes) and $300,500 three times what a person making $19 (condominiums). an hour can afford, and a condo is Local Rental Inventory With the average annual household more than 50 percent out of their price One of the items we need in the income in Victoria at approximately range. Victoria housing market is obviously $81,500, that puts monthly mortgage Simply expecting home-buyers to buy more supply to create a healthier payments for the May benchmarked outside of established high-demand vacancy rate. In 1995 the National single family home in the Victoria core areas under the current transportation Vacancy Rate was 4.5 percent, falling within range. system is unrealistic. The first blush to less than 3.1 percent in April 2015. What about those who are not ready to of a low purchase price will quickly Some economists believe a balanced buy a home or choose not to, and want fade with the frustration of long daily rental inventory is three percent and to rent? commutes. For example, the current that would appear to be a reasonable goal. The average cost of a rental apartment transit connection to the WestShore sees buses bumper to bumper with the in Victoria is: cars, creating little advantage to taking In Greater Victoria, we have 24,072 rental units. Based on the vacancy rate transit. $716.00 A Bachelor of 1.2 percent, it would require 433 We must continue to invest in additional units to bring our vacancy 1 Bedroom $856.00 improving our transportation system, rate to 3 percent. reduce congestion (cost and 2 Bedroom $1,105.00 If we allow for absorption, e.g., some frustration) and increase the use/ units coming off the market, and for attractiveness of public transportation 3 Bedroom $1,369.00 population growth, then as a region a to keep home ownership affordable. safe estimate of ongoing needs would Based on a 37.5 hour work week, an Renting a Home include adding 500 hundred units in individual has to earn $15 per hour the short term and then an annual new On the rental front, rental housing or more to afford a bachelor and $18 supply of between and 50 and 100 provides accommodation for those per hour to afford a one bedroom units annually. who are early in their work careers or apartment. These numbers are based on one person—one apartment. Rate In Greater Victoria B Vacancy rateVacancy It would be ideal if someone making minimum wage were able to afford 3 an apartment on their own. Certainly, 2.5 they are not able to afford the average bachelor apartment, based on the 2 optimum formula of 30 percent of their income and a 37.5 hour work week. 1.5 Someone making minimum wage would instead need to find a roommate 1 to be able to afford an average two bedroom apartment. 0.5 So if the average household is able to 0 afford the VREB’s benchmark house, 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 and a minimum wage worker simply needs to find a roommate, it would Year appear—surprisingly—the issue is not *A, B and C statistics are from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation simply affordability.

BUSINESSMATTERS

Units In Greater Victoria C Number of Rental units 24,800 24,600

# of units

24,400 24,200 24,000 23,800 23,600 23,400 23,200 23,000 22,800 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Year

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It’s extremely important that this new supply of rental accommodation is affordable. The new rental housing supply needs to rent at—or near—the current average rates to increase workforce housing availability. How do we do that? There is a tendency to ask developers who are building rental accommodation for a significant number of community amenities, as well as offer below-market housing units, all while expecting them to endure unending civic processes relating to building rental accommodation. Indeed most developers describe the cost associated with meeting the regulatory burdens in excess of what it costs to actually build the structure. We need some balance and reduction in these costs to stimulate the creation of affordable workforce housing. In addition we need density. Density in the business clusters, e.g., downtown cores, in particular will allow workers to decrease their transportation costs as well as reduce overall construction costs making workforce housing much more affordable.

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Surprisingly, affordability may not be as much of an issue as is availability. Affordable and available housing may be increased by focussing on two areas: (1) improving our transportation system, and (2) increasing our rental housing inventory to meet the recommended three percent vacancy rate. To do this, we need to streamline and decrease the costs pertaining to the regulatory processes, thereby stimulating the creation of rental availability. Further, we need to increase rental units near business clusters to decrease costs, real and indirect. Such an investment in our workforce contributes to the healthy growth of our vibrant and caring communities.

MEMBER NEWS Hot House Scores Summit International Award It’s officially an awards hat trick for local agency Hot House Marketing, who was just awarded a Bronze at the 2015 Summit Creative Awards for their digital annual report for Pearson College UWC. The award follows two AVA Digital Award wins in February for work done for Yates Street Taphouse and Canada’s Temperance Foundation. “We are thrilled with the win. It reaffirms that we have been making the right moves and evolving as an agency. I think we are as good as any agency in Vancouver or Toronto,” said Dan Dagg, President of Hot House Marketing. The 2015 Summit Creative Awards competition received more than 5,000 entries from 23 countries. The international advertising competition offers participants a unique opportunity to showcase their talents alongside similarly positioned agencies, and to have their work judged by experts in the advertising field. The winning project, created entirely in-house by Hot House, was an interactive annual report that I’ll connect Monika with the staff at Orchestras Canada.

Tania Miller, Music Director, Victoria Symphony

Top Ten Destinations

Dan Dagg

integrated video clips from students and alumni from around the globe. “It was a great project, because it illustrates how multiple disciplines such as strategy, design, coding and videography can converge and make something that’s not only more persuasive, but more environmentally responsible as well,” indicated Dagg. The report was delivered online, with only a handful of printed copies created. The award winning work can be viewed at: http:// hothousemarketing.com/work/

Victoria’s a natural fit for the International Eco-Tourism Society. I’ll call them.

Deirdre Campbell, Owner, Tartan Group

I know the organizers of the Call to Action Conference. I’ll email them.

Linley Faulkner, Community, Growth and Operations, sendwithus

Go west young man has clearly resonated as a theme in Canada as Greater Victoria makes the Top 10 List of Canadian Destination Cities for 2014. Apparently Canadians are moving cross country and settling in our lovely region as their final destination. U-Haul compiled the top destinations in Canada for one-way truck rentals with Greater Victoria making the list at number 9. “I’m not surprised that Victoria made the Top 10,” said Bruce Carter, CEO of the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce. “We have a growing knowledge-based economy that offers a great place to live, work and play.”

New Ownership Dovetails with Slegg Slegg Lumber is a well-known business in the construction industry and has helped “build the island” over the last 67 years. WSB Titan, a Canadawide gypsum supply dealer, quietly purchased the company earlier this year from the Slegg family.

I brought the International Conference on Software Maintenance and Evolution here in 2014.

You can help us bring business to Victoria, too. Let’s connect!

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bring it Let’s

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Monika Lebedynska, Senior Account Executive, VCC

Conferences drive the economy and we all benefit. Contact me: MonikaL@VictoriaConference.com

BUSINESSMATTERS

MEMBER NEWS The new owners see the opportunities to update and freshen up Slegg locations island-wide while implementing the software and automation changes that have worked well in their 40 other locations. Doug Skrepnek, president of WSB Titan, also hopes to share Slegg’s experience selling a more diverse product offering such as siding, lumber and flooring with Titan’s other locations across Canada.

Changes Abound at United Way

Marg Rose

Bruce Williams

Also new to the team in 2015, Marg Expect great things to come as the Rose as the new director philanthropy. United Way welcomes a new chair and Marg comes to the position with a rich two new members to their resource history working both in Greater Victoria development team. and several other provinces and territories. Cheryl Dalwood is the new The 2015 community campaign chair associate director philanthropy, and— is none other than Bruce Williams, much like Marg—brings a diversity of CTV Vancouver Island’s manager of experience from other regions that she community and client relations, host of 65847 to provide a hopes to shareDocket: and shape 115 Thorncliffe CFAX 1070 Café Victoria and GreaterPark Drive Toronto Ontario - Air Canada unique Greater Victoria Client: 247twist. Victoria Development Agency board M4H 1M1 Job Name: May International Mag member. The 2014 community campaign raised Tel 416•696•2853 Production Contact: Lara Vanderheide “As a United Way honorary life member, $5.7 million through the generosity of over 8,000 donors. Bruce has a strong connection to the organization and his personal Top 10 to Watch commitment is an inspiration to all T:7.5 in Congratulations to Chamber members, of us,” said Patricia Jelinski, CEO at The Pedaler, Stocksy and Flytographer United Way.

Cheryl Dalwood

as they joined an elite group of businesses recognized in Douglas Magazine’s Top 10 to Watch. Stocksy United is a multi-stakholder cooperative that provides online stock photography. The Pedaler offers to share the hidden treasures of Victoria at the speed of two wheels. Options range for tourists and locals from culinary to lighthearted historical tours. Flytographer offer travellers the ability to book photographers across the globe for short, candid vacation shoots. Check out Douglas Magazines June/July edition for more on these innovative businesses.

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MEMBER NEWS BFI Becomes Progressive Across Greater Victoria you will see bins and trucks changing from BFI to Progressive Waste Solutions. Nationally, this is part of an overall strategy to create a brand that better reflects the company’s commitment to dependable service and a sustainable future for the community. Future growth plans include the development of new waste solutions that incorporate the corporate linchpins of environmental responsibility and sustainability.

Executive Swinging Into a DoubleTree 50 years ago Executive House first opened its doors in Victoria as a hotel and apartment complex. This fall, the 19-storey property will re-open its doors after one of the largest hotel renovations in Victoria’s history. The multi-million dollar propertywide renovation and the upcoming rebranding was managed by DoubleTree by Hilton but property ownership remains local as it has for the past 50 years. The revitalized hotel will offer 181 guestrooms along with familiar favourites like Bartholomew’s Pub.

The English Inn

Grand Old Lady Has a New Beau Over a century old and never looking better, Aragon Properties has snapped up the opportunity to purchase the English Inn. Originally built by Samuel Maclure, the 106-year old inn has undergone $4.5 million in upgrades since 2005. Renovations include updates to its extensive grounds in the heart of Esquimalt.

Aragon Properties indicated the property has immense opportunity for the company and the current plan is to enhance the hotel as a destination for the region. The English Inn has been increasing in profile through the work of a great management team lead by recent Chamber Business Award Employee of the Year Winner, Heather Greenlees.

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MEMBER NEWS Namaste International Students Camosun College is one of 13 Canadian post-secondary schools to be invited to enter into a memorandum of understanding to develop educational partnerships with India’s National Skill Development Corporation. This three-way partnership between Camosun College, Bow Valley College in Alberta and India helps

fulfil a national skill mandate to create centres of excellence focused on skill development such as sport science and technology; sport medicine; sport broadcasting and communications; sport management; sport grassroots and coaching; sport facilities; and more. It is anticipated that the partnership will see more than 50,000 individuals receive training in these and other sport-related fields over the next 10 years. Camosun currently enrols more than 1,100 international students, 120 of whom are from India.

BC Transit Award Winning Staff

Anita Wasiuta

The Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) awarded Anita Wasiuta, Marketing Manager at BC Transit, with the 2015 CPRS Shield of Public Service. The award is presented to a CPRS member for their distinguished and dedicated service in the public interest, entirely apart from any contribution required by client or employer. Wasiuta received the award for her ongoing volunteer commitments. She is well known for her community involvement and leadership. Outside of

volunteering, Wasiuta remains actively involved in other volunteer duties, including Seedy Saturday, Farm Tours, Farm & Film Gala Evenings, Apple Fests, and as a host for local food/ supper meetings.

Something to Celebrate As Canada Day once again passes by in a flurry of patriotic pride, sunscreen and sugary confections, it is good to pause and acknowledge that the Canadian Flag has turned 50 this year. Lester B. Pearson led the charge after plans for a unique Canadian Flag—a conversation first started in 1925—had lagged. George Stanley’s design was first flown in 1965. Victoria has much to celebrate as well, as many of our outstanding businesses celebrate significant anniversaries. Roger’s Chocolates has deliciously reached their 130th anniversary, making our lives a little sweeter over the last century. Thank you Charles “Candy” Rogers for crafting your first chocolates for your grocery store back in 1885. The Steamship Terminal building is looking well-refreshed as it celebrates its 90th year as a signature landmark overlooking the inner harbour of Victoria.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY The Sons of Scotland Benevolent Association is hosting a four-day Festival in Victoria this September celebrating Scottish culture while raising funds for the local community. This will not be possible without your help. It is only through partnerships with local companies that we are able to provide quality entertainment, cultural education and community support. In return, we are able to offer high-profile advertisement on a variety of levels.

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The Sons of Scotland have had a local branch in Victoria since 1956, and are bringing their triennial national convention to Victoria from September 9th-12th. This “Tartan Up!” Festival includes a Whisky Tasting, Charity Golf Tournament, Celtic Concert, and a Tartan Ball Dinner & Dance.

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MEMBER NEWS Photo courtesy of the Belfry Theatre.

The Belfry Theatre at night.

Architect Francis Rattenbury described it as a “handsome little building, as good as anything I have every done.” Royal Roads celebrates 75 years of shaping minds and changing lives. “The Castle” spent the first 55 years

as a military college before transitioning to a public applied research university. The effects have been global, with students from over 60 countries passing through these hallowed halls of learning through the many years. Fifty years of making beautiful music at the Victoria Conservatory of Music is something to note. Its roots reach back to London’s Royal Academy of Music where founders Robin Wood and Winifred Scott Wood left flourishing careers to develop talent and encourage young musicians here in Victoria.

Another anniversary on the Arts scene, Belfry Theatre is opening their 40th season. During that time, an astounding number of Canadian and international plays have excited the imagination of audiences before exiting stage left. Even under the brightest of spotlights they still look fabulous. Also looking as fresh as the youthful minds it shapes, the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business turns 25 this year. Ranked among the top business schools in Canada, the school maintains a strategy of embracing change. The Faculty of Business was renamed the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business in 2010. This was the first time in the University’s history that a faculty was named after an individual.

Has your business won an award? Reached a milestone? Changed its name? Hired a new staff member? If so, send your good new to Peggy Kulmala at policy@victoriachamber.ca for the chance to be featured in the next edition of Business Matters. Deadline August 1st.

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BUSINESSMATTERS

Dedicated Delivery Models:

Should essential services be integrated or independent from municipalities? Were you the kid who had a piggy bank dedicated to saving for something special as well as a general savings piggy? Or did you keep all your allowance in one big jar and dipped in as you needed? Municipalities are having that same savings model debate—albeit on a larger scale—as dedicated funding for certain essential services are developed. There has been a growing trend among municipal governments to use alternative funding sources— instead of property tax revenue— providing dedicated money for services, in particular amenities that are delivered directly to residents. This service model is most commonly used for water, sewer, solid waste, storm water and a variety of yet to be defined services. Municipalities have looked to dedicated funding as a method to overcome increasing difficulties with aging infrastructure and the need for capital replacement. Coupled with the aging infrastructure costs, municipalities are feeling the financial pressures from the growth of cities, environmental and health issues requiring new investments, delegation of responsibilities from higher levels of government and ultimately the municipalities’ limited ability to raise much needed funds. The creation of utilities to manage municipal services has the potential to provide more accountability and greater efficiency. As with any new program, the path to success requires a well-articulated strategy to avoid increasing the overall cost for service and still failing to deliver improved service. It is important to start down the right path from the beginning with well-applied criteria, clear goals and transparency to increase the likelihood of a positive impact.

Utility Model While there are a variety of alternative funding mechanisms, the use of utility models is gaining popularity. A utility model uses separate billing of the utility service and can use a base fee, per-unit charge, flat fee or a variation thereof. There are benefits to using utility models for both municipal governments and residents. Utility models can provide a stable and secure source of funding and is also seen as fair and equitable

BUSINESSMATTERS

to rate payers as opposed to other alternatives such as property tax charges. When implemented using rate-based user fees, as opposed to a flat fee, it also promotes conservation among users, i.e., reduced water consumption.

Shift from Property Tax In the municipal context, the creation of a utility is the shifting of an operation from being paid for by general revenue (property tax bill) to a separate item either on a property tax bill or a utility fee (bill). The shifting of this service must be disciplined and the entire cost of the utility should be shifted from the property tax bill to the utility billing. In any given year this is done, the overall cost to the taxpayer should be neutral. Indeed in years where a new utility is created, the property tax bill for property owners should be reduced with the corresponding cost reflected in the utility bill. Once the utility is created it will be important that operational resources not be shifted at the municipal level such as to reallocate costs.

Independence of Utility One of the advantages of creating a utility is that ideally it is a separate business entity that has a narrow mandate of delivering the best possible service at the lowest possible cost. This can only be achieved in the municipal context if the utility is given freedom to operate with limited input from the government. The decisions regarding the utility’s operations should be delegated to the utility and a process for approving annual operating and capital budgets should be put in place. The creation of a utility should be much more than an accounting process and as such, a level of autonomy is key.

Capital Reserves Municipal governments generally create a capital reserve to be used for unforeseen maintenance and to provide ongoing improvements to facilities. The creation of a separate utility also requires a plan surrounding these reserves. When the utility is created, an amount can be transferred to the utility and from there the utility maintains its own reserve. Alternately the utility could participate in the municipal reserve

fund and call upon those reserves as necessary. The use of a central fund requires considerable due diligence and requires a setup similar to an insurance fund.

Utility Operation The management of the utility needs to be such that it operates as a separate business. The costs allocated to the utility must be fair and designed to give the utility control of those costs. In the beginning the utility may use municipal works yards, municipal offices and municipal staff. The utility should have the flexibility to control its costs. A utility may determine it is more cost efficient to rent certain equipment rather than own that equipment. A utility may determine it does not need as much office space or even as many staff. It is important that the utility have the ability to control these operational elements to achieve the efficiency expected from a creating a utility.

Overhead Allocation A utility will make use of portions of the municipal infrastructure to deliver its service. Over and above the direct costs of operating the utility, e.g., labour, equipment, facilities, supplies, there should be an allocation of related overhead costs to the utility. The municipal management structure will have to allocate some effort and therefore cost to the new utility. There should be a formula created to set these charges so that they are accurate and predictable.

Contracting Service The process of setting up a municipal service as a standalone is essentially contracting that service to another entity. The entity the municipal service contracts to may be an internal business unit or could be an outside contractor beyond government. Regardless of the nature of the contracting entity, the process should be the same. If the utility is set up to this level of diligence, then the options of managing the utility in the long run are much greater. The utility could operate an arm’s length department, as a wholly owned subsidiary. It could be contracted to employees on a profitshare model, or it could be contracted to a private entity through competitive process.

Overall Municipal Tax Burden and Transparency There are concerns that the increased use of utilities for municipal services may not be reflected in the overall municipal tax burden. There is potential that creating new utilities can become a method of increasing taxes beyond property tax increases. While user fees are a tax, it is essential that municipal governments communicate tax rate changes in a transparent way with respect to any changes in rates for both property taxes as well as all utilities. Communicating rate changes should be presented to residents as a total change in the municipal tax burden regardless of tax type. Optimally when creating municipal utilities the following criteria need to be considered: • Implement utilities to deliver municipal services with greater efficiency. • Shift of cost from property tax bills be transparent and benefit taxpayers. • Utility be provided sufficient independence to achieve greater efficiency.

• Capital reserves for the utility be clearly defined and make use of the existing municipal capital. • Create a formula be developed for fair allowance and predicate allocation of municipal overhead. • Create utilities with sufficient due diligence to allow the utility to develop. There are opportunities for tremendous gains in efficiency and service levels through the creation of municipal utilities. A utility that is simply an accounting allocation of expenses cannot achieve these gains. Utilities need to have considerable effort put into their creation in order for them to achieve the required results. Ultimately these are critical services that any community needs to successfully sustain and grow. The more efficiently the services are delivered, the better the hopes are for the future success of the region. At the end of the day regardless if municipalities use the “one piggy bank or two” model, there is only one source for the hard earned coins being dropped into the system.

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Y YJ

eats

On Tuesday June 9th The Chamber took over Market Square to bring together some of the city’s best beer, food and wine at the inaugural YYJ Eats. Attendees at YYJ Eats got to sample offerings from Vancouver Island Brewery, Vic’s Steakhouse & Bar, north FORTY-EIGHT, Vista 18, Irish Times Pub, Lure Restaurant & Bar, The Fairmont Empress, Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub, Hotel Rialto, Olive Club, Vis-à-Vis and the Victoria Wine Trail which includes Tod Creek Craft Cider, Symphony Vineyard, Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse, Muse Winery, Dragonfly Hill Vineyard, De Vine Vineyards. Photos by Leanna Rathkelly

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CALENDAR of EVENTS

July

August

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

Prodigy Group July Mingle

Date: July 9 Time: 5 to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Strathcona Hotel – The Clubhouse

Summer Social Series: Winemaker’s Dinner

Date: July 30 Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Location: Horticulture Centre of the Pacific

Get Found: Increase Your Leads Prodigy Group August Mingle and Boost Your Sales Date: August 13 Time: 5 to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Varsha

Date: July 15 Time: 8 to 9 a.m. Location: The Chamber

July Business Mixer

Date: July 16 Time: 5 to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Victoria HarbourCats @ Royal Athletic Park

WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

Summer Social Series: Brewmaster’s Dinner Date: August 19 Time: 5 to 9 p.m. Location: English Inn

August Business Mixer

Date: August 20 Time: 5 to 7 p.m. Hosted by: Huntingdon Manor

Want to host a Mixer or Mingle? Opportunities are now available for 2016. Please contact Christine Lewis at 250-383-7191 or EventsManager@victoriachamber.ca.

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 Victoria’s growing business economy. The opportunity is here to advance your career 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! Jared Webb Prodigy Group Chair

For more information visit us at prodigygroup.ca

BUSINESSMATTERS

“X” will Soon Mark the Spot for Investment Greater Victoria ranked second last in Canada for GDP growth for the last two years. Between census years, Canada’s 28 metropolitan regions, i.e., regions with populations greater than 100,000, grew an average of 7.4 percent. With such low rankings, I think it is safe to say we have room to improve so we can build the vibrant and prosperous community we desire. Economic development is about growing, nurturing, and attracting entrepreneurs and companies that will create wealth and jobs, and lead us towards a sustainable community. People—especially young people— tend to gravitate towards cities for both career opportunities and cultural and lifestyle amenities. People will gravitate towards Victoria if there are job opportunities—not only young people and new graduates, but also families and seasoned talent that can mentor and lead successful ventures. How we nurture and attract these entrepreneurs is about our “competitive offering.” In other words, what do companies get here

in return for their investment and taxation dollars that they might not get somewhere else. We need to show them our assets in the most compelling way possible. Proximity to these assets such as the Victoria International Airport, Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal, industrial-zoned land, municipal and CRD boundaries, cycle-lanes, green spaces, as well as the presence of likeminded or symbiotic firms or supplychain companies of the decisionmaker, are all important elements. Maps have come a long way since the days of flat-universe maps where “beyond here there be dragons.” Nearly everyone has had the experience of looking for online directions for somewhere to shop, eat, sleep or to meet up with someone, to help them chose the best school, daycare, or next job or investment. They’re not just useful tools, online maps are now economic drivers.

Company Search Box Scenario Selection To help reﬁne their search, a user may choose one of the following scenarios - “Where to start a business” and “Where to live” (Currently non-functioning, but you can see the options in the drop-down.)

Context Sensitive Overlays Depending on the scenario chosen, these ﬁlters will adjust to only include the most relevant options. (For performance related reasons, some layers are scale dependant and will only turn on at certain zoom scales.)

An example of the GVDA’s geographic information system (GIS) mapping project, called Mapping Economic Success. Potential new investors, employees and entrepreneurs to Greater Victoria will be able to see which area of town best suits their needs.

Company Information

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When a user searches for a company, or selects one on the map, a pop-up will appear showing the company name, address and other details.

For example, Abebooks is located along the Galloping Goose because a significant proportion of their workforce commutes to work by bike, but they are also located in the region because they can find good people. And most importantly, it’s where their leaders want to stay! When it comes to presenting these diverse assets in a compelling way, mapping and geo-spatial information are very useful for two important reasons: 1. Interactive data supports decision making. Such information allows a private-sector or institutional investor to see where they could locate something—an office building, a production facility, a distribution centre—and get good return on investment. 2. Interactive data tells a visual and compelling story. A GIS map can help tell a story about a specific place to someone who is less than familiar with it, e.g., allows a potential resident to plan where to live relative to schools,

Sign In Button Calls a pop-up modal box that allows a user to log into their account. (Currently non-functional for phase 1.)

Base Maps & Base Layers

Place a Comment Will allow users to add comments or reviews for a speciﬁc location on the map. (Currently non-functional for phase 1.)

or what neighbourhoods offer the best commute routes or similar demographics. With 13 municipalities within a geographically fluid economy, information needed to support decisions can be disjointed or even misleading. For example, I recently read a marketing document that listed Royal Roads University as being located in Langford, even though it’s actually in Colwood. The reality is that Greater Victoria has three major postsecondary institutions, and where a company invests may be relevant or not relevant to where those institutions are in the region. With this in mind, the Greater Victoria Development Agency (GVDA) launched a three-year Trade and Investment Program in 2014, aligned towards the ultimate goal of nurturing job creation. As part of this program, GVDA partnered with Stantec—one of North America’s largest engineering and consulting firms—to develop a geographic information system (GIS) mapping project specific to the Greater Victoria area.

routes? Does the workforce value a live, work, play and invest in Greater location that is close to where they live Victoria. or close to other amenities and likeIt was a remarkable success. The minded firms? audience felt engaged in a very simple Mapping Economic Success has a yet compelling story that contained specific purpose to reveal the region’s video elements, spatial elements, economic story to attract business supporting data and graphs to further and investment. Further, the project clarify points and differentiate the is designed to purposefully aid in the region against competitors like decision-making of private-sector and Vancouver, Kelowna and Portland. institutional investors by providing The GVDA has now moved the map them with geographic data that is into BETA testing with hopes to pertinent to their specific investment launch the refined version later this decision, e.g., where to locate a year. With such a tool in the hands of warehousing and distribution facility. potential investors, we will be to reveal The overarching goal of Mapping the Greater Victoria economic story, Economic Success is to help decisionattracting business and investment, makers build compelling and and helping to build Greater Victoria interactive arguments to locate in, into a vibrant community with a invest in, and visit Greater Victoria. prosperous When you combine such a quantitative and sustainable economy. tool with the exceptional qualitative lifestyle that the Greater Victoria region has to offer, you have a winning combination, something the GVDA can easily present to investors, big and small. Earlier this year the GVDA presented at a national conference for ESRI Canada–the Canadian division of one “We were thrilled to support of the world’s foremost providers of the community we live GIS mapping software. At the event in by working with the we revealed an interactive and multiDallas Gislason GVDA on developing a GIS media story map using GIS technology Economic effectively thegrow audience looking forwalked help to your business, let ourDevelopment Business Officer mapping tool,” said TysonIf you’rethat Greater Victoria Development Agency through a sales pitch about why to Loreth, Stantec Project

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The GIS project, called Mapping Economic Success, began with a complex challenge in mind: “In the context of 13 local municipal governments—each with their own unique attributes, value proposition, and zoning—what macro-level decisions transcend these municipal borders and what information aids those decisions?” The answer may not be all that surprising: business is borderless. This reality meant that the region-wide tool can bypass geo-political borders and focus on the decision-maker and their needs. Do they need to be downtown or rural? Do they need to be near the airport? Do they need space that can grow as they grow? Are they talent driven? Want to be near major cycling

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3675 Shelbourne Street Victoria, BC V8P 4H1

Bruce Read

cheryl.duff@td.com Victoria City City Centre Centre Victoria 1080 Douglas Douglas Street Street 1080 Cheryl Duff Victoria, BC V8W 2C3 Victoria, BC V8W 2C3

3675 Shelbourne Shelbourne Street Street 10803675 Douglas Street Victoria, BC BC V8P V8P 4H1 4H1 Victoria, Victoria, BC V8W 2C3

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Victoria City Cen

Trish Thame Cheryl Duff 1080 Douglas St Small Business Advisor Small Business Advisor Victoria, BC V8W Banking Bankingcan canbe bethis thiscomfortable comfortable 250-405-5260 ext. 300 250-356-4018 ext. 300 ® 1 1 Individual branch hours vary. ® The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. Individual branch hours vary. The TD logo and other trade-marks are the property of The Toronto-Dominion Bank. trisha.thame@td.com M00574 (0914) (0914) cheryl.duff@td.com M00574 Victoria Cedar Hill BUSINESSMATTERS Trish Thame ®/®/ Victoria Centre 17 TheThe TDTD logologo andand other trade-marks areare thethe property of of TheThe Toronto-Dominion Bank or or a wholly-owned subsidiary, inCity Canada and/or countries. other trade-marks property Toronto-Dominion Bank a wholly-owned subsidiary, in Canada and/orother other countries. 3675 Shelbourne Street 1080 Douglas Street Small Business A Victoria, BC V8P 4H1

Ogden Point Victoria’s Maritime Gateway to the World For generations, Ogden Point has served as Victoria’s maritime gateway to the world. Once welcoming majestic ocean liners from the golden age of steamships, the port today sees over two hundred calls annually from the world’s largest and most luxurious cruise vessels. Cruising has helped to put Victoria on the map and is both an essential part of our community’s history as well as our region’s vibrant economic future. Today, Ogden Point is Canada’s most popular port of call for cruise ships. Victoria’s cruise industry brings significant economic benefits to our capital region with hundreds of thousands of dollars of benefits to the local economy generated with each ship visit. In a study on the economic impact from Victoria’s 2012 cruise season, the cruise industry contributed a direct spend of $49 million to the capital region with an overall regional economic impact of $96 million.1 In 2012, Ogden Point welcomed 224 ship visits carrying over 503,000 passengers. Projections for the 2015 season underscore Victoria’s popularity as a destination of choice for cruise passengers with 230 ship calls scheduled to arrive carrying over 513,000 passengers. With numbers like these, this year promises to break all records and bring more cruise ship visits and passengers than ever before to Victoria. The

overall economic impact of the 2015 cruise season is expected to top $100 million throughout the capital region for the first time ever. 2015 will also see a 4 percent increase in average time spent in port (approximately 7 hours) and a 17 percent increase in daytime calls. Regionally, Victoria is a vital part of an overall cruise industry; in 2014 cruise activity generated an estimated $1.79 billion in economic benefits for British Columbia. “Victoria’s vibrant cruise industry is an important component of the region’s tourism mix,” said Ian Robertson, CEO of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA). “Over 80 percent of the passengers disembark the ship in port and with the trend continuing of ships spending more time in port, that means that more passengers will spend more time and more money enjoying Victoria’s unique network of boutique shops, restaurants and regional attractions.” The 2015 cruise season kicked off on April 22 when Princess Cruises’ Grand Princess arrived at Ogden Point at 7 a.m. City of Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, greeters from the Victoria AM Association in period costume, the official Town Crier as well as representatives from the Harbour Authority, Tourism Victoria, The Chamber and the Esquimalt and Songhees Nations were on hand

2013 Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) study

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to provide the official community welcome and to launch a recordbreaking cruise season. After the ceremony, Mayor Helps led a walking tour to downtown to highlight the port’s close proximity to Victoria’s business district and the natural beauty of the adjacent harbour pathway. “Cruise passengers often experience Victoria for the first time when they disembark the ship and fall in love with all that our city has to offer,“ said Paul Nursey, CEO of Tourism Victoria. Since the establishment of the Greater Victoria Harbour Authority (GVHA) in 2002, cruise tourism at Victoria’s Ogden Point has grown exponentially from 110 ship calls carrying 161,000 passengers in its first year, to an anticipated 230 ship calls and 513,000 passengers this year. This means that over the past decade, cruise ship calls to Victoria have more than doubled, and passenger numbers have more than tripled. Cruise tourism has become an important economic driver for the capital region. Working collaboratively with its partners at Tourism Victoria, The Chamber, and the Cruise Line Industry Association-Northwest & Canada, GVHA is encouraging opportunities to expose cruise visitors to more unique Victoria experiences thereby expanding the positive economic impact in our region.

As the size and number of ships have increased over the past decade, GVHA has invested $23.8 million dollars in capital projects to improve all its facilities including $13.4 million in direct improvements at Ogden Point. Major capital enhancements at the port property have included raising Pier B; installing a mooring dolphin; completing dredging; installing handrails at the breakwater; replacing old bollards; caisson upgrades and general terminal improvements. These enhancements have helped to grow a vibrant and dynamic cruise industry at Ogden Point and to position Victoria as a leading international cruise destination of choice. The benefits of cruise to our region extend far beyond tourism. In addition to direct economic benefits to the local transportation, tourism and hospitality sectors, the cruise industry fosters significant spinoffs for local businesses involved in ship repair and maintenance, waste removal services, provisioning, and utilities. For the 2014 cruise season, direct spending by passengers and crew was estimated in excess of $32 million supporting 880 direct and indirect jobs in the region. In May, the 947-foot-long Crown Princess cruise ship was at the

Esquimalt Graving Dock for an 11-day refit by Victoria Shipyards. A major component of the work was the installation of two scrubber systems in the funnels, designed to reduce emissions and to ensure compliance with international environmental regulations covering ships operating in the Pacific Northwest cruise theatre. The total cost of the refit was estimated at over $5 million, supporting 350 skilled workers who were actively engaged on the project. Looking ahead to July 2015, it is expected that Ogden Point will welcome its six-millionth cruise ship passenger to Victoria. The Jewel of the Seas, Ruby Princess and Carnival Legend will all make their maiden calls to Victoria this season. Next year, Ogden Point will welcome the largest cruise ship ever on the Alaskan route during the 2016 season—Royal Caribbean International’s impressive MS Explorer of the Seas. The Explorer will be the first Voyagerclass cruise ship to make regular stops in Victoria when it calls weekly throughout the May to September 2016 cruise season. With a capacity of a thousand more passengers per visit than the ship it replaces, and with 19 planned calls in 2016, the increase in economic impact for local

restaurants, retail shops, and daytime attractions throughout our region will be substantial. Arriving at 8 a.m. and departing at 6 p.m. every Thursday, the Explorer will often be the only ship in port, providing a boon to the local economy. “This is great news for Victoria and for small businesses,” said John Douglas, owner of Orca Spirit Adventures. “Over a thousand extra passengers per visit during daytime hours brings huge opportunities for local eco-tourism operators such as ours. We are excited to welcome them with open arms and to show off the unrivalled natural beauty of our region.” Victoria’s vibrant cruise tourism industry has a storied past, and as it continues to grow, an even brighter future. Building upon decades of tradition, in the modern era it has become a proud part of our region’s cultural and economic identity.

Ivan Watson

Media Relations Specialist Greater Victoria Harbour Authority

HR Consulting & Recruitment

Meet Sheenagh, Talent Sourcing Specialist at Chemistry Consulting Chemistry Consulting Group is pleased to welcome Sheenagh Beadell to our HR Consulting division, assuming the role of Talent Sourcing Specialist. Sheenagh has over 20yrs experience working in Human Resources, specializing in sourcing, developing and training staff. Contact Sheenagh today to help you build the team you need to be successful. 250-382-3303 ext. 213 | S.Beadell@chemistryconsulting.ca

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101

Email Tech Meets Technique

For those of us that can remember, email originally replaced the office memo, and now is an established communication channel for the distribution of formal documents, conversations, and learning. In 2014 it was estimated that over 196.3 billion emails were sent and received each day - 108.7 billion of those emails were business emails.* * The Radicati Group, Inc., Email Statistics Report, 2014–2018

First Impressions Billions of emails a day—does it sometimes feels as if they’re all ending up in your inbox? It’s disturbing that we spend on average a quarter of our work day combing through hundreds of emails with so little guidance on best practices. Where’s Emily Post when you need her? Email is just one more tool for communication. Admittedly, it’s a mode that is better suited to being brief and

concise than the lengthy letters of old, but that is no reason to abandon the rules of etiquette and grammar in favour of a five second reply. As with all communication, it boils down to providing well-thought out points and being respectful – both in terms of tone and time. Your emails are as much a reflection of you and how you do business, as it would be if you had sent the missive on company letterhead.

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What’s your subject line? The best subject lines clearly and quickly reveal in 50 characters or less the crux of your email. Does it avoid spam filter triggers like Free, Clearance, Great Deal? Streamline everyone’s life by crafting a subject line that contains the key words for the issue discussed for quick search-ability. Who is the message from? If your business doesn’t have a corporate email, make sure that your email address reflects the image you wish to project professionally. Beerdude88@ hotmail might work if you’re a brewmaster, less so if you’re a financial consultant. Who is the message to? The To Line is designed to trigger action/response. The individuals who are added to the CC, or “Carbon Copy” line are for information only and optimally should know each other as colleagues or collaborators on the email topic. The often misused and misunderstood BCC, or “Blind Courtesy Copy” line should be used exclusively to keep private the email addresses of individuals who don’t know each other but are all receiving your email. BCC is useful when sending to a large group, e.g., e-newsletter, thereby safeguarding their email addresses as well as protecting BCC recipients from a slew of emails if someone on the To or CC line hits Reply All. In some cases, use of BCC may be viewed as mildly unethical, in that the original addressees of the mail are deliberately kept unaware of others in the BCC. A related risk is when someone in the BCC uses Reply All, thereby outing their original inclusion. For these reasons, it’s better to separately forward the original e-mail, with the appropriate context.

Mechanics and Optics The ultimate frenemy – autocorrect. Spelling and grammar do matter and are part of your professional persona. Even in this world of quick response, the extra 20 seconds to re-read an email can avoid a disaster. Relying on Spellcheck can be deadly, after all no one wishes to be known as the Manger of Pubic Relations. Tip Looking to be quick and letter perfect? Set up signatures that actually contain a content template with key points plus your signature for responses that you frequently send. One font and one colour optimally with little to no background will provide the most professional looking email that is as accessible on a desktop as on a handheld device. For handheld devices, beware of attachments when sending. If you must send one, be aware that not all software platforms are available or easily viewed on handhelds. Also, be aware of attachment size, not just for the recipients in-box storage capacity, but to help preserve data plans during downloads (nothing like being shutout of your in-box over the weekend because someone sent an email with a 25 MB attachment). Calm, cool and collected should be the tone for all your emails. All caps should be reserved for acronyms only. Otherwise, it gives the impression you are SHOUTING, much like bold type can. Exclamation marks and question marks should only be used in moderation!!???!! Emoticons are fine for informal emails but shouldn’t be used formally. Emoticons can’t defuse a terse ticking time bomb of an email , you’re better off to take that deep breath and rewrite the email—or better yet call or meet with the person face to face to resolve the issue. On that note, type with caution knowing that the Forward button is an infinite tool. If you’re not comfortable with your missive being published publicly and distributed widely with your name under it, best to rewrite it.

either shouldn’t have been globally shared and/or creates readership challenges for someone trying to catch up and drilldown to the core of the issue being discussed. This includes removing parts of the email that no longer apply, lengthy signature blocks and updating the subject line if the conversation is taking a new direction. Tip Although not likely to win literary awards, internal emails within a welloiled team can be as quick and easy as “will do,” “please proceed,” “completed.” If this is the content of a lot of your internal emails, you might want to take a look at using a less time intensive tool for your team. Instant Messaging Services like Adium, Skype, iChat, Jabber, Yahoo Messenger and Google+ Hangouts facilitate quick internal communications. If you’re at the point where you’ve sent your eighth email of the day to a colleague or client—or worse yet a whole team—it might be more productive for everyone to gather your questions or ideas and hold them for the next meeting. In our ever plugged-in world, try to respect weekends and evenings. If you’re working over and above, and simply need to compose that email, ask yourself, does the recipient need to read it before the next working day? If the answer is no, save it in your Draft box or

use a scheduling feature, e.g., Outlook’s Delay Delivery. Remember, email is a communication tool, not one to help you manage your To-Do List.

Avoiding the Oops Email Everyone has received that email that sends their fingers twitching towards the keyboard, mind racing to compose a shoot-from-the-hip response. Take a deep breath, wait to respond. If this is distracting you from getting on with the day, open a fresh window, and write the email - but allow yourself time for a sober second thought before sending. Tip Write your email, re-read it, Spellcheck it, re-read it again, attach any documents, open and check that they are the right ones and only then should you add in the recipients—save yourself from the “oops!” of mixing up Save and Send.

Conclusion Email will never have the elegance of a written letter, but with a little effort it can have the civility of effective correspondence that gets things done. Make yourself standout from the crowd, and display your email etiquette proudly. After all a little civility and professionalism never hurt anyone.

66%

Time Sensitive Research indicates that reading an email eats up more of a recipient’s time than you think. Factor in the time to open, read and file the email plus a minimum of another 64 seconds to recover their train of thought and plunge back into the work they were doing. So think twice before hitting Reply All with a message like “Thanks!” Keep emails brief and to the point. Save long conversations for the telephone. Edit out or “down edit” long email chains to remove extraneous information that

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NEW MEMBERS: Mar 31st - June 4th Acciona

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Everyday Motor Centre

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Bullet Security Cameras, Inc.

Complete security systems for home or business. (250) 884-7669 bulletcam.ca

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With more than 35 years of experience installing and servicing all makes and models, you can be confident that you’re dealing with Victoria’s heat pump experts. (250) 656-6868 www.heatpumpsvictoria.com

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D’Ambrosio architecture + urbanism is an award-winning practice in architecture, research, planning and urban design. (250) 384-2400 www.fdarc.ca

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Flytographer

Flytographer has hundreds of local photographers across six continents ready to capture your vacation memories. (888) 211-7178 www.flytographer.com

Four Frames Photo Booth

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Graphite Communications

Graphite Communications is a specialty public affairs and communications firm based in Victoria. (250) 744-7435 graphitecommunications.ca

Green Wheel Cleaners

Green Wheel Cleaners is a locally owned and operated residential and commercial cleaning business. We proudly offer a professional, 100% non-toxic cleaning service to households and businesses throughout Victoria. (250) 882-8243 www.greenwheelcleaners.com

INTRON Consulting Engineers

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INTRON Consulting Engineers is a speciality consulting firm offering design, inspection and asset management services relating to firestopping and fire barriers. (250) 661-0539 www.intronconsulting.ca

IVM

IVM takes non-profits to the next level by applying tools that simplify, save time and build capacity. (877) 571-9997 www.isaacventuresmanagement.com

JagaSilk Enterprise

We have focused on fresh-milled maccha green tea and its tools since 2005. Maccha has inspired our micro-milled tea lattes and a farm direct rotating line of loose teas. We are a teabar, a wholesaler and a tea academy based out of Victoria. (778) 430-5683 jagasilk.com

James River Kitchens

Makeshift

Kickstart Automation

Mike Giordano Realty | MacDonald Realty

James River Kitchens is rapidly become the premier supplier of products from companies such as Hertco, Precision Marble Inc, Napoleon BBQ, KSC Hardware, Merillat and KraftMaid. (778) 265-0700 jamesrivermarketing.com

At Kickstart Automation we help small businesses grow their business faster by implementing new automation systems designed around their business needs. (250) 885-4277 kickstartautomation.com

Kingsters Bin Sanitizing Services Ltd. Kingsters is a new locally owned and operating mobile bin sanitizing service in Victoria. We specialize in cleaning and sanitizing residential/ commercial trash, organic and recycle totes. (250) 580-5464 www.kingstersbinsanitizing.com

Level Ground Trading

Our mission is to trade fairly and directly with small-scale producers in developing countries, offering our customers ethical choices. (250) 544-6633 www.levelground.com

Lifestyle Markets

Lifestyle Markets, established in 1995 on beautiful Vancouver Island, is your one-stop natural foods and vitamin shop. (250) 384-3388 lifestylemarkets.com

We create mobile software by combining technology, strategy and design in a thoughtful way to solve real-world business problems. Your people-first scheduling software solution. (250) 589-4653 www.makeshift.ca

Mike’s client-first approach and genuine compassion to help others makes him a perfect fit for your family, friends, and neighbors’ real estate needs. (250) 884-0885

My Open Road

The My Open RoadTM mobile app is a revolutionary, new, social energy conservation game for smart phones. (866) 651-7560 www.myopenroad.com

Regina Gershman Family Mediation Services

Regina Gershman Family Mediator and Justice Counsellor is a member of Family Mediation Canada, ADR, Association of Image Consultants International, Chamber of Commerce and CANSCAIP. (780) 901-7065 reginagershman-imageconsulting.com

Security Group

Security Group is your local full service security provider. Offering armoured transport guards, bank deposit service, coin and cash pickup and delivery, ATM cash load and service, stationary and mobile security guards. (250) 920-7114 securitygroup.ca

Special Teas Inc.

Special Teas Inc., is a family run business that has been selling high quality loose leaf teas for the past 13 years. (250) 386-8327 www.specialtea.com

Studio Robazzo

Studio Robazzo is an environmentally conscious multidisciplinary design studio & material investigation laboratory in Victoria. (250) 589-7193 robazzo.com

Urban Core Ventures

Real Estate Developer with over ten years of experience in all aspects of building project management & property development. (250) 885-0190 urbancoreventures.com

Women’s Enterprise Centre

Our team understands and relates to the unique circumstances of women business owners. Our experienced business advisors, trainers and facilitators provide our clients with tools and confidence through a supportive, individual and practical approach. (778) 746-7500 www.womensenterprise.ca

To learn more about special offers, update your directory listing and any other questions you have related to membership conact Carmen Lundstrom, Membership and Events Coordinator, at (250) 360-3475 or membership@victoriachamber.ca

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INDUSTRY PROFILE:

BMW/MINI Victoria In a nutshell: As part of the German Auto Import Network (GAIN), the dealership knows that the customer experience is as important as what you engineer and thus, BMW/MINI Victoria continues to deliver the ultimate car buying experience. Now located at 95 Esquimalt Road in a state¬-of-the-art facility, BMW/MINI Victoria has one of the most beautiful dealerships on Vancouver Island. The skilled BMW/MINI team are dedicated to finding the perfect new or pre-owned car to match your individual lifestyle. Once you have your dream car, the expert parts and service team work hand-in-hand with our certified technicians, keeping your BMW or Mini in premium condition by using only quality BMW or Mini signature parts.

# of Employees: 40 Industry Sector: Car Sales Area of Town: Esquimalt Primary Product/Service: Cars How would you describe BMW/MINI Victoria in 30 words or less? BMW/MINI Victoria prides itself on passion, dedication, and the pure love of what we do which makes buying a BMW or MINI as exciting as driving it. What is the best part about doing business in Greater Victoria? Victoria is one of the most beautiful and mildest cities in Canada, which lends itself perfectly to the vehicles we sell and service. In Victoria, a sunny February day means clients can cruise with the top down in their convertible, which not many other dealerships across Canada

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Eszter Farkas Strategic-Partner Tel: 250-598-6991 www.schooleymitchell.com/farkas eszter.farkas@schooleymitchell.com

can say. Our dealership is located in the heart of Victoria, surrounded by some of Victoria’s finest waterfront homes, with a view of downtown and the inner harbour to further enhance the experience our clients and staff enjoy on a daily basis. What is the best thing BMW/MINI Victoria is doing for Greater Victoria? When the dealership was built, the engineers designed a run off garden that filters the excess water before going into the greywater sewage collector. This innovative system has been visited by many contractors for future building ideas. Our service department has an eye to minimizing our footprint, buying as much as possible in bulk to save on packaging for items such as engine oils, windshield washer fluid and lubricants. As a division of GAIN we are a part of the Vancouver Island Motor Gathering, which supports the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, the Saanich Peninsula Hospital Foundation and new for 2015, the David Foster Foundation. In just two years the Vancouver Island Motor Gathering has raised over $300,000 for charity. We also support a number of local charities such as the Victoria Hospital Foundation, Kidsport, JDRF, Prostate Cancer Research, CFAX Santa’s Anonymous, Ride to Conquer Cancer, Women’s Transition House, Big Brothers Big Sisters and more. What is it like working at BMW/MINI Victoria? For every member of our team attention to detail is key – from a well-organized parts and service department to a friendly smile when you walk in the door, everyone has a part to play for BMW/ MINI Victoria’s continued success. BMW/MINI Victoria is committed to building the automotive industry in Victoria, as a partner with Camosun Collage’s Automotive Service Technician Program, certified by the Indistry Training Autority (ITA). BMW/ MINI Victoria provides apprenticeship opportunities for up-and-coming students, who wish to specialize in BMWs.

David Lett, BMW Certified Master Technician and Shop Foreman started with BMW/MINI Victoria in 2002, “I started as a second year apprentice, working with two other technicians. We have now grown to a shop of 9 technicians and an apprentice, in a fully updated facility. I enjoy the diagnostic challenges that our state of the art vehicles provide from time to time, as well as constantly updating my product knowledge as our vehicles continue to lead the field with new advancements and functionality. Despite the growth, our shop continues to function as a close knit team, with everyone sharing in the enjoyment and challenges working with our exciting BMW and Mini products.” What are three things few people know about BMW/MINI Victoria? Over half our sales leads come from online so we have an internet portfolio specialist that is trained to handle all our web inquiries and a team that keeps the website and social media up to date with new cars, promotions, etc. It is amazing to know most of our customers usually spend an average of 16 hours online before entering or contacting a dealership. Our clients often know exactly what they are looking for before they have even touched their new car. BMW has a wide range of bicycles and these have been extremely successful for us. And now with the introduction of the electric bikes, interest in them is growing as well. The bikes are electrically power assisted with 4 power boost settings, a charge time of 3.5 hours with a range of approximately 100 km’s. We also are very excited about the new race track, GAIN’s Vancouver Island Motor Sport resort that is currently under development in the Cowichan Valley. Designed by Tilke Engineers and Architects who are considered to be a world leader in track design, we feel privileged to have a place open yearround to showcase the performance of our products to our clients in a safe, controlled environment.

What is BMW/MINI Victoria proudest of? We are proud of our beautiful facility, our team and the amazing products that we sell, from the all-new five-door Mini Cooper all the way up to the BMW Flagship Luxury 7 Series Sedan. A testament to our team’s outstanding work, BMW/MINI Customer Service Index results are always in the top 10 of BMW/MINI dealerships across the country. When our clients let us know we have done the job right that is truly satisfying. Are there any other fun facts about BMW/MINI Victoria we should know about? BMW/MINI Victoria holds a number of customer loyalty events throughout the year for our clients such as Spring & Fall 15.VictoriaChamberAd 15-05-21 3:01 Private PM Page 1 Annual Garage Sales, One Day

Special Invitational Events, New Owners Nights and we attend many local car shows. We also host a Performance Driving Program that our new and current BMW or Mini owners can partake in to enhance their driving abilities and truly see what our cars are capable of. An adrenaline rush like no other; the Performance Driving Program puts our clients behind the wheel of the latest BMW and Mini we have to offer. This firsthand driving experience on a closed course and taught by trained professionals allows our clients to experience the pure joy of driving. This program is free of charge when a vehicle is purchased form BMW/MINI Victoria and is an amazing experience for all involved.

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Balance. Diversification. Risk management. The unending search for opportunity. When you are ready for disciplined portfolio management, with a singular focus on meeting your long-term objectives, Call us. Contact Branch Manager Peter Jando at 250-952-7777. Visit odlumbrown.com for more information. * Compound annual returns are from inception December 15, 1994 to May 15, 2015. The Model was established by the Research Department in December 1994, with a hypothetical investment of $250,000. Trades are made using the closing price on the day a change is announced. These are gross figures before fees. Past performance is not indicative of future performance. Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund.

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Advocacy in action Successes

Policies of note:

Ongoing Activities

Our ongoing efforts related to Belleville Street terminal have recently resulted in a funding announcement and commitment for ongoing work for additional phases. The $17.5 million announcement by the Minister of Transportation is welcome indeed. Thank you, Minister Stone!

In addition to the previous policies we presented, there were a number of other policies proposed by other B.C. chambers that were approved by the BC Chamber of Commerce membership. Promoting Innovation on Solid Waste Management To avoid a potential conflict of interest, B.C. chambers are asking regional governments to structure or restructure waste management policies in a manner that reduces expenditures on publicly-owned facilities when in direct competition with private industry – to promote innovation and investment by private enterprise. A More Transparent Approach to Taxation in B.C. There is an erosion of public trust around taxation decisions, and B.C. chambers recommend the provincial government commit to a provincial dialogue on tax in B.C. to determine what is the appropriate mix and type of taxes and levies needed to pay for programs and services. Rebalancing Municipalities and Regional Districts Taxpayers deserve a more accountable and efficient regional governance system, B.C. chambers believe the current ‘Local Government Act’ is inadequate and recommends the provincial government modernize the Regional District Legislation. Provincial Role on Municipal Restructuring There are areas in B.C. where urban municipalities share common boundaries; B.C. chambers ask the provincial government to amend the Community Charter to include options for instigating municipal restructuring by order of the province where a clear benefit exists” Securing Tourism Funding The tourism industry needs the assurance of secured levels of funding to ensure effective long term planning, and to remain competitive.

Douglas Street Busway The Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) has drafted an innovative vision for Douglas Street. Tourism Victoria members and The Chamber board attended a DVBAhosted technical briefing on June 1st. The DVBA has a modest amount of funds to advance a Douglas Street project, and hopes to identify more funding for the project in the coming months. In-sourcing parking enforcement The City of Victoria responded internally to its Request for Proposal for parking enforcement and has chosen to in-source the job. The intended changes to move from parking enforcement to parking ambassadors should have a positive affect on the public perception of parking. These changes will likely result in additional staffing costs and reduced revenue.

Policy Development The Chamber been working hard on a number of priorities. We recently attended the BC Chamber of Commerce where we proposed and received support for four policies: Rebalancing Municipalities and Regional Districts • This policy is aimed at improving regional governance and making regional districts more effective. “Taxpayers deserve a more accountable and efficient regional governance system, B.C.’s chambers believe the current ‘Local Government Act’ is inadequate and recommends the provincial government modernize the Regional District Legislation.” Gaming Event Licences: Not-for-Profit Organizations • This policy advocates for The Chamber and other business-related not-for-profits to be able to hold a 50/50 draw at mixers and other events. Bringing Sustainability and Certainty to B.C.’s Minimum Wage • This establishes The Chamber’s position of being in favour of regular reviews of minimum wage and increases that approximate the inflation rate. Increasing Rental Inventory through Fair Tax Treatment • This policy seeks to change the tax treatment for residential real estate to make it more cost effective for individuals. These measure should help to increase the secondary market rental availability.

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Letters of support Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Society received a letter of support for their interest in the Boys and Girls Club building on Yates Street. The Chamber also provided input to the city of Victoria on the appropriate size for liquor stores. In summary, new municipal policies should support fair competition, respect existing licensees, recognize the character of the neighborhood, and protect against bias towards private or public ownership.

Meetings Over the last two months, The Chamber’s Chair and CEO met with the Honourable Coralee Oakes, the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development to discuss the progress toward a study on regional governance. Lisa Helps, Mayor of Victoria, spoke with The Chamber members at the annual Chamber AGM in May sharing her vision for Victoria, encouraging innovative ideas and working towards “Un.expected” solutions.

Your Community.

YOUR Y

Building Healthy Communities YMCA-YWCA

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Ph: 250-386-7511 • www.victoriay.com BUSINESSMATTERS

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