ADDRESSING THE KEY ISSUES YOU CARE ABOUT
SPECIAL MEETINGS & RETREATS SECTION
To thrive in today’s economy, we must treat infrastructure housing, energy, waste, logistics not as isolated systems, but as interconnected engines of resilience.
The Future is Local
Aaron Stone, CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, on his role as a creative “imagineer” in the region’s development.
BY ROBYN QUINN
Adapting to Change
The local construction industry faces multiple challenges. How it manages them will determine its success.
BY SHANNON MONEO
36 Taking the Heat
B.C. restaurants are at a tipping point as workforce program restraints, rising costs and consumerspending decisions make for challenging times.
BY ANDREW FINDLAY
60
What’s Good for the Goose …
… may be good for the Gander, as a new Canadian social media platform takes on the U.S. big boys.
BY REBECCA BOLLWITT
66
Building Your Business Road Map
We guide you through the good, the bad and the ugly of creating a business plan.
BY TAMMY SCHUSTER
70
Safeguarding the Store
Local security experts provide practical tips to help protect your retail and business space.
BY JULIEN JOHNSTON-BREW
Meetings & Retreats
How to carry
smile outside the office.
• MEETING
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10 LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
15 IN THE KNOW
Bags and totes made from upcycled marine sails, with tales, find a new outlet on select BC Ferries routes; Seaspan’s new South Island manufacturing facility “pipes up” with robotics and cuttingedge software; VIATEC program gives a BOOST to Victoria tech firms; challenges for young professionals; major moves in big development projects; a B.C. company’s game-changer in seaweed production and habitat restoration; fall takes flight with new and returning Harbour Air schedule; Douglas Reads.
72 INTEL
72 RECLAIMING THE WORKPLACE: WHERE TO GO FROM HERE?
Part 2: Some strategies to help you move from caution to confidence in embracing a new leadership mindset.
BY INGRID VAUGHAN
74 YOUR NETWORK IS YOUR NET WORTH
When developed the right way, our web of business connections is an essential part of our personal and professional growth.
BY ROBYN QUINN
76 LIFE + STYLE
“Rock on” with a climbing regimen that is the ultimate mind and body workout; the best dining spots for small businessteam meetings; “ears” to some top noise-cancelling headphones.
78 DID YOU KNOW
Victoria’s got some class when it comes to post-secondary training, dating back to near the turn of the last century. From the 1903 advent of Victoria College, we trace the timeline of several educational institutions in the Garden City.
EVERY BUSINESS BEGINS WITH A STORY. Some are sparked by opportunity, others by necessity and many by a leap of faith. Each story carries triumphs, setbacks, reinventions, plenty of WTF moments and the drive to keep going.
And nowhere are these stories more striking than in small business. They are more than storefronts and services. They are the spark that fuels our local economy and the glue that holds our community together. Whether you’re carefully drafting your business plan, expanding into a second location or reinventing your downtown bistro, the formula is the same: determination, creativity and grit and as Cafe Brio’s Sam Harris puts it, “a strong stomach for hard work, long hours and uncertainty.”
From the restaurants we gather in with our friends and family, to the builders reshaping our streets, to the coffee shops that anchor our neighbourhoods, local small businesses remind us daily of what it means to belong.
A team-based approach for a total wealth strategy that addresses the entirety of your life.
C.P. (Chuck) McNaughton, PFP Senior Wealth Advisor
250.654.3342 charles.mcnaughton@scotiawealth.com themcnaughtongroup.ca
The McNaughton Group ScotiaMcLeod® , a division of Scotia
“Community support is vital, whether that means choosing local, collaborating with neighbours or championing homegrown ideas.”
Their paths are never linear. There are seasons of growth and times of struggle, but none of it can function in isolation. A village is needed. Community support is vital, whether that means choosing local, collaborating with neighbours or championing homegrown ideas.
Support can take many forms. Events like the Vancouver Island Economic Alliance Summit, a conference that provides perspectives on the Island’s economic future, can help businesses understand where they fit into the environmental backdrop, whether they are launching, growing or refining their operations.
In the spirit of celebrating homegrown talent, Douglas magazine is launching nominations for the next 10 to Watch Awards [see page 42] where we will learn of, and then tell, the stories of emerging creators shaping our local business landscape. Stories that remind us that passion and resilience are the real currencies of small business and entrepreneurship, even when the odds aren’t looking so great.
We can’t wait to tell those stories of the next wave of innovators, risktakers and community builders redefining what it means to believe, to try and to thrive.
Tammy Schuster
Douglas Editor editor@douglasmagazine.com
Beverly Carter, founder of Carter Notary, is the new president of Think Local First (TLF), a group that believes local businesses are the heart of our community and the backbone of BC’s and Greater Victoria’s economy. Through her Notary Public practice, specializing in Wills & Estates, Real Estate Transactions, and Legal Document Notarization, Beverly understands the value of supporting other business owners. Community involvement has always been a priority for her, and after years of active participation in TLF, she now steps into the role of president.
Visit Carter Notary:
Beverly, why is it important to you to step into the role as the leader of TLF?
I grew up in a small town, where everything was local. As commerce went global, small communities were affected.
Twenty years ago, one of those big organizations closed my small business’s doors. So, I’ve always been passionate about keeping not only dollars, but support, locally.
I’ve been a member of TLF for several years because I know we can leverage our collective power by coming together. Being mindful and intentional in our support of local businesses and organizations can create an impact. Whether it’s buying local, supporting other enterprises through reviews or word of mouth, or volunteering, it all works together to keep our community healthy and thriving.
For years, I have purchased products, services, and experiences from local businesses as giveaways for Carter Notary’s clients. I use my platform, with thousands of readers, to spotlight local businesses such as U Retreat, Spinnakers, Adventure Clothing, and Robinson’s Outdoor Store. I’ve also sponsored media events like Douglas magazine’s 10 to Watch.
Why is ‘Momentum’ your motto for TLF?
Mary Lou Newbold served as president immediately before me. And before her, TLF was built and led by other great community leaders. I want to keep what Mary Lou built as president going. With recent economic shifts, TLF will continue
to emphasize our long-time message of not only shopping locally but supporting local businesses and organizations more broadly. After 13 years of advocacy, TLF believes the timing is right to build real momentum behind this message.
“Think local” may be two short words, but I believe they are powerful enough to spark economic change. Canadians are ready to embrace them and create a wave of momentum for local economies.
There is so much we can’t control in our world. But we can control if and how much we pour back into our communities. From our money, to our support, to our time, our simple actions can make a change when we work together to make a difference not only in our community but also for future generations.
How does TLF spread its message?
• Hosting educational workshops
• Holding monthly mixers for local businesses and organizations
• Promoting member businesses
• Championing local causes
• Monthly podcasts
Why should someone join TLF?
Now more than ever, it’s important to unite and show support for local businesses and organizations.
Connecting with like-minded people creates a powerful network that helps members make a difference while growing their own businesses.
Did you know?
• A 10% shift toward shopping local creates 14,150 jobs and adds $4.3 billion to BC’s economy.
• Data from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business suggests that in Canada, 66 cents of every dollar spent at a small business stays in the community, compared to just 11 cents when spent at a multinational retailer.
• Think Local First Week is November 17-22. Stay updated by following TLF: Instagram @thinnklocalfirstyyj
Facebook @Think Local First
LinkedIn @Think Local First Victoria
Bleed: n/a
Deadline: March 11 Safety: n/a
Designer:
VOLUME 19 NUMBER 5
Lise Gyorkos, Georgina Camilleri
Joanne Sasvari
Tammy Schuster
Lionel Wild
Jeffrey Bosdet
Kelly Hamilton
Janice Hildybrant
Deana Brown, Jennifer Dean Van Tol, Cynthia Hanischuk, Brenda Knapik, Ieva Sakalauskaite
Rebecca Juetten
Lauren Ingle
Julien Johnston-Brew
Rebecca Bollwitt, Carolyn Camilleri, Andrew Findlay, Julien Johnston-Brew, Shannon Moneo, Robyn Quinn, Tammy Schuster, Ingrid Vaughan, Lionel Wild
James Macdonald, Rebecca Wellman, Rea Zogia
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Local, sustainable accessory company broadens its horizons with new product, new partnership and soon a new location.
Founded in 2022, the womanowned-and-operated Salt Legacy has continued to make waves with oneof-a-kind bags made from upcycled marine sails. Its latest collection, made in collaboration with BC Ferries, is the West Coast Islander Tote collection. Each tote, made from sailcloth and spinnaker sail lining, features a label detailing the story of the sail used in its construction. This collection is featured on select BC Ferries routes from Swartz Bay all the way up to Haida Gwaii. The company is also preparing to expand into a larger facility from its current Rock Bay location.
New VIATEC program invests in local industry’s growth.
Eighteen Victoria technology companies have been awarded funding through the Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneurship Council’s BOOST initiative, designed to help accelerate their growth and impact.
BOOST supports “highpotential” local companies to scale faster by funding key projects and connecting them with experts who can work directly with their business for up to two years. In its first two rounds, BOOST invested $654,000 in 18 Victoria companies.
“These are companies that already show strong potential,” says Dan Gunn, CEO of VIATEC. “BOOST is about helping them scale faster, create more jobs, stay rooted in this region and break through to the next level. Instead of forcing them into a one-size-fits-all program, we give them the freedom and investment to pursue their own growth strategies, with the right support behind them.”
The Government of Canada, through Pacific Economic Development Canada, is investing $2.5 million in BOOST via the Business Acceleration Pilot to drive job creation and economic growth in Greater Victoria. Each company can receive up to $45,000 to implement growth plans and expand into new markets.
To learn more about the BOOST recipients or the next round of funding, visit viatec.ca.
Seaspan utilizes intelligent software to drive efficiency at new South Island manufacturing facility.
BY LIONEL WILD
Say the word “Seaspan” in the Pacific Northwest and you think of ship-building facilities, commercial ferries and tugboats plying the waters of port-side cities from North Vancouver, near Lonsdale Quay, to the Victoria Shipyards.
Now the corporation is reaching inland, and looking to the future, with a new facility up the Malahat that utilizes robotics and cuttingedge software to produce pipe spools pre-fabricated sections of pipes that can include components like elbows, flanges and the like that are then delivered to the main shipyards to install on both new and existing vessels.
In particular, these pipe units are being shipped over to the North Shore for installation on the new, heavy Polar Icebreaker, a key component of Canada’s National Shipbuilding Strategy.
“Investing in this facility really has given us good control of what our production is, to support the vessels that we’re building in [North] Vancouver and allows us to be a lot more agile,” says Neil Fraser, program manager at the three-month-old, 40,000-square-foot Ark Road facility, located just off the south end of Shawnigan Lake Road. “When you combine all of it into one location, it does streamline the workflow quite a bit. There’s a lot of positives to having it all, like in a one-stop shop so you’re not shipping parts all over town to different suppliers, different manufacturers doing different things. There’s a good upside to consolidating and having all your processes in one location.”
Pipe-spool technology has been kicked up a notch at the Ark Road complex, where Seaspan has integrated
PipeCloud a new software from a Finland-based company into its pre-production process.
“It’s a full-digital workflow: there’s no more paper, you’re not releasing printed drawings and having to collect drawings back when you have revisions,” Fraser says of the intelligent software. “You can shut them off online and you can put new drawings into the package, the data collection is all digital, so you’re not losing bits of paper. Everything is linked, via PipeCloud.”
Where prefabricating pipe has traditionally involved manual planning, paper documents and different tools, PipeCloud’s digitalization of the process creates a connected system that automates planning, co-ordinates and tracks progress at every stage until completion.
PipeCloud reached out to
Challenges, met and accepted, for new professionals.
New professionals fresh out of post-secondary lecture halls and seminar rooms may be keen to get going in their careers, and some new research reveals what challenges they’ll face and how to overcome them in the workplace.
According to business consulting firm Robert Half, a survey of 835 Canadian workers has found the following top five challenges for young professionals:
Significant developments in Greater Victoria, bringing big improvements for housing, retail and hospitality.
Seaspan about two years ago, and a Seaspan team including Fraser went to Finland to see the software at work and were sold on it.
“At the end of February we went live with it in Victoria at the shipyard itself, and later moved up here [to Shawnigan Lake] and became live with every work centre set up with touch-screen control,” he says.
The technology has increased efficiency, but hasn’t come at the expense of staffing, says Fraser, with some heavy lifting coming courtesy of another source. “We’ve implemented two spool-welding robots, which is a real benefit to the workforce,” he says. “We have managed to extend the workers’ careers some of them would age out of being able to do some of this type of work, and it allows us to keep people who otherwise would move on to other things, working within the industry. It’s a real plus.”
Still there are ways of overcoming such obstacles. First-time professionals recommend job seekers take the following steps to help set themselves up for success:
• Research prospective companies to determine fit.
• Connect with current and former employees.
• Attend networking events to connect with businesses and individuals who work in their preferred industries.
• Seek a mentor for guidance through the job application process.
In Against the Grain (HarperCollins), CBC Radio host and bestselling author Terry O’Reilly tells the stories of people who, at great cost, didn’t follow the rules but changed the world anyway. It includes stories about game changers who, through curiosity, courage and conviction, invented life-saving antiseptics, reshaped the entertainment industry and created COVID-19 vaccines. O’Reilly shows how thinking differently, standing your ground and challenging the status quo can lead to big breakthroughs.
A 21-storey mixeduse residential and commercial tower has been proposed for the former Volvo automotive dealership on Cook Street between Yates and View streets. The proposed BCGEU Tower is a partnership between Jawl Properties and the BC General Employees’ Union through its non-profit housing association, the Affordable BC Housing Society. It will include rental homes, offices, commercial space and a child-care facility.
Construction start: planning Completion: to be announced
A new, 167-room Hyattbranded hotel is planned for downtown Victoria, marking the first new hotel construction in the city in almost two decades. Chard Developments broke ground in July on the site of the original Duck’s Building at Broad and Johnson streets that was originally constructed in 1892. The eight-storey
hotel is expected to be complete by 2028.
Construction start: 2023 Completion: 2028
Harris Green Village Ground broke in August at the former Ensign/Harris Chrysler dealership. This is the first phase of a development project that will include two 20- and 21-storey towers and 500 units of rental homes and commercial space expected to be completed in 2029. The development, by Toronto’s Starlight Investments, has two subsequent phases that will redevelop the entire 900 and 1000 blocks of Yates Street between Cook and Quadra streets.
Construction start: 2025 Completion: 2029
The 103-room TownePlace Suites by Marriott is underway at 830 Goldstream Avenue and marks the first hotel for downtown Langford and the fifth for the area. The project will include a pool and fitness facilities, and each of the hotel’s one-bedroom and studio units will feature kitchenettes to accommodate both short- and longterm visitors. The hotel, a partnership between Ho Goon Holdings Inc., Sargent Construction and Metropolitan Hospitality Management, is scheduled to be completed in mid-2027. Construction start: 2025 Completion: 2027
Age, familiarity factor in Canadian workers’ experience with artificial intelligence.
Ready to embrace or race from AI? It depends on how old you are, and how much exposure you’ve had to it.
Artificial intelligence is here to stay and it’s growing in both the workplace and our lives in general. A newly published survey shows that while most Canadian workers see AI as a helpful tool, they feel they don’t have the training and support needed to use it effectively. But of those who use it, AI gets positive scores from younger generations.
The 2025 “AI Insights Report” from TD Bank Group reveals that 56 per cent of Canadians surveyed who use AI at work say it makes them more productive, led by 69 per cent of Gen Zers and 59 per cent of millennials. Gen X and boomers aren’t so sanguine, though, clocking in at 50 per cent and 38 per cent, respectively, when it comes to feeling that AI enhances their work.
The survey of 2,500 Canadians aged 18 and over found that 58 per cent of workers say they use the AI tools provided at work, but only eight per cent use them daily, 14 per cent weekly and 13 per cent monthly. Meanwhile, a substantial minority of workers surveyed 42 per cent say they never use AI tools at work.
Perhaps that’s what prompted TD to commission the survey as chief analytics & AI officer Luke Gee puts it: “AI is transforming how Canadians work, but meaningful adoption requires more than just new tools. It takes trust, training and thoughtful leadership.”
Which is where training exposure to, in essence comes in. Nearly two-thirds (64 per cent) of the workers surveyed feel that their bosses have not provided adequate guidance on how to effectively use AI, while 27 per cent strongly disagree that they have received adequate training on using AI in the workplace.
B.C. biotech firm develops method, tool for both environmentally enhancing the ocean and harvesting its bounty.
BY LIONEL WILD
Asmall B.C. company that helps drive “the seaweed network” up and down the coast is touting a new agritech tool, developed here, that will be a game changer in seaweed production and habitat restoration for marine ecosystems worldwide.
Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds, which unveiled its new seeding technology at the recent International Seaweed Symposium in Victoria, sees KelpSpat as a breakthrough that streamlines the cultivation of kelp.
“It enables small-scale coastal fishermen to participate directly in a for-profit model,” says company founder and CEO Majid Hajibeigy. “Essentially, we use this tool it’s an automated, precision seeding system that delivers a ready-todeploy culture line that we provide to both restoration and cultivation [groups].”
Kelp, considered a keystone species, is vital for ocean wildlife habitat and is also rich
in essential nutrient minerals. From absorbing carbon and minerals to being a food source for marine animals, land-based livestock and people, it is both an environmental linchpin and an economic opportunity.
Canadian Pacifico, in collaboration with German engineering firm MIT, has reinvented the way it grows and delivers its kelp seed. It tapped Vancouver-based Bioform Technologies, which created an adhesive property a “glue,” in effect that binds the seed to material that will then be secured to fixed, natural substrates like boulders and larger rocks in the ocean.
“We created a floating seed container that pumps out the seedlings that we need that is compatible with the glue, and then we’ve also developed an automated machine with our engineering firm in Germany that puts it all together and spits out a spool of readyto-deploy culture line,” says Hajibeigy. “You put in your glue on one end of the machine
and your seed, it mixes it up and applies it to the rope, and then the rope pops out on the other side in nice, little spools that you can just send off to the location.”
The machine for this technology is not operational yet the first is scheduled to start in November in Norway, followed by B.C. waters next year and also in Chile but the KelpSpat manual application process is in full swing now.
What the public at the Victoria seaweed symposium saw in the spring was a mini version of what will be coming to Island waters and up the B.C. coast by next year.
“The reaction was incredible, it was awesome,” says Hajibeigy. “People were able to see a demonstration, mini table-top version of the fully functioning unit, so we could pump our glue into it, we could put our rope through it. Everyone was very impressed with the technology.”
Harbour Air announces new flights from Victoria and other Island locations.
With summer travel coming to an end, fall travel is taking flight as Harbour Air announces a number of new and returning flights.
Starting October 27, Harbour Air reintroduces their wheeled flights between Victoria and Vancouver airports. Travellers now have the option to fly airport-toairport as well as harbour-to-harbour as another fast, convenient way to commute to and from the Island.
Starting in June 2026, Harbour Air will
“
I want to be bold; it’s time to shine a bright light on the South Island as the progressive economic capital of the world.”
BY ROBYN QUINN
In his first year as CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership, Aaron Stone reflects on the region’s evolving challenges, the partnership’s collaborative spirit and his role as a creative “imagineer.”
For Aaron Stone, becoming CEO of the South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) isn’t just a career milestone. It’s the culmination of his earned insights and knowledge of economic development and regional leadership.
As he wraps up his first year as CEO, Stone says he sees SIPP as a trusted connector and champion, amplifying regional strengths, empowering local action and advancing economic, social and environmental goals. He acknowledges that sector-specific silos can be a challenge, but emphasizes SIPP’s approach and collaborative spirit.
Since 2016, SIPP has been a driving force behind Greater Victoria’s economic momentum, uniting regional leaders to help diversify the economy, unlock opportunity, accelerate innovation and create quality jobs across southern Vancouver Island. Its award-winning Rising Economy Taskforce, first launched in 2020 to guide COVID-19 recovery, was reignited in 2025 to address trade-related economic vulnerabilities and turn emerging risks into new opportunities.
Stone says he feels confident he’ll generate new discoveries as he leads during this critical time in the region’s development. “Ultimately, I want to keep creating great things!” He says he values the groundwork already laid and the coalition of supporters behind SIPP, seeing his role as regional champion and creative “imagineer” as a natural fit for his leadership style.
Douglas: You credit intuition for guiding your path, describing most of your major moves driven by a natural flow of opportunities rather than a formal blueprint. What drew you to the position of CEO at SIPP?
Stone: I have always sought work that challenges and inspires me. I get so much joy out of chasing life; I think your career should be an extension of that joy.
Douglas: How has your diverse background prepared you for the very real challenges of regional leadership?
Stone: I could list an interesting lineup of my work, from tech startups and sports-team marketing to chairing the Cowichan Valley Regional District and serving as mayor of Ladysmith. On the surface, it sure looks random, but really I learned valuable lessons along the way. In government, I became more guarded and focused on managing expectations, but my style is being open and transparent.
Douglas: With challenging roles come challenging critics. How have even the harshest critics offered valuable lessons?
Stone: They can help hone ideas, either by disqualifying or validating them. Ultimately, every experience has taught me openness and creativity, giving me the ability to truly see all perspectives. Every single step has prepared me for this new adventure.
Douglas: You and your partner Andrea quickly embraced Victoria’s vibrant culture. How has your personal life aligned with the professional move to SIPP and life on the South Island?
Stone: We share a love of networking. That’s what brought us together, so getting to know our new home and the communities here has been a lot of fun.
Douglas: When SIPP was still a Prosperity Project in 2017, the team recognized the temptation to lean on the region’s natural beauty and lifestyle as a generic business pitch. SIPP aims to showcase the distinct competitive advantages of the South Island. How do you accelerate that vision?
Stone: We need to evangelize this place to the world. I want to be bold; it’s time to shine a bright light on the South Island as the progressive economic capital of the world.
Douglas: How do you feel the organization’s efforts advancing economic reconciliation fit into your vision?
Stone: For me, economic reconciliation is a sacred trust, pushing us to work closely with First Nations and Indigenous peoples, igniting the vast potential of genuine reconciliation in action. It’s about humbling ourselves to learn from Indigenous ways of knowing and being, allowing that wisdom to reshape how we build economies that uplift people and heal our planet. We must have a deep commitment to collaborate and weave Indigenous knowledge into every thread of our collective efforts, creating a prosperous, shared future for generations to come.
Douglas: With so many unique and distinct partners and their needs, what will be your approach to create a unified team?
Stone: Collaboration is everything. SIPP is a small, nimble group with a tight budget that can exponentially amplify the efforts of government and other organizations through collaboration.
Douglas: If SIPP was an individual, how would you describe him or her?
Stone: At its core, I’d say SIPP is a visionary, tuned in to what’s happening. An optimistic, future-forward personality determined to create a better life for everyone in our region.
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Even as the demand for new housing continues, the Island’s construction industry seesaws between long-standing challenges and brand new ones, leading to longer delays and higher costs. How will it manage all the demands?
BY SHANNON MONEO
Construction doesn’t sleep, not even on holidays. Around Greater Victoria, carpenters pound away at new homes, concrete trucks rumble down the road and labourers erect scaffolding at commercial projects. In these times of global trade wars, perpetual price hikes and labour uncertainty, those who work at and manage construction sites face tight deadlines and tighter budgets. They may be building solid structures, but shifting business conditions require constant vigilance.
“The next two years will be very challenging for construction,” predicts Chris Gardner, president of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association of B.C. “This is the most I’ve been concerned since I joined ICBA in 2017.”
From bureaucracy to bidding, costs to conditions, the local construction industry is facing multiple challenges. How it manages them will determine its success.
The hammering is coming from multiple fronts. Off the top of his head, Gardner cites drawn-out permitting/approvals for work and heavy taxes or municipal levies at each step of the project that, despite repeated calls for affordable housing, continue to layer on steep costs and long lead times.
“It can take up to four years to get a highrise approved,” says Gardner, whose organization represents over 4,000 companies in the open-shop construction industry. “Instead of municipal staff micromanaging a project every step of the way, project architects and engineers should be used until the final stages, when municipal staff would step in.”
Bundled into municipal approvals is the B.C. Building Code 2024 that mandates pricey seismic design and adaptable dwelling features, targeted at aging and handicapped residents. “Every time they change the building code, it adds more costs,” Gardner says.
“Sure, they [the buildings] can withstand the worst earthquake, but you can’t afford to build them,” says John Knappett, chairman and founder of the Knappett Group. “While buildings constructed today
are superior to those from two decades ago, if tenants or owners cannot afford them, what’s the point?”
Knappett, an engineer, formed his company in 1983 and since then, hundreds of civil, industrial, commercial, institutional, residential and historical projects have been completed by the Victoria firm, which can employ up to 200 workers.
Through the mid-summer and into fall, his company was building 200 units of housing for the Cowichan Tribes in Duncan, an Esquimalt public safety building, a firehall in Saanich, a bridge in Langford, a school in Courtenay and 70 units of social housing in Saanich. “A lot of projects are being completed,” says Knappett. “But there’s not as much work as three years ago.”
Continued uncertainty around tariffs and their effects on the B.C. economy has led to a subdued real estate market and with that, a slowdown on new builds due to further unpredictability around return on investment and profit margins.
With 42 years in the industry, Knappett is seeing multi-family rental housing upending the condo market, as soaring construction costs and cash-strapped buyers leave unsold units piling up. “The condo market has diminished greatly,” he says. Meanwhile, rental housing stock is growing.
Over the 12 months to June 2025, there were roughly 108,000 rental unit starts across the country, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.
That’s nearly double the figure for condo units.
Knappett is skeptical of some federal fixes including the Build Canada Homes initiative that promises faster, prefabricated and modular homes in a bid to supply affordable housing up to 50 per cent faster. His company has completed a few such projects and the time savings are debatable. In Esquimalt, a five-year project saw most of those years eaten up by land acquisition, rezoning, design and securing building permits. The actual building took about three months. “It would be far
Continued uncertainty around tariffs and their effects on the B.C. economy has led to a subdued real estate market and with that, a slowdown on new builds due to further unpredictability around return on investment and profit margins.
simpler to shave it off the development end,” Knappett says of the 57 months of pre-construction time.
And when it takes 60 months to produce even basic housing, “What’s the world going to be like in five years? It all becomes very risky and with risk, comes cost,” Knappett points out. That long project time explains the current condo quandary.
Knappet says that while Canadian lumber may account for 25 per cent of a building’s material, most of the other components windows, doors, electrical, plumbing and more are imported from the U.S. The majority of those goods coming into Canada have not faced tariffs until recently. But new tariffs, along with tariffs the U.S. is placing on goods from China like electrical panels or plumbing fixtures, mean some items are hit twice before they
land on a Canadian job site.
Another challenge is the presence of national construction giants like Bird, EllisDon, Ledcor, PCL and Pomerleau, who are winning local bids at least partly on the basis of how government procurement models are structured. Knappett used the example of bidding to design/build a school in Langford. Only companies that have built five seismically designed schools in the last five years are considered. A point-based scoring system is now used and the project price is not even factored into the evaluation, he says.
In 2014, Knappett completed the 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron base near Victoria International Airport, a three-year project and the largest single building on the Island. “It was built on time and on budget,” Knappett says. But with today’s procurement model, he says his company would not have had a winning bid due to the scoring system. “There’s
always somebody dreaming up a better procurement method,” he says. “Eventually, we’ll be like the food industry with three companies controlling construction.”
Another government initiative, which Gardner says is leading to budget overruns and missed completion dates, is the provincial Community Benefits Agreement (CBA). Unveiled in 2018 by then-premier John Horgan, the CBA requires workers on some projects to join one of 19 unions under the Allied Infrastructure and Related Construction Council (AIRCC) umbrella.
Roughly 30 per cent of B.C. construction workers belong to AIRCC members.
“When you cut out a large percentage of companies, it drives up costs,” Gardner says. He points to the new Cowichan District Hospital, where the initial budget of $887 million has almost doubled to $1.45 billion with the 2026 completion date now forecast for 2027.
Phil Venoit holds local governments, not
the province, responsible for construction challenges. “Municipal government is the one that ties up development,” says Venoit, an electrician and the business manager for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 230. “They contribute to higher prices and cause bottlenecks.” Like Knappett, Venoit says the vast majority of projects on the Island entail multi-family residential, which are at the mercy of municipal mandates and development-cost charges regimes.
Casey Edge, executive director of the Victoria Residential Builders Association, is well acquainted with the ongoing battles
faced by his members. “The new seismic regulations for multi-family dwellings add 15 to 20 per cent for new projects and that’s just one thing,” he says. As well, the B.C. Building Code, in addition to ampedup costs, can cause unintended damage. “Mandating very energy-efficient homes draws radon gas into a structure,” Edge says, referring to reduced air exchange in modern, air-tight homes.
One further cost-enhancer is the property transfer tax, which applies to most instances of purchasing or gaining an interest in a property. At each step of a project, the tax is applied, be it when land is bought, subdivided, sold and when the home is finally built and sold. Exemptions
exist, but for the most part the property transfer tax is a revenue source for the provincial government, raising roughly $2 billion annually for the province, while making homes more expensive, says Edge.
He also cites the glaring inconsistencies within Greater Victoria’s municipalities and their home-building efforts. The CMHC estimates that, nationally, housing starts must nearly double to around 430,000 to 480,000 units per year until 2035 to meet projected demand.
Edge isn’t optimistic the goal will be reached. A public that opposes development in their particular neighbourhoods, municipal staff that take months to grant a minor approval and
There is a ton of opportunity for growth on Vancouver Island. We have latent demand.”
— Rory Kulmala, CEO, Vancouver Island Construction Association
municipalities like North Saanich and Metchosin that “get a pass” all add further challenges, he says, “while Colwood and Langford are building over 50 per cent of the homes.” Repeated attempts to get comment from the District of North Saanich went unanswered.
In Oak Bay, which has faced criticism over its lack of new housing, Mayor Kevin Murdoch says in his municipality there are about 45 new housing units in the building permit approval or construction pipeline. And it wasn’t until 2025 that Oak Bay introduced both development cost charges (DCCs) and amenity cost charges (ACCs). A new 3,000-square-foot home in Oak Bay would be subject to $16,747 for DCCs for infrastructure and $6,441 for ACCs for community facilities, totalling $23,188.
Edge would like to see a regional government, not 13 mayors, 13 CEOs and 13 fire chiefs, an army of councillors and 13 community plans just to serve about 440,000 people.
The CEO of the Vancouver Island Construction Association has a more bullish view. “There is a ton of opportunity for growth on Vancouver Island. We have latent demand,” says Rory Kulmala. New infrastructure is one pressing area and foremost is transportation and the indisputable need for a regional strategy that connects Greater Victoria. In 2011, a transportation project involving B.C. Transit was pegged at $400 million; today, the price tag is $1.5 billion, Kulmala says. “The cost of not doing something now will be extremely high,” he says.
Other projects that should be breaking ground include Rock Bay redevelopment, Esquimalt DND base upgrades, airport and cruise-ship-terminal expansions, a major convention centre and UVic housing along with more medium-to-high-density housing and family-oriented homes.
[Casey]
Edge
would like to see a
regional government, not 13 mayors, 13 CEOs and 13 fire chiefs, an army of councillors and 13 community plans just to serve about 440,000 people.
Like Edge, Kulmala says a regional strategy needs to be implemented. But when VICA proposes ideas to various levels of government, it’s a one-way conversation. “We give them a list of 25 ideas. There’s a lot of head-nodding,” he says. In the end, bureaucrats give reasons why projects cannot be started. “A bike lane can appear in three months, but a small housing project takes four years,” Kulmala says. And once a project is eventually approved, he says that development cost charges, used by municipalities to fund public works, grow out of control. Kulmala would like to see a moratorium on DCCs.
The likelihood of such a suspension is unlikely, given that municipalities like Saanich use them to pay for upgrades to sanitary, water, drainage and transportation systems as well as to buy and develop parkland.
A positive sign emerging in the industry is the increase of respect it is receiving and its growing diversity. Venoit points out that while there are a good number of electricians, with retirements looming more will be needed. And women have been plugging in. “We are seeing a rise in female apprentices in all areas, but definitely in electricians. There are 30 female electricians at the Cowichan hospital project,” Venoit says.
Twenty per cent of those working in construction are aged 55 or over while only three per cent of those who graduate from high school enter trades training within five years, Gardner adds. Even though the need for more tradespeople is old news, schools haven’t seriously addressed the issue or added sufficient funding to train the people needed to “Build, baby, build.”
Not that more can’t be done: Edge, of the residential builders association, says making the trades an attractive
career option is imperative to get more young people trades-bound, he’s got an unconventional idea. Many university students graduate without hands-on skills, so Edge proposes they take electives in subjects like welding or carpentry. “It would enable them to have summer jobs and create a more well-rounded education,” he says. The training wouldn’t undermine their major, but could awaken a desire to become an electrician instead of a middle manager.
Improved work conditions are another bright spot, with WorkSafeBC’s October 2024 requirement mandating that all work sites with 25 or more people have flush toilets, running water and sinks on site. “It’s been a real game-changer,” Venoit says. He recalls how it was a few years ago, when entering what in effect was an outhouse was often an unpleasant experience. “There’s nowhere to hang your jacket. You’re standing in mud, or you hope it’s mud,” Venoit says.
It’s unlikely costs will substantially fall in an industry where unrelenting innovation must co-exist with the unpredictable human dynamic. But despite rising costs, shifting regulations and growing uncertainty, the Island’s construction industry keeps moving.
“Building is way more complicated today,” Knappett says. “But it’s what we do. We all have to adapt and change.”
Even as technology evolves and policy debates continue, the core of construction remains unchanged, with skilled people turning vision into reality. “At the heart of it, we still drive nails into boards. The roofers, the skilled trades, they’re still most important.”
And as Kulmala knows, while less-thanblue-sky conditions are the norm, he still sees opportunity on the horizon. “We’re used to working with that cloud over our heads,” he says.
mBrand works with businesses and organizations that lead with heart. Reuben and the team collaborate with clients to dial in strategy, design identities that get noticed, launch new offerings and craft customer experiences that resonate. For more than a decade, they’ve helped leaders across Victoria and beyond bring clarity, confidence and creativity to their work. The result is a brand people trust, talk about and rally around. Ready to stand out? Connect with mBrand and create something that matters.
odern PURAIR Victoria specializes in commercial duct cleaning and strata services, including dryer vent, hallway vent and bathroom fan cleaning. Renowned for being professional, punctual and on budget, the team has earned over 500 five-star Google reviews in the Victoria area. Property managers and strata councils value their reliability, detailed post-cleaning reports and easy communication. Residents and employees love the noticeable difference in air quality after each service. Modern PURAIR Victoria is happy to provide free, no-obligation quotes and welcomes calls, emails or drop-ins — feel free to stop by their office for a coffee and a chat.
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What does “supporting local” mean to Mayfair Optometric Clinic? It means looking to other members of Think Local First as suppliers for products and services. It means sponsoring our city’s sports teams — the HarbourCats and the Royals, for example. And it means enthusiastically donating to and serving nonprofits like the Victoria Hospitals Foundation, Power to Be and the BC Children’s Hospital Festival of Trees.
As an independent local business, Mayfair Optometric Clinic invites you to join them in celebrating and strengthening Victoria’s dynamic business scene by shopping small and thinking big. Working together makes all the difference!
The 2008 financial crisis shook the world, leaving many people without jobs, life savings or even their homes. It was a wake-up call: Investors needed a new approach that would help navigate future market fluctuations.
Founded on Vancouver Island in 2009, Alitis Investment Counsel (“Alitis”) was created to challenge traditional investment thinking and deliver more to clients — more options, more diversification and a more personal relationship.
From its inception, Alitis has followed a clear philosophy: to invest as if managing wealth of their own families. This approach emphasizes taking the time to understand each client’s goals, designing tailored strategies and providing access to opportunities beyond the typical stock and bond portfolios. Alitis specializes in building diversified portfolios that incorporate alternative investments such as real estate,
mortgages and private equity — asset classes often less accessible to the average investor and designed to help manage risk while enhancing potential sources of return.
The team at Alitis combines deep industry experience with a commitment to putting clients first.
The team at Alitis combines deep industry experience with a commitment to putting clients first. With offices in Campbell River, Victoria and the Comox Valley, the firm’s professionals live and work in the communities they serve, building relationships rooted in trust rather than transactions. They are recognized for being approachable, available and accountable, assisting clients with everything from wealth preservation and retirement planning to tax efficiency and legacy building. Their advice is always independent, free of bias and in the best interest of their clients.
For Alitis, diversification isn’t just about spreading investments — it’s about broadening possibilities. By thoughtfully combining traditional and alternative strategies, they strive to create portfolios that can weather
changing markets while keeping clients on track toward their long-term objectives.
Over the past 15 years, this philosophy has earned Alitis the trust of clients across Vancouver Island and beyond. What the team values most, however, is the satisfaction of seeing those clients succeed — whether that means building a business, retiring with confidence or funding the next generation’s education.
At Alitis, they don’t just invest your wealth; they look after it. By combining expertise with care, they help turn your goals into reality.
Discover how Alitis can help at alitis.ca
High Value Home clients have coverage, liability and asset protection that goes beyond the average home, which is why SeaFirst Insurance offers a “concierge service model” led by four outstanding individuals (pictured above): Loretta Copley, Kim Topping, Jessica Oberg and Kerri Koome.
Ensuring that each interaction begins with acknowledgment, appreciation and a genuine effort to understand clients’ unique needs is a top priority. Whether for a primary, seasonal or vacation home, or for coverage related to boats or travel insurance, this team provides tailored solutions with clarity and care. Their dedication to making insurance meaningful for clients is one of their standout strengths.
At SeaFirst, every client has the right to understand how their coverage benefits them. The team focuses on educating clients about their policies and the protections they offer, ensuring that personal and business assets and liabilities are comprehensively safeguarded. In addition to personal
coverage, SeaFirst’s outstanding commercial team is ready to assist with business operations and property ownership needs.
By listening to clients, the team has learned that many initially view purchasing insurance as a chore — simply a box to check. This is why SeaFirst’s client service philosophy is centered on transforming what often feels like a daunting task into a positive, even empowering, experience. The team is committed to every client who reaches out, whether in person, by phone, email or through social media.
SeaFirst’s culture of care extends beyond its offices and into the community. With over 100 employees across Greater Victoria and the Gulf Islands, the company is deeply embedded in the regions it serves.
Team members contribute as volunteers, board members and mentors, supporting youth organizations, arts and cultural events, nonprofits and volunteer firefighters. This community-first mindset underscores the belief that insurance is about more than
policies — it’s about people.
“We Got You” is SeaFirst’s commitment to understanding and responding to clients’ needs and following through with solutions. Across its six locations on lower Vancouver Island, SeaFirst’s knowledgeable teams take pride in providing best-in-class service, from the initial inquiry to claims handling, providing a seamless and supportive experience at every step. With SeaFirst, clients can feel confident that “We Got You” truly means you are in good hands.
Royal Jubilee (RJH) and Victoria General (VGH) hospitals are at the centre of a healthcare transformation on Vancouver Island. At the heart of this change are local care leaders — and the thousands of donors whose generosity powers the work of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation (VHF), a leading philanthropic organization on Vancouver Island that champions giving through prudent stewardship to advance and elevate care. Together, they are proving that philanthropy can truly redefine what is possible in healthcare.
In 2024–25 alone, 5,635 donors gave more than $24.2 million, helping to bring innovation directly to patients. Thanks to this generosity, Island care was reshaped by:
• Introducing Canada’s first MRI of its kind with the country’s most advanced AI technology, revolutionizing diagnostic care
• Ushering in a new era of minimally invasive surgery by introducing equipment never before seen on the Island
• Investing in 252 pieces of equipment and technology, supporting caregivers in
delivering care across all care areas
•Empowering 510 caregivers through scholarship funding, strengthening engagement and retention, and building a promising future of Island care
• Championing 34 local researchers reshaping the future of healthcare with a focus on prevention and patient care to ease system demands
One of the most defining milestones was the launch of It’s Time for Surgical Innovation, a bold $17-million campaign that introduced Vancouver Island’s first surgical robot. Just months after its arrival, surgeons had performed over 200 procedures — reaching their six-month target in only six weeks.
The impact is profound. Patients are recovering faster, requiring fewer medications and returning home sooner. In prostate cancer surgery alone, 74% of patients have been discharged within 24 hours, compared to the typical three-to-five-day hospital stay. Today, RJH is one of only two hospitals in B.C. with a robotics program — and among the first community hospitals in
Canada to achieve this milestone — reshaping the surgical landscape of the Island.
As VHF enters the next phase of its surgical innovation campaign, it does so with gratitude for the donors, care leaders, servant volunteers and businesses who make bold change possible. Their vision and generosity are helping shape the future of healthcare on Vancouver Island.
Learn more and join the movement at victoriahf.ca
Royal Jubilee Hospital’s Wilson Block 1952 Bay Street 250-519-1750 | victoriahf.ca
Some business buyers are looking for a lifestyle, while others are chasing expansion. Scott Crisp and Nick Coleman were after something different — freedom.
As a seasoned accountant in Victoria, Scott understood the demands of professional services: long hours, deep responsibility and limited scalability. Tired of the neverending oversight required in accounting, he searched for a business that could deliver strong cash flow without the same constraints. That search led him to Penny Lane Property Management in the Comox Valley.
Scott wasn’t from the property management world, and neither was his business partner, Nick Coleman, whose background was in economic consulting. But together, they brought both financial acumen and a passion to bring superior service to rental property owners and strata corporations.
From the outset, their values aligned closely with the seller’s. Of several offers presented, theirs was the one that earned her confidence, thanks in part to their
commitment to continuity and their shared vision for growth.
With Chinook advising on the transaction, the deal moved forward smoothly. What started as a single-location property management company quickly evolved into a regional operation. Scott and Nick acquired a second firm in the Valley, introduced construction and landscaping divisions to build a fully integrated offering, and are preparing to open a Victoria office in January.
The ability to deliver property management and maintenance through a single trusted provider gave Penny Lane a distinct advantage — and proved especially valuable in a market where reliable subcontractors were in short supply.
Originally launched in the 1990s, the business had well-established processes that had served it successfully for decades. Scott and Nick introduced updated software and digital tools to enhance those systems, making day-to-day operations more efficient and positioning the company for continued growth and scalability.
From the outside, it might look like a bold pivot. However, for Scott and Nick, the
transition was carefully calculated. What began as a search for freedom evolved into a thriving, multi-service company with deep community roots.
As Penny Lane prepares to relocate to a larger office in Courtenay, its trajectory is a testament to what’s possible when the right buyer finds the right opportunity — and the right partner to guide the process.
Changing lives, one sold business at a time.
Restaurants matter. But the industry is at a tipping point.
VICTORIA’S DYNAMIC RESTAURANTS NOURISH OUR COMMUNITY’S CULTURE. BUT AS THIS ESSENTIAL INDUSTRY FACES A STEADY DIET OF CHALLENGES, WHAT CHANGES WILL NEED TO BE MADE TO HELP THEM THRIVE?
BY ANDREW FINDLAY | PHOTOS BY JEFFREY BOSDET
You want easy? Don’t buy or open a restaurant. But if you’re tenacious with some business savvy, love good food and enjoy creating a memorable dining experience, then maybe being a restaurateur is the perfect fit.
A strong stomach for hard work, long hours and uncertainty also helps, says chef Sam Harris, who co-owns Cafe Brio with business partner Vincent Vanderheide. In March, the duo bought Brasserie L’Ecole, which had been teetering financially. Harris calls the purchase a natural fit for their small but growing hospitality company, Vinuel Restaurant Group.
“It’s a beautiful space, I love the style, and I love the country cooking,” says Harris, who vows to follow the same standard as established at Cafe Brio, where “we bring a love and passion for hospitality and great local ingredients, and great staff who give people a really special experience.”
Harris’s enthusiasm for his chosen vocation is obvious the moment he starts talking about food and hospitality. And so is his optimism, despite the daunting challenges facing restaurateurs. In addition to buying Brasserie L’Ecole, Harris and Vanderheide are cooking up plans for a new pizzeria at a yet undisclosed location and projected launch time.
As it turns out, passion and optimism are essential ingredients for an industry that has been fed an oversized portion of challenges in recent years.
Restaurants Canada reported that B.C.’s restaurant industry shed 11,000 jobs between September 2023 and September 2024, with 70 per cent of restaurants reporting fewer guests and 81 per cent with lower profits over the same 12-month period. A Pandora’s box of challenges is behind this troubling trend, including the cost of food which, according to Statistics
Canada, was up four per cent year-overyear as of April 2025.
The drop in employment doesn’t tell the whole story. Many restaurants have been hit hard by a tightening of the federal Temporary Foreign Worker Program, which cut off a pipeline of skilled foreign kitchen staff. The problem is that domestic workers aren’t lining up to fill the vacancies.
Restaurants Canada also highlights some particularly made-in-B.C. challenges, namely skyrocketing rents and leases that not only squeeze restaurant owners, but add to recruitment challenges.
Then there’s the perennial complaint of long and confusing wait times for permits and licences for outdoor patios, outdated liquor laws and sometimes overzealous and punitive bylaw enforcement. Add to that the crime, poverty and public-safety issues plaguing many of B.C.’s urban centres that often land on the doorstep of downtown restaurants and cafés, and it’s enough to push some owners to the breaking point. And it’s not an insignificant industry. Restaurant and food service companies employ almost 180,000 people provincewide and generate $18 billion in sales annually, representing the third largest sector in the B.C. economy.
“It’s hard right now. Consumer behaviour has changed. People aren’t going out as much and they’re not spending as much,” B.C. Agriculture and Food Minister Lana Popham the province’s point person for the restaurant industry said in an interview with Douglas magazine. “Restaurants are vital socially and culturally to our communities and we have to make sure they succeed.”
In October 2024, Victoria won the nod as the best small city in the world for the second consecutive year in the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. Despite this accolade, Victoria’s restaurant scene
is feeling the pain. After 11 years of operation, Little Jumbo closed that same month, citing a crushing 40-per-cent jump in rent as the reason. Among several other closures, this past spring YAM magazine’s 2024 Chef of the Year Clark Deutscher sold Hanks and closed Nowhere, popular sister restaurants with loyal followings thanks to Deutscher’s strong emphasis on locally sourced ingredients. (He has since opened Unicorn Sparkles in the former Nowhere location.)
Stories about restaurants closing and others that are for sale with few buyers kicking the tires are getting a lot of attention these days. Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, agrees with Harris that the restaurant biz is always challenging. Dining out is a discretionary income choice, and when consumer confidence is low and inflation is high, a trip to a restaurant is one of the first things people cut from the budget. However, he calls the current situation abnormal.
It’s like a bad hangover from the pandemic. First restaurants, forced to close due to COVID-19 health protocols in March of 2020, lost a freezer full of revenue while still having to pay the rent. Many restaurants took on debt to stay afloat. Federal government loans through the Canadian Emergency Business Account program helped, but those loans had a repayment deadline of year-end 2024.
Restaurants enjoyed a post-pandemic boom when a pent-up public hit the town with money to spend. But that spike in spending was short-lived, with the spectre of U.S. tariffs hanging over the economy and a soaring cost of living hitting pocketbooks hard.
“We went into a high-inflation era. Over the last couple of years, restaurant costs are up about 20 per cent, but the ability to raise prices went up about 13 per cent.
Ian Tostenson, president and CEO of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, says property taxes are completely out of step with reality, and that red tape, complex approval processes and long waits for licences are a major burden.
So we actually went backwards by seven per cent,” Tostenson says. “We don’t make a lot of money in the restaurant business anyways. It’s usually about three to five per cent after or before tax profit. So now we’re into the negative.”
“Negative” is not a word that bodes well for any small business, let alone restaurants. Tostenson says property taxes are completely out of step with reality, and that red tape, complex approval processes and long waits for licences are a major burden.
“Restaurants are dealing with the Ministry of Labour, Ministry of Small Business, Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Agriculture, Ministry of Finance, the Premier’s office, the Attorney General, the Solicitor General and so on. There are probably 10 points of contact and everybody’s singing from a different song sheet,” Tostenson says.
Last year the federal government tightened the Temporary Foreign Worker Program to alleviate pressure on Canada’s lack of affordable housing. Critics like Tostenson say this one-size-fits-all approach hit the restaurant business hard, especially in the kitchens as many skilled and experienced foreign cooks and chefs were unable to renew their work permits. Instead, they flew home.
Restaurants Canada has made a call for urgent action as part of its Save BC Restaurants campaign. The asks include reducing provincial and federal payroll taxes, returning WorkSafe BC’s $2.1-billion surplus to employers and creating a special tourism and hospitality stream for B.C.’s Provincial Nominee Program, an economic immigration tool managed by the provincial government under an agreement with Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada. It’s a long list that also includes streamlining approvals for outdoor patios and amending archaic liquor laws.
One bright spot is last November’s return of Popham to the agriculture ministry after the provincial election (she had previously served in the portfolio from 2017 to 2022). The Saanich South MLA’s job is to bring government staff and ministers around the same table to discuss and move the needle on some of the complex challenges facing the restaurant sector. Six months into this liaison position, Popham admits there are no major announcements on the near horizon. However, she says progress is being made on some files, such as returning all or part of the WorkSafe BC surplus to the businesses that pay into
it, adding hospitality to the Provincial Nominee Program and cutting down the processing time for liquor licences. Popham is also in talks with Tostenson about how to capitalize on upcoming marquee events like the FIFA World Cup (which will feature games in Vancouver next summer) to benefit restaurants and cafés as well as a campaign to encourage budget-conscious consumers to go out for a cocktail and appetizers instead of a full meal.
Part of the challenge of such initiatives is getting those consumers to re-engage with the downtown core where many of the best restaurants are located. In Victoria’s case, there’s a unique challenge for the food-service sector. Many government staff who transitioned to remote work have not returned to the office full time, sapping the downtown core of vital lunchtime foot traffic. Large, taxpayer-funded government office space sitting underutilized is an ongoing point of frustration for Jeff Bray, CEO of the Downtown Victoria Business Association.
“Marketing campaigns aimed at getting people to go out for appies and drinks are
fine, but the public needs to feel safe,” says Bray, adding that street disorder, open drug use, theft and violence are prompting more people to stay in the suburbs. Though this social disorder is not a uniquely Victoria problem, Bray says it’s become an existential threat to many of the small-business entrepreneurs he talks to regularly.
In early summer, the City of Victoria gave first reading to a 79-page plan with more than 100 recommendations aimed at addressing a “diminished sense of community safety and well-being.” For many business owners who have been dealing with smashed windows and concerns about employee safety, that’s an understatement. Bray welcomes the proposed plan, but says it’s critical to move quickly.
On one summer weekend, four violent and random assaults in a single day kept police and paramedics busy downtown. An assault left a bike store owner with a broken arm and another individual with a deep cut to the leg from what police called an “edged weapon.”
“We appreciate that the council and the
In Victoria’s case, there’s a unique challenge for the food-service sector. Many government staff who transitioned to remote work have not returned to the office full time, sapping the downtown core of vital lunchtime foot traffic.
city have heard the needs of business and are moving to take strong action. We urge the provincial government to follow suit on the urgency as many of the issues the city is dealing with fall under provincial jurisdiction,” Bray told Douglas magazine. “The one point we have made to the city and to council, and to which they’ve been very receptive, is that we need to see some short-term improvement in order to build confidence among downtown businesses that indeed things will get better and it’s worth continuing to operate a business and grow a business in downtown.”
Robert Belcham is a chef, serial restaurateur and active board member of the Chef’s Table Society of B.C. He started his career more than 30 years ago at Rebar Modern Food, which has stood the test of time on Bastion Square thanks to what Belcham says is a formula of consistently good service and staff, quality food and a great location.
He agrees that the cost of food, real estate and other inflationary pressures are hurting restaurant owners but says these are perennial challenges. Unlike other businesses, restaurants are hyper-reluctant to raise prices even if it means sometimes operating at a loss, because when times are tough “dining out is one of the first things that people cut,” Belcham says.
As someone who has opened more than a dozen restaurants and currently owns or co-owns and operates Monarch Burger and Popina Canteen, both in Vancouver, Belcham has plenty of experience with red tape. He’d like to see governments focusing on two key areas: first, getting out of the way of small business and slashing red tape; and second, getting a grip on crime and public safety.
“Staying open and profitable over the long term is challenging because there will always be new restaurants opening and new dining experiences for people to spend money on,” Belcham says.
When times are good, and a restaurant nails the right formula of service, food, location and style, then it’s one of the most rewarding businesses to be in. You make people happy and send them home feeling like their money was well spent.
Like Sam Harris and Vincent Vanderheide of Vinuel Restaurant Group, Belcham remains bullish about the restaurant business, despite the challenges.
“It’s still getting bums in seats at the end of the day,” he says. “And if you have enough bums in the seats, then there’s no way you’re going to close because you’ll be making money.”
Nominate Vancouver Island’s best new businesses.
For over fifteen years, this prestigious award has provided the publicity and “rocket fuel” that startups (three years old or less) need in those critical early years of enterprise. Nominate your own business or a business you think is worth watching.
High-Impact Exposure: Award winners are featured in Douglas, Victoria’s premier business magazine.
Broad Media Reach: Winners gain valuable coverage in print, online, and across social media.
Connections & Recognition: Winners are honoured on stage at the 2026 Douglas Magazine 10 to Watch Awards and gain exclusive opportunities to connect with South Island business leaders, influencers, and decision-makers.
Nominations are open until Nov 9, 2025
*To be eligible, businesses must be three years old or younger. There is no
From types of events, trends and locations to tracking tools and schedules to what to wear (not!) and how to behave, we’ve got you covered on conducting yourself with style — and a smile — beyond the office.
44 Meeting Trends // 48 Tech Tools // 52 What Not to Wear
BY CAROLYN CAMILLERI
The new rules, tools and methods to help make your meetings matter.
In an era where everything seems AI-focused, many of the top trends for meetings, large and small, are about using technology as a means to personalize attendee experiences.
Personalization is the top trend in the meeting world, according to Cvent, makers of a cloud-based software platform designed for event management and hospitality. According to Cvent, AI is the secret to increasing personalization. Networking and session recommendations, personalized itineraries, translation services, assistive technologies, activity summaries, live polling, feedback surveys, tailored emails and messages, chatbots and even games and scavenger hunts to encourage exploration and engagement are all part of the process. Cvent compares it to the way Netflix and Amazon offer suggestions based on previous interest. It’s all AI but it feels personal.
The ever-evolving world of technology has sparked several other trends. While tech tools for event planning, registration, marketing and attendee engagement have been around a long while now, the AI boom is really taking things up a level. In addition to providing more personalized experiences for attendees, today’s event technology does even more. AI is being used for content generation, logistics and data analysis and there’s so much data! New AI tools can analyze session reviews and post-event data and
summarize recommendations for improvement. Other tools gauge real-time audience reactions using facial-recognition software so you can adjust sessions or experiences during the presentation. Creepy, yes, but it’s happening. All these tools raise questions about privacy, consent and safeguarding personal information that you need to understand and be able to answer when attendees ask.
Hybrid events are here to stay. According to Business and Industry Canada, hybrid events are expected to stabilize at 60 to 65 per cent of all professional events, establishing a new standard in event delivery across Canada. Statistics show that hybrid events have higher attendance rates typically 30 per cent higher compared to traditional, in-person-only events. Moreover, Canadian businesses report an average cost savings of 25 per cent, primarily through reduced venue and catering expenses. The technology to host hybrid events has also improved for example, 5G ensures live streams reach virtual attendees without lags or buffering. Hybrid events also mean a more diverse audience can attend. With international travel being a potential challenge, it may be the only way some attendees can join your meeting.
Statistics show that hybrid events have higher attendance rates than traditional, in-person-only events.
Sustainability and green practices have been part of events and meetings for well over a decade. But what has changed is that it is no longer a trend it’s an expectation. According to Encore Canada, 54 per cent of event planners recognize its importance and 60 per cent incorporate it into their RFPs. Everything from recycling, composting and energy saving to paperless events, eco-friendly displays, signs made with recycled materials, carbon-footprint tracking and LEED-certified venues. And don’t be afraid to ask attendees to bring their own notepads, water bottles and tote bags.
DEI matters here, regardless of what is happening in other parts of the world. Consider the diversity of your speaker lineup, accessibility of your venues and cultural sensitivity in choosing event dates and in food and beverage options. Ensure meeting staff have DEI training. Make your event one where everyone feels welcome. DEI is not a trend it is a commitment to justice and fairness, and these days it is more important than ever to set an example.
or come from away, meetings are an opportunity to learn about and celebrate Indigenous history and culture. Showcase Indigenous arts and crafts, food and entertainment, workshops, games and guided walks. The key to meaningful engagement is consultation. It is not enough just to read a land acknowledgement.
Victoria is in the spotlight as an event market. Business and Industry Canada says that while the big cities still dominate the events industry, there is remarkable growth potential emerging in smaller centres. Halifax, Regina and Victoria have experienced an increase of 15 to 20 per cent in event-hosting capacity over the past two years. Industry experts say these smaller markets will continue to grow, with an estimated 40 per cent of event professionals planning to explore these emerging locations in the next three years. One of the key reasons these markets are gaining in popularity is that smaller cities often provide more cost-effective solutions while maintaining highquality standards.
Collaborate with Indigenous consultants, speakers and elders to respectfully acknowledge traditional territories and incorporate Indigenous perspectives into your meeting. Whether your attendees are local
Quiet, multi-purpose spaces continue to be important to allow attendees to decompress and recharge. Ensure these areas are accessible and low sensory: calm, quiet and temperature controlled with no bright lights, loud noises or strong odours. Neurodivergent and neurotypical attendees alike will appreciate being able to escape for a few moments of quiet.
Field marketing, a.k.a. field events, are gaining traction, according to Cvent. What that means in the meeting world is a return to smaller regional events, such as roundtables, dinners and other in-person gatherings where engagement is direct and personal with the aim of fostering deeper connections. Field marketing events are often regional to build relationships with a local audience.
Unique venues and destinations continue to be popular meeting choices. According to Cvent surveys of event professionals, 49 per cent of North American planners and 45 per cent of European planners are turning to unique venues for their events, representing a significant jump from 2023 when only 17 per cent of North American planners sought unique venues. The definition of a unique venue included conference centres, art galleries, museums and cruise ships. The reasons listed are creating memorable events without breaking the bank, enhancing attendee experience and increasing flexibility with pricing and features like food and beverage.
Experiential learning continues to be an important trend. Think creative, immersive and interactive venues that take attendees out of the traditional meeting format. Interactive workshops, handson demonstrations and outdoor activities provide memorable experiences and team building. Of course, this continuing trend bodes very well for Victoria and Vancouver Island, where unique experiences are abound, from cooking classes and wellness workshops to all kinds of indoor and outdoor activities. Support local suppliers, British Columbian and Canadian. Given the current political and economic climate, there is a significant preference for Canadian-made products and services. Be bold about it. Make sure any speaker gifts and attendee treats are very Victoria and Vancouver Island. Better yet, have the makers of the products stop by your event maybe a little pop-up market?
Micro-events, hyper-local niche gatherings and community-driven events are other terms you might see, and the commonalities are that they provide a more personal, grassroots experience than a big event.
They range from splashy, highend dinners to casual, down-toearth gatherings.
An interesting segway from that is another way the term “field marketing” may apply in a
situation: aligned businesses that attend meetings, trade-showstyle. While field marketing used to be one way handing out brochures, samples, pens and other swag businesses are making it two-way by using surveys, feedback forms and QR codes to encourage attendees to follow the business, gain access to exclusive information or deals and enter contests in exchange for that allimportant contact information.
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These smart moves can improve the event-planning process while creating a more personalized experience for participants.
Planning a corporate event is no small act. Numbers shift, speakers drop out and formats need to balance value with engagement. But new technologies are making the process smoother for organizers and more rewarding for participants. Features like personalized agendas, real-time updates and smarter networking tools are helping planners stay agile while giving attendees a more engaging and customized experience. We explore some of the tools reshaping the way corporate events come together.
HOW IT WORKS: Event-specific apps, smart badges and analytics platforms track participant behaviour including sessions attended, interactions made and feedback shared. Organizers can use this data to evaluate engagement, see what worked, see what didn’t and refine future events.
WHY IT MATTERS: Tracking engagement provides concrete evidence of an event’s impact. It helps organizers measure ROI, see which activities drove the most collaboration and make informed improvements that increase both productivity and satisfaction.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
Event-specific apps
An attendee opens the event app on their phone to check which workshop is next. During a keynote, they use it to send in a question and vote in a live poll. Later, they message a fellow attendee to set up a coffee chat.
Smart badges
As a participant walks into a breakout session, their badge, programmed with a QR/NFC chip, automatically checks them in. Later, while chatting at lunch, their badge swaps contact info with a colleague for effortless follow-up.
Analytics dashboards
After the retreat, the event organizers use data collected from apps, badges and surveys to see which sessions were the most popular, where participants gathered most often and tally engagement scores.
HOW IT WORKS: Smart scheduling tools allow attendees to select workshops, networking sessions and activities that align with their interests. Algorithms can suggest connections, recommend sessions or adjust agendas in real time based on preferences.
WHY IT MATTERS: Personalization boosts engagement and ensures attendees get the most value for their time, creating more meaningful connections and long-term impact.
WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE:
Create your agenda
An event attendee scrolls through the available workshops and selects the ones they are interested in, automatically building a personalized agenda. The platform then pushes reminders when a chosen session is about to begin.
Connection suggestions
A smart app recommends a colleague in another department who signed up for the same leadership workshop or matches two attendees who both indicated an interest in sustainability initiatives.
Real-time updates
A desired session is full, so a smart app suggests a similar alternative for the attendee. Bad weather cancels an outdoor team activity, the app instantly swaps to an indoor option on everyone’s schedule.
HOW IT WORKS: Virtual and augmented reality platforms turn abstract ideas into 3D experiences. VR headsets immerse participants in simulated environments, while AR apps layer interactive data and visuals onto the real world. Together, they create collaboration that is more interactive than traditional slides or flip charts.
WHY IT MATTERS: Immersive tools increase engagement, retention and inclusion. Allowing a team to “experience” a strategy, product or process first-hand in a virtual space. This makes discussions more concrete and accelerates problemsolving, whether participants are in the room or joining remotely.
VR: A design team “walks through” a virtual store layout, exploring every aisle before it’s built. A product team rotates and tests a prototype in 3D. A marketing group steps into a simulated customer journey, visualizing campaigns together.
AR: With a phone, tablet or AR glasses, participants see charts, graphs or any data concepts projected on a wall or instructions overlaid on real objects, turning workshops into interactive, hands-on sessions.
HOW IT WORKS: Unlike smart scheduling apps, which rely on attendees selecting their preferred sessions, AI-powered agendas act like a personal assistant. They analyze attendee profiles, past meeting outcomes and organizational goals to design personalized schedules for each person. AI can suggest sessions, networking matches and optimal breaks, and it adapts in real time if plans change.
WHY IT MATTERS: Traditional planning can sometimes overload participants with information and interaction. AI can help strike the right balance between work, collaboration and downtime, creating more productive sessions and less meeting fatigue.
Attendees receive a fully personalized agenda crafted by AI, highlighting sessions and networking opportunities that best match their interests and corporate objectives. Managers are guided toward strategic workshops, while creative teams see innovation-focused sessions. After the event, organizers review participation and engagement data, which the AI uses to improve future agendas and maximize outcomes.
Orchid Boardroom 2-10 guests
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(and How to Show Up)
These dos and don’ts of dress code and conduct will help presenters and attendees make the most of a retreat.
We’ve come a long way since the days of our COVID-era WFH wardrobe of business slippers and pants-optional meetings. At a corporate retreat, the dress code leans more casual depending on the setting, but it’s still a good time to revisit what counts as acceptable.
Wear comfortable footwear that you can walk around in all day without the need to call the paramedics.
Bring layers, such as a cardigan, sweater or scarf, which can be lifesavers when sitting in chilly air-conditioned conference rooms.
Depending on the location and activities at your retreat, shorts may be acceptable, but should be knee length and have a zipper, pockets and belt loops (a belt is optional).
If possible, wear clothing made from breathable materials, which will help regulate your body temperature.
Ensure your clothing is wrinkle free, fits properly and is clean and presentable.
Lounge wear sets, athletic or athleisure wear. Perfectly fine for the airport, but not quite right for the retreat.
Distracting accessories like jangly bracelets, statement necklaces and flashy watches.
Attire depicting controversial slogans, opinions or images, and any kind of top that starts with “tank,” “tube” or “muscle.”
Cut-offs, jorts (jean shorts) or sport-specific shorts save these to wear with your muscle shirt on the weekend.
Unless your retreat is in Turks and Caicos, casual sandals or flip-flops are not ideal. Not only do they expose some unsightly foot situations, but they are also loud and distracting.
If you are unsure, play it safe with businesscasual style. While the definition varies by industry and company, business casual generally consists of khakis, dress pants, chinos or skirts, paired with sweaters, polos or collared, button-up shirts. Shoes should be neat and understated such as loafers, flats (like ballet flats) or clean, minimalist sneakers (avoid grungy, sporty or flashy styles basketball shoes are really squeaky).
Retreats are an opportunity to step outside of the daily routine, recharge your energy and strengthen connections with your team. They can also be a little bit of organized chaos, which is part of the fun. To make the most of the experience and ensure it’s valuable and enjoyable for everyone, here are a few things to keep in mind when you head into your next trust fall, team brainstorm or campfire chat.
BE PUNCTUAL
Showing up on time for scheduled activities demonstrates respect. It is a small way to show that you value the organizer’s efforts and your colleagues’ time. Even a few extra minutes can make a difference between a smoothly run activity and a delayed one.
BE PREPARED TO PARTICIPATE
Engagement is what turns a retreat into something memorable. Active involvement means both contributing to discussions and listening to, and appreciating, others’ insights. Ask thoughtful questions and give others the space and respect to share.
BE RESPECTFUL AND RESPONSIBLE
Retreats are more relaxed, but professionalism still matters. Be mindful of conversation topics and how they could land, respect personal boundaries and enjoy alcohol in moderation. An informal environment can take a wrong turn if someone feels excluded or uncomfortable.
BE PRESENT
Go all in and give the retreat your full attention. Limiting device use whenever possible during the event helps you stay present, engage fully with activities and creates more opportunities to connect with your colleagues.
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With our 10,000-sq-ft warehouse full of rental equipment for indoor meetings, trade shows, celebrations, team building and incentive/ reward program events, we have what you need for your next corporate gathering. Browse our collection of live edge tables, deluxe washroom trailers, beautiful tents and more … everything you need for a successful event. Whether you are planning for the end of 2025 or Spring/Summer 2026, now is the time to contact Black & White. Dave, Chris and Pam are ready for your call!
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Discover Aura Waterfront Restaurant + Patio, where Victoria’s Inner Harbour becomes your meeting backdrop. Choose between the Cove, with seating up to eight at a family-style table behind elegant glass doors, or the Inlet, ideal for round-table business meetings of up to ten with a 60-inch flatscreen and harbour views. Whether it’s a breakfast briefing or a dinner strategy session, Aura’s curated menus and thoughtful ambience bring connection and creativity to every gathering. Host your next small meeting in style at Aura.
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Host your next event at the Victoria Marriott Inner Harbour, featuring five flexible venues and over 5,000 sq. ft. of versatile event space. We provide the idyllic setting for conferences of up to 200 guests in our elegant Pacific Ballroom and executive retreats in our Humboldt Room, elevated by floor-to-ceiling windows and abundance of natural light. Our tranquil Outdoor Terrace is perfect for cocktail receptions and networking events. All venues are pillarfree, spacious and fully-equipped, ensuring a seamless and memorable experience.
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Familiar can be comfortable. But new settings have a way of sparking new thinking.
In Langford, a meeting isn’t just another item on the calendar. It’s an opportunity to recharge, refocus, and reignite your team. With lakeside trails, inspired venues, and fewer distractions, Langford offers the clarity that comes from a change of scenery.
Because when the environment shifts, so does the thinking. This isn’t just about space. It’s about perspective.
Ready to see meetings differently? So are we.
Get the facts about meetings in Langford.
Over 300 guest rooms
More than 20 meeting and event spaces
Luxury ballroom for up to 750 people
Flexible boardrooms for focused, intimate sessions
What Langford offers goes beyond space it’s a setting that helps your team slow down, connect, and think clearly. Here, you can start the morning in a bright meeting room, then step outside for a forest walk between sessions. End the day sharing ideas over craft cocktails, or gather for a team cooking class and dinner at a local restaurant.
Langford delivers all the amenities you expect from a meeting destination, plus the breathing room to make the most of it.
Sometimes, a shift in scenery is all it takes to bring new ideas to the table.
To learn more about Langford’s guest-friendly accommodations, scan this QR code or visit Langford.ca/Meet
Comfort and capacity across four unique stays. 1 1 3 3 4 2 4 2
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Let’s rethink where meetings happen.
Just 15 minutes from downtown Victoria, Langford gives your team a breath of fresh air — literally. You’ll find all the essentials: modern meeting facilities, flexible accommodations, trusted vendors, and an event planning team that’s got your back.
From hotel RFPs and custom welcome packages to personalized itineraries and AV support, we’ll help you build a meeting that’s more than just another meeting.
Leave the same old behind. Try something different.
Think beyond the boardroom. Think Langford.
Start planning at Langford.ca/Meet
Your agenda, reimagined. Add these team-building ideas to your itinerary.
Mountain bike the trails at Gravity Zone and Jordie Lunn Bike Park.
Play 18 holes at Bear Mountain Golf Resort, home to two top Canadian courses.
Catch a game at Starlight Stadium.
Take a foraging and cooking class.
Hike scenic trails and visit Goldstream Park’s waterfall and salmon run.
Try indoor climbing at BoulderHouse.
Zip, swing, and climb through the treetop adventure courses at WildPlay.
… MAY WELL BE GOOD FOR THE GANDER, TOO
AS NEW CANADIAN SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM POSITIONS ITSELF AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO U.S.-CONTROLLED TECH BEHEMOTHS.
BY REBECCA BOLLWITT
Canadians, of late, have begun looking within our own borders for things like groceries, apparel, business partnerships and now our technology. Borne of the “Elbows Up!” movement that responded to threatening gestures from a new U.S. administration, Gander a proudly Canadian-made social media platform has swooped in to shake up the social media status quo.
In True North fashion, it takes the shape of our most fearsome national symbol, the mighty Canada Goose. Our feathers are ruffled, and we are taking flight with a Canadian alternative to the usual tech giants, as Gander has already gained the support of Arlene Dickinson, prominent Canadian businessperson and Dragon’s Den investor who has publicly backed the platform.
“I got involved in a lot of conversations around data sovereignty and how precarious a position Canada is in relying on everything that we do coming out of U.S. tech,” says Ben Waldman, CEO and product director of Gander Social. Waldman has been in the online development space for the last 25 years and felt a real shift with the recent U.S. election, and was motivated when he saw major players in the tech space attending the presidential inauguration.
“We had just gone through the U.S. election cycle, we were headed into our own elections and I think it was pretty obvious to everyone just how impactful social media had become, with all of the disinformation, misinformation, hate, bullying and everything taking up so much time and space in our lives and the damage it can do to a democracy.”
At first glance, Gander looks like a mashup between X and Instagram, but there are three very striking differences: It’s designed, built and owned in Canada; your data stays in Canada; and private really means private.
Gander is open source and built on the Authenticated Transfer Protocol (AT Protocol or atproto), sometimes nicknamed “the Atmosphere.” It’s designed to give users control and portability similar to how email works. For example, you might have a Shaw, Gmail or Outlook email address, and use Apple Mail, Gmail or another app to access it. You can send an email to anyone regardless of whether it’s a Gmail address or an Outlook address, etc. That’s how the AT Protocol brings that same flexibility to social media you’re not
locked into one app and you can take your followers with you.
In contrast, platforms like Meta (Instagram/Facebook) and X/Twitter are closed systems. They control everything your identity, your content, your followers and how your feed is shown. If you leave, you lose your account, your history and your audience. You can’t move your profile to another app, and no other app can plug into their networks. It’s like if you had a Gmail address and were only allowed to email other Gmail users using only the Gmail app.
The “X-odus” is an ongoing mass departure of users from Twitter (now X), sparked mainly by its transfer of ownership in 2022, followed by controversial changes mainly around content moderation, layoffs, reinstatement of banned accounts and other privacy factors that caused many users and advertisers to lose trust in the nearly two-decade-old platform.
More recently, Meta began blocking Canadian news on its platforms, Facebook and Instagram, in response to Canada’s Online News Act, which was passed into law in June 2023.
Social media has become complicated, especially for Canadian users, and its next generation, dubbed “Web 3.0,” is about building a more open and user-empowered internet, one that gives individuals greater control over their data, identity and online presence.
Instead of everything being controlled by a few large tech companies (or their billionaire owners), Web 3.0 leverages technologies like decentralized cloud infrastructure and new privacy tools to create a more distributed digital ecosystem. Users can host content, manage data and interact online without being locked into a single platform or provider.
One such company welcoming the X expats is Bluesky, a decentralized social media app that emphasizes transparency and user control.
Bluesky started as a project funded and supported by Twitter; however, once Elon Musk took over Twitter as its sole owner in October 2022, the relationship was terminated and the original plan of building the AT Protocol to support Twitter as a client was no longer possible.
Instead, users were invited to a private
AT Protocol brings flexibility to social media — you’re not locked into one app and you can take your followers with you.
beta to test out the app in March of 2023, and by September it hit one million users. In 2024, Bluesky grew from an invite-only app with only three million people to a public app of over 25.9 million people. There are over 37 million Bluesky user accounts as of July 2025. (By comparison, Twitter/X had about 540 million active users worldwide as of last January.)
Bluesky’s moderation, privacy settings and ability to customize your feeds by essentially creating and curating your own algorithms (see what you want on your timeline, from whomever you want) are part of its mass appeal.
“The focus we’ve always kept is that users can have choice over their experience, developers can have the freedom to build and creators can keep their relationship with their audience,” Bluesky CEO Jay Graber told the Vancouver Web Summit audience last spring. “Those are the principles we focused on early on and I think that those are important, not just for us but for anyone who wants to steward social [media] in a good way.”
Thousands of post-secondary institutions, celebrities, news outlets and European organizations have all left X, and now Meta, for Bluesky. For instance, in May the BC Museums Association moved away from all Meta platforms due to the elimination of in-house fact-checking and permitted hate speech, using Bluesky and LinkedIn exclusively for their social media. In their final statement on Facebook, the association said: “The BCMA no longer feels that using Meta social media platforms aligns with our values.”
In an interview with CNBC’s Money Movers last November, Graber said Bluesky’s open design is intended to give users the option of leaving the service with all of their followers, which could thwart potential acquisition efforts.
If someone bought Bluesky or if the company went down, everything is open source, making it essentially billionaire proof. “What happened to Twitter couldn’t happen to us in the same ways, because you would always have the option to immediately move without having to start over,” said Graber.
Gander, as one of the most intriguing newcomers in social media, offers something even more paradigm-shifting than short-lived video circa 2013: a fun, private, ethical social platform that’s proudly Canadian-owned and hosted.
Looking at Bluesky’s open-source model, Waldman spent a few days building a proof of concept of a Canadian social media
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Bluesky’s moderation, privacy settings and ability to customize your feeds by essentially creating and curating your own algorithms are part of its mass appeal.
platform with an Instagram-like experience with Canadian content.
The main goal is to host Gander on sovereign cloud technology in Canada so it’s not beholden to the Cloud Act and Patriot Act, both of which have expanded U.S. government surveillance capabilities, or to U.S. tech oversight.
“In creating this parallel network, we’re able to allow our users to decide for themselves and to make a choice: Do you want to post to the global community or just post in Canada?” says Waldman. “Same thing for the content they consume
While they’re building a Canadian network with Canadian content that is hosted in Canada, it will be open to the global audience. “Users will be able to access the broader atmosphere, the broader network,” says Waldman. “But even in the long run our goal is to make sure that people from all over the world can use it and even that this sovereign network will be replicated around the world so that everybody is able to participate and also feel protected, in the event of any kind of strife with a neighbour.”
Gander has partnered with ThinkOn, an Ontario-based, managed IT service provider that can supply the sovereign cloud
Gander emphasizes the ability to choose preferences for how users consume content, whether that’s making their timeline videoforward with a scrolling ability like TikTok, or flipping back to a more traditional feed.
Like the “For You” page on Instagram or TikTok, but without an algorithm.
Save and share content with friends, like a Collection on TikTok or Saved posts on Instagram.
Gander’s moderation policies are built around the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. “You can speak freely, but not with hate,” says Ben Waldman, Gander Social’s CEO and product director.
Bot prevention with real ID checks to verify identification and age through a partnership with GoConfirm. They’re also in talks with Canada Post and Interac.
infrastructure. This saves the team, with an ambitious launch plan, months of effort for building and scaling the network.
Gander fully expects to support Canadian businesses, and when it comes to advertising, they want to open that up in an ethical way.
“I think a lot of the problems that we’re seeing in social media come down to reliance on ads because ads rely on eyeballs and on keeping peoples’ attention,” says Waldman. “The more you can keep peoples’ attention the more money you make, therefore create tools or create experiences that keep peoples’ attention. That’s where things start to fall apart.”
What really works for engagement on social media? Negativity. Waldman says that arguments make social media companies a lot of money, as does clickbait. Instead, Gander will aim to be a platform where brands can engage authentically, and users can choose whether they want to see ads.
“I’ll use the Canadian example of: You’re a fan of The Tragically Hip and you follow The Tragically Hip on Gander. Well, when you follow The Tragically Hip on Gander we can ask if you want to see ads from The Tragically Hip, so you’ll know when there’s a re-release coming out. Users are given the choice of what they see and when.”
Gander, with about 30,000 early-access sign-ups, has only just scratched the surface Waldman believes this will multiply quickly. Platform executives would also love to see more communities across Canada signing up, as they want to make sure they can reach every corner of the country.
“We don’t want to get to a place where everything is about attention, attention, attention, popularity, popularity, popularity,” says Waldman. “We’re hoping for a place where people can have more authentic experiences and grow community that way.”
The Gander team planned for a small, rigorous beta testing period in September, then a more open, public beta in October 2025 to be based on invitations. To sign up for early access to Gander, visit gandersocial.ca, then look for it in the Google Play and Apple App Store by the end of the year.
In a digital landscape that feels more fragmented than ever, new platforms aren’t just launching they offer an escape hatch to the open web. As legacy networks evolve (or unravel), users are exploring fresh digital spaces that promise portability, moderation, privacy and robust usercontrols. If we can enjoy all of this through a Canadian-made solution the possibilities, just like the horizon, are as vast as the Prairie sky.
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BY TAMMY SCHUSTER
So you’ve got a business idea that could be the answer the world has been waiting for. Finally, you can pursue your passion and fulfil your dream of being a business owner.
First, congratulations! Second, you’ve got a lot of work ahead of you. And third, before you even get started on that work, you need to create a business plan.
A business plan essentially lays out what you’re selling, who you’re selling to, how you’ll sell it, who will run the show and how the money will flow.
Not every situation requires a full, formal business plan. If it’s just for yourself or your internal team, a more streamlined version will do. But if you’re presenting it to investors or applying for a bank loan, you’ll need to provide all the details. Most banks usually have guidelines on what they expect in a business plan, so it’s worth checking before you start.
For now, we’re here to guide you through the good, the bad and the ugly of creating a business plan. To build one effectively, you’ll need to gather a lot of information. The more detailed and thorough, the stronger your plan will be.
Introduce your business, including the name, location and legal structure (sole proprietorship, partnership or corporation). List the founders and their backgrounds, highlighting any relevant experience that could support the business. Include your mission and vision statement (see How to Write a Mission Statement on page 69) to explain why your business exists and what it aims to achieve. Items to note:
• Business name, location and legal structure
• Founder(s) information
• Mission and vision statement
When describing your business, start by clearly outlining your product or service and what it offers. Highlight its key features and benefits, explaining why customers would want or need it. Include your pricing model, whether it is a one-time fee, subscription, etc. Discuss the potential for future growth, such as additional products or services or plans for expansion. Include any intellectual property you may already have, including trademarks, patents or copyrights. Items to note:
• Product or service description
• Features and benefits
• Pricing model
• Potential future plans
• Intellectual property
Define your target audience, including key demographics such as age, income range, interests, location and the pain points your product or service will address. Provide an overview of what’s happening in your industry. Is it growing or shrinking? Are there any opportunities that you could take advantage of? Are there any potential threats such as competition or regulations? Assess the size of your market to learn the potential reach and scalability of your product or service. By knowing the size and scope of your customer base, you’ll understand how many people you could realistically sell to, and whether your business has room to grow. Identify your main competitors, noting who they are and how your offering differs from theirs. This research will show that you understand the bigger picture of your industry and where your business fits within it. Items to note:
• Target audience
• Industry trends
• Market size
• Competitors
Explain how you plan to attract customers, whether through advertising, social media, SEO, word-of-mouth, events or strategic partnerships. Outline your sales process, such as direct sales, online store or working with distributors. Be sure to identify your customer-acquisition costs, showing how much it costs to bring in each new customer. Describe your strategy for retaining customers, which could include loyalty programs, subscriptions or strong after-sales support to keep them coming back and bringing their friends. Items to note:
• Reaching your customer
• Sales process
• Customer-acquisition costs
• Customer-retention strategy
Give insight into how your business will run on a daily basis, including workflow, suppliers, tools and technology. Outline your team structure by defining roles, responsibilities and areas of expertise. Present your staffing plan, noting the current team in place and any future hires you anticipate as the business grows. Highlight any partners and suppliers and how they support your operations. Items to note:
• Daily operations
• Team structure
• Staffing plan
• Partners and suppliers
Having clean and realistic financial information will only harden your credibility and better your chances of success.
you’ve ever watched even one episode of CBC’s Dragon’s Den, you’ve witnessed investors tear an entrepreneur to shreds over unrealistic financial projections or overvaluations. Having clean and realistic financial information will only harden your credibility and better your chances of success.
Outline your startup costs, including expenses such as equipment, marketing, lease, salaries, licences and other essentials. Explain your revenue model and how your business will generate income. Provide financial projections, including an income statement (revenues, expenses and profits over time), balance sheet (assets, liabilities and equity), and cash-flow forecast for the next three to five years. Include a break-even analysis to show when the business is expected to start making a profit. If you request funding, specify the amount and describe how it will be used to support growth and operations. Items to note:
• Startup costs
• Revenue model
• Financial projections
• Break-even analysis
• Funding requirements (if requesting)
• Use of funds
Include any documentation that supports and strengthens your business plan, such as team-member resumés, market research or surveys, product photos or mockups, letters of intent from potential customers or partners and any necessary licences or legal documents to demonstrate your business is prepared and credible. Items to note:
• Resumés of team members
• Market research
• Product photos/mockups
• Letters of intent
• Licences, permits or legal documents
Writing a business plan requires you to be thoughtful and realistic about the direction of your business, but think of it as a dynamic, living road map that can be updated as you gain new insights, modify your strategies or change the direction. Take a deep breath and start.
A mission statement clearly articulates why your business exists, what it does and what impact it aims to have. It is usually between one and three sentences and is clear, concise and memorable.
Ask yourself: Why does this organization exist? What problem are we trying to solve? Who do we serve?
Example: We provide a comfortable petfriendly place for people in James Bay to enjoy excellent coffee.
Describe your primary activities or services. Keep it clear and specific.
Example: We serve high-quality coffee, espresso and pastries made daily in house.
Explain the benefit or change you aim to create.
Example: We provide a neighbourhood meeting place for people and their fur babies to relax, connect and enjoy great coffee.
Include your core principles or guiding beliefs if relevant.
Example: We pride ourselves on using only ethically sourced and sustainably grown products.
Template: [Organization Name] exists to [purpose] by [what you do], creating [impact] while guided by [values].”
Example: Coffee Love provides the community with a comfortable and welcoming neighbourhood hub to gather and enjoy exceptional coffee guided by our mission to serve ethically sourced and greattasting coffee and pastries.
With shoplifting rates steadily increasing in cities across Canada, local security experts offer practical tips to help protect your retail and business space.
BY JULIEN JOHNSTON-BREW
Security is an ever-looming concern for business owners. According to Statistics Canada, despite decreased rates of property crime in Victoria since 2020, shoplifting rates have risen steadily. With 2,091 reported shoplifting incidents of items valued up to $5,000, 2024 was the city’s worst year for shoplifting since 1998.
Some business owners in Canada facing this same issue have started implementing fog machines to make it more difficult for thieves to navigate stores. Though this technology isn’t as readily available in Victoria, it’s crucial to take active steps to safeguard workspaces against shoplifting. Here are several recommendations from local security experts to discourage thieves from making your business a target.
Connections between staff and customers are the cornerstone of good business. Encouraging staff to interact with people entering a business space also makes potential thieves aware of being recognized and observed.
“If there’s somebody at the front door that has a presence … that has a certain level of deterrence,” says Mirko Filipovic, founder and CEO of Themis Security. “You go, ‘Hello sir, how are you today? Is there something I can help you with?’ Well, now you start losing that anonymity.”
Private security personnel are another tried-and-true method for frequently targeted businesses. Guards are immediately visible to thieves and customers alike, and offer front-line intervention when confrontations arise.
Dedicated, long-term personnel come to understand a business’s routine and can readily spot disruptions that may pose security risks.
“They know that one store doesn’t open until 11 a.m.,” says Filipovic. “But if you see a door open at
nine in the morning … that’s gonna raise an alarm, and [they’re] going to look into it. So it’s that level of familiarity.”
If hiring around-the-clock personnel is financially unrealistic, many security companies also offer consultations to alert business owners of potential security weak spots. Inderbir Singh, founder and president of Western Canada Security, encourages businesses in Victoria to seek local solutions to target security concerns specific to their place of business.
“That conversation where you bring in a professional, it can also give you way more control,” says Singh. “We have a hundred things that we do; let’s figure out what makes the most sense for your business.”
Establishing protocols of what to do before, during and after shoplifting incidents will make handling these situations much more efficient.
The first step is to know who in the area is best suited for what scenario. Western Canada Security has created a list of phone numbers of local services for specific situations, available as a magnet. This list includes numbers for the Mobile Youth Services Team, Victoria Bylaw Services and HealthLink BC.
“It’s so important to know the non-emergency police as well,” says Singh. “911 is an easy option, but now you’re putting so much strain on 911 for emergencies.”
When it comes to shoplifting incidents, setting up business-specific plans makes security policies actionable. The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) offers guidebooks that walk management through how to prepare for shoplifting incidents, as well as various other topics for businesses from cybersecurity fundamentals to de-escalation.
Handbooks from the RCC’s Loss Prevention Committee also cover risk-management strategies for businesses, including: using physical barriers to manage crowd and traffic flow during peak hours;
Territorial Reinforcement:
A clearly maintained property with a noticeable presence shows that the premises is owned and monitored; regularly remove graffiti, clean litter and greet people at the door.
Target Deterrence: Make it harder for potential thieves to identify easily accessible objects of interest; limit open access to valuables, cash and pocketable goods.
Natural Surveillance: Being able to see out of and into the business is important to avoid becoming an out-of-sight target; ensure consistent lighting, unblocked windows and manicured landscaping.
Designated Security:
Deploying dedicated means of security takes pressure off staff to divide attention between thieves and customers; consider cameras, stoplocks and hired guards.
limiting the amount of high-value goods on sales floors; and removing merchandise from windows at close. These handbooks are freely available from the RCC (retailcouncil.org).
The physical space of and around your business is just as important as added security measures. David Eso, a brand representative of Western Canada Security, highlights the importance of “crime prevention through environmental design” (CPTED, pronounced “sep-ted”).
“Having rose bushes instead of wire fences keeps people where you want them to be without advertising that you have high-value items,” says Eso. Practical security implements that are also esthetically pleasing encourage public attention, which drives thieves to seek more out-of-sight targets. In this way, visibility is key think large, unobstructed windows and bright, consistent lighting.
CPTED principles have become an international architectural consideration, and many organizations
Control Access: Limiting entry points into and throughout the business helps to monitor how people enter and exit the building; utilize fences, gates and foot-traffic barriers.
offer training to improve environmental awareness.
With everything said and done, the most effective safeguard against shoplifting is safety in numbers. Themis Security’s Filipovic emphasizes the importance of community-wide involvement as a vital tool against crime.
“Whatever you’re paying for security measures on your own right now, if you pool your resources as a block, it will be reduced,” says Filipovic. “Your business now has an interest in making sure that the business beside you, if there’s anything going on, you’re gonna look after them.”
Singh also believes that a many-hands approach is the most effective way to tackle security concerns.
“The city alone can’t do anything, the province alone can’t do anything,” says Singh. “The problems are here, let’s face it. I think that collective approach and doing something about it ourselves as a shared responsibility is the hope.”
Ingrid Vaughan, principal of My Smart HR and founder of the Smart Leadership Academy, provides HR support and leadership coaching to smallbusiness owners and managers.
Part 2 How adjusting leadership strategies and people-management practices are key to embracing a new leadership mindset.
In the last issue (August/September) of Douglas, we talked about the current employment landscape and the reasons leaders are often afraid to provide effective leadership to their teams. The consequences of leading scared are significant and holding onto nostalgia for “the way employees used to be” prevents leaders from successfully adapting to today’s workforce. The good news? Companies that proactively adjust their leadership strategies and HR practices are thriving and the key is embracing a new leadership mindset.
Transforming leadership approaches requires energy, empathy, self-reflection and a willingness to shift perspectives. But in a world that’s changing faster than ever, leaders who evolve their people-management strategies will be the ones who remain competitive, attract top talent and build resilient businesses.
A word about generations. Every generation from boomers to Gen-Xers to millennials to Gen-Z exhibits certain traits that have emerged from the time in which they were raised and the values they grew up with. Every generation has something to teach us. The references to younger workers in this article reflect a generalization of Generation Z. We acknowledge that while generational descriptors represent a typical segment of that generation, there are always exceptions. Great leaders get to know their team members so they know how best to lead, rather than make assumptions and use a one-size-fits-all approach.
Are you leading scared? It’s time to reclaim the workplace. Here are some strategies to help you move from caution to confidence.
1. Take leadership from fearful to firm and fair Stop second-guessing yourself and take ownership of performance management. Having difficult conversations doesn’t make you a bad boss; avoiding them does. It prevents people from learning and growing. You can be direct about expectations and performance gaps without compromising on accountability. Leading with clarity, not emotion, reduces the chances that a conversation can go sideways. Remember that younger workers appreciate feedback in real time. Instead of waiting for annual reviews, adopt a coaching mindset and offer continuous affirmation and course
correction to build trust and create a feedback culture.
2. Set clear, uncompromising performance expectations
Many younger employees struggle with ambiguity, so be explicit about what good performance looks like and clearly define expected outcomes. Focus less on how hard someone tries (subjective) and more on results (objective), shifting from effort to outcomes. Implementing written performance contracts reduces ambiguity as employees agree to measurable performance standards and avoid subjective assumptions on both sides.
3. Deliver feedback with strength and specificity
Normalize performance conversations by making feedback regular, expected and constructive. Don’t wait until things get bad. Avoid the “feedback sandwich.” It’s an old-school method and employees are on to it. It’s not an authentic way to give feedback. Tell employees where they are falling short and what they need to do to fix it. In doing so, keep feedback factual (metrics, deadlines missed, quality issues) rather than personal. Using data, not opinions, creates stronger accountability. Finally, employers can struggle if they feel emotional fragility from their team members, but the solution is not avoiding the conversation. If an employee gets defensive or upset, remain calm, kind and understanding, but don’t compromise the message.
4. Address the mindset shift in younger workers
Many younger employees view work as transactional and expect rapid promotions with minimal pushback. Address this by countering unrealistic expectations with facts. For example, promotions and compensation increases are achieved by being teachable, responsible, accountable and doing their jobs well. Help them to understand that performance management is not an attack, but a growth opportunity. If you can encourage employees to take feedback as a tool, not a personal insult, you are helping them grow their resilience. Gen Z employees tend to need more validation for their efforts. Sincere praise builds trust and
Local expertise, limitless reach. Digital marketing that expands horizons.
Robyn Quinn is an award-winning storyteller. A public relations entrepreneur and small business owner of Big Bang Communications, she is happiest when her clients shine in the spotlight.
Developing a robust web of connections as a deliberate career strategy.
We’ve all been there. Standing with a drink in one hand in a corner of a crowded room filled with people hoping to make meaningful connections, and maybe score the last minibeef Wellington making the rounds. Although the traditional networking model is filled with awkward introductions, nervous laughter and endless small talk, the truth is our networks are a dynamic and essential part of our personal and professional growth when done the right way.
The biggest mistake most well-intentioned people make is to view the art of networking as strictly transactional. Imagine for a moment this conversation: “Hi, I’m Allan Wariness. I just opened my residential renovation company.” (Extending his card to the individual he is introducing himself to.) Meanwhile, this is the response:
“Hi Allan, nice to meet you. I manage SEO for local businesses. I’ll follow up with you when I have a chance to review your website.” Wait, what just happened? This is not the goal of long-term relationship building.
No one asked for a sales call. If the entire room is focused on selling immediately to people as they meet, it’s just annoying and not as exciting as organizers would have you believe.
how you can help a new connection opens up a level of trust only achieved with a giving mentality.”
As a solo woman entrepreneur, I learned the best way to create opportunities for yourself was to genuinely understand how you could support someone else. Be curious, discover what matters. Along the way you’ll experience different perspectives and doors will open for you.
The biggest mistake most wellintentioned people make is to view the art of networking as strictly transactional.
Tony Ronson, the business development representative for Westcom Business Solutions, knows how to network, and it’s not the stereotypical distribution of business cards, but finding ways he can help. “My goal is always to create meaningful relationships with everyone I encounter. The less transactional the discussion is, the more beneficial our relationship becomes over time.”
Ronson credits the philosophy of Givers Gain, which he learned during his time at Business Network International, for this advice. If you are looking to help first, benefiting afterwards happens naturally. Understanding
Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins believes in the power of a strong personal network herself. She admits to working hard to create situations for council members to connect with various people and organizations. “Networks assist in accessing services, support and influential individuals,” she says. “Over the course of my time as mayor, connections often change in organizations, but actively seeking out the new people to continue a relationship for the community and council is important. Those who move on may be a valuable connection in their new role.” Desjardins agrees that for some, networking isn’t easy, but it’s necessary. “I have been able to create interest in Esquimalt through networking, both from an economic-development perspective and a lifestyle perspective. Positive payback!”
U.K. transplant Amanda Parkin, an executive leader in AI and digital transformation, is on Vancouver Island completing her master’s degree in health-care leadership. “For me, networking isn’t just about who you know, it’s a deliberate career strategy,” she says. “My time on Vancouver Island has connected me into new forums and communities, building my knowledge of local innovation and widening my circle of peers. At the same time, it’s kept
“I
have been able to create interest in Esquimalt through networking, both from an economic-development perspective and a lifestyle perspective. Positive payback!”
— Esquimalt Mayor Barb Desjardins.
me tied into my existing networks in the U.K., allowing me to bridge two worlds. That combination has been invaluable both personally and professionally, supporting my growth in AI ethics, women-in-tech and digital-leadership spaces.” Parkin knows the value of diverse networks to support her goals.
“Building a strong international network will keep me future-ready as I consider what comes next.”
We return to the crowded room where you have successfully skewered the last mini-beef Wellington and, more importantly, you are now having a thoughtful conversation with a potential partner/client/boss who wants to get to know you better. Let the relationship building commence!
• Identify who you would like to meet before an event act strategically.
• Find and attend events you actually enjoy.
• Craft a quick introduction to say who you are and what you might be offering or looking for.
• Smile, ask questions, be interested.
• Avoid the temptation to scan the room while talking to a new contact. It’s very distracting.
• Confirm a follow-up coffee, Zoom, happy hour?
For improved conditioning and cognitive function, indoor rock climbing is the ultimate mind and body workout.
If you’ve packed away your kayak, paddleboard and bike for the coming winter months and pickleball isn’t your thing you may be looking for something to do that doesn’t rely on good weather or daylight. We’ve found your next indoor adventure.
Victoria is home to several indoor rock-climbing facilities that can accommodate you, your family or coworkers, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced alpinist.
Rock climbing is a sport that builds physical strength, endurance and balance while sharpening the mind. Over time, it strengthens the posterior chain a group of oftenneglected muscles along the back of the body and boosts both aerobic and anaerobic fitness. Studies show it also supports executive function and overall cognitive health. It demands persistence, focus, problem-solving and a little bit of fear facing. It’s a full-body workout that tests both physical and mental limits and if you are on the fearful side, maybe your spiritual ones as well.
While rock climbing may conjure images of being alone on a mountainside with only your thoughts and regrets, indoor rock climbing is actually a social sport. You’re usually sharing wall space with others, exchanging advice and support while building connections. The climbing community is known for being a welcoming, encouraging and inclusive environment.
Bouldering: Short (typically 10 to 15 feet high) rope-and harnessfree climbs over padded flooring for safety. It requires the least equipment and can be done solo. Climbing routes (known as “problems”) are often considered technical.
Top roping: Beginner-friendly climbs on taller walls using a rope that is anchored at the top and managed by a belayer a partner who stands on the ground, keeps the rope taut and catches falls.
Lead climbing: A more advanced form of roped climbing, where the climber clips into protection points (called “quickdraws”) along the wall. A belayer lets out rope as the climber ascends. It requires more strength, endurance and focus and feels a bit like solving a stressful but exhilarating puzzle.
MOST CLIMBING GYMS OFFER CLASSES, WORKSHOPS, DROPINS AND OPTIONS FOR PARTIES OR CORPORATE EVENTS.
3 LOCAL SPOTS TO CHECK OUT
Two locations: 2829 Quesnel Street, Victoria 1109 Langford Parkway, Langford
These five private dining rooms are perfectly designed for your next important business gathering.
For smaller teams, a typical meeting space may feel a bit large, overpowering and impersonal. Instead, try some smaller yet luxurious spaces at some of the city’s most popular restaurants and turn your meeting or occasion into a special and memorable event.
You may already know about some of the city’s newest favourites like Marilena Raw Bar & Cafe and Janevca Kitchen & Lounge, but here are a few other options to check out.
BARD & BANKER
BEST FOR: UP TO 20 (SEATED) OR 50 (STANDING) GUESTS
The Sam McGee room is a private entertaining space located on the upper level of the Government Street pub. The space features a fireplace, piano and a view of the ocean from its private, covered and heated patio. When the event is over, guests have the option of hitting the dance floor downstairs. bardandbanker.com
BOOM + BATTEN
RESTAURANT & CAFE
BEST FOR: UP TO 12 GUESTS
For a modern, contemporary space with a waterfront view of Victoria’s inner and outer harbour, look no further than Boom + Batten’s stylish private dining room. The modern coastal fare combined with water views help create an elevated and approachable dining experience. boomandbatten.com
BEST FOR: UP TO 18 GUESTS
Fathom’s exclusive private dining room, The Mark, offers privacy and personalized service in a rich and refined setting. Menus are inspired by the flavours of the Pacific Northwest, featuring fresh, locally sourced ingredients crafted with care. fathomvictoria.com
HOUSE OF BOATENG CAFÉ & CATERING
BEST FOR: UP TO 55 GUESTS
Located in Langford, the HOB has a private dining space that can accommodate up to 55 seated guests. Blending West Coast cuisine with subtle African-inspired flavours, the HOB can create a customized event from a cocktail reception with hors d’oeuvres to a full buffet-style feast. houseofboateng.ca
PERRO NEGRO TAPAS + WINE
BEST FOR: UP TO 48 GUESTS
Tucked inside of Ferris’ Upstairs
Seafood & Oyster Bar, Perro Negro serves Spanish tapas and culture in its secluded and surprisingly large restaurant within a restaurant. Featuring high ceilings, warm wood floors and exposed brick, the room has a warm atmosphere and offers full AV capabilities. ferrisoysterbar.com
In a world where noise is constant, noisecancelling headphones can help improve your focus and save your sanity.
Whether you seek some peace and quiet to get you through your next flight or some crisp and blistering loudness to drown out someone’s vigorous snoring, we’ve rounded up a few noisecancelling headphone options that will give you the loudest bang for your buck.
Best All-Rounder — $599
Budget Friendly
— Under $100
SOUNDCORE BY ANKER SPACE ONE OVER-EAR SOUND ISOLATING BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES
These over-ear headphones are great if you want strong noise-blocking without spending too much. They cut out almost all background noise, even people talking, so you can focus. The sound is crisp and detailed, and the battery lasts up to 40 hours with noise cancellation on (55 without). They’re lightweight, comfortable for long wear and connect easily to your devices.
SONY OVER-EAR NOISECANCELLING BLUETOOTH HEADPHONES (WH-1000XM6)
These lightweight, comfy wireless headphones block out noise and make everything you want to listen to sound rich and clear. They automatically adjust to your surroundings to keep things quiet wherever you are, and have a 30-hour battery life on a single charge. They are foldable with a compact carrying case, making them perfect for travel.
Best Buds — $379
BOSE QUIETCOMFORT ULTRA BLUETOOTH EARBUDS
If you tend to run a little hot or are looking for something more subtle, earbuds may be for you. Music and voices sound full and precise, and they adjust automatically depending on your surroundings. With three listening modes and six hours of listening time, these wireless buds are small, stylish and receive top ratings for blocking noise.
Today almost every career demands some sort of post-secondary training, whether it’s vocational or academic.
Luckily for both workers and employers, Victoria has plenty to offer in terms of colleges, universities and other professional training, including adult education, for both grads and undergrads. Here’s how this city got to become today’s world-class educational centre.
British Columbia’s first post-secondary institution opens in the province’s capital city. Victoria College is an affiliate of Montreal’s McGill University, its motto the somewhat laid back “Tuum est” — “It’s up to you.” The precursor to modern-day University of Victoria shares the same space and principal as Victoria High School.
1913
Sprott Shaw College, a satellite of the Vancouver Business Institute founded in 1903 by Robert James Sprott and William Henry Shaw, opens in Victoria to offer business and office training. Among its celebrated alumni is Victoria’s own Emily Carr, who would go on to become one of the world’s most highly regarded artists.
1920
In 1915, the University of British Columbia opens in Vancouver, and an act of legislation forces Victoria College to suspend operations. Five years later, Vic College reopens as an affiliate of UBC, offering similar twoyear programs but with much, much better digs — while UBC is still teaching class in the “Fairview shacks,” Vic College moves into Craigdarroch Castle.
1940
The Dominion Government acquires Hatley Castle, the Samuel Maclure-designed property of the late industrialist and former
premier James Dunsmuir, with the intention of housing the Royal Family during the Second World War. But the Queen Mother puts her foot down: “The children will not go without me and I will not go without the King and the King will never go.” Instead, the 1908 property and its grounds become a training establishment for reserve officers, known as HMCS Royal Roads, named for the Royal Roads naval anchorage.
1946
When the Second World War ends, enrolment at Victoria College booms. Students declare the overcrowded Craigdarroch campus both unsafe and unhealthy, and stage a protest at the B.C. Parliament Buildings. Soon after, the college relocates again, this time to the Lansdowne campus of the Provincial Normal School, part of the present-day Camosun College campus.
1963
1967
Greater Victoria School Board establishes the Institute of Adult Studies on the Lansdowne campus, in the Young and Ewing buildings that were formerly part of the Provincial Normal School. Students in the Young building, which was built in 1913 and features a famous clock tower, soon find they’re not alone. Over the decades, alarms have gone off in the middle of the night for no reason, ghostly hands have reached out to prevent falls and creepy apparitions have approached before melting away to nothing.
On Canada Day, Victoria College gains full autonomy, degreegranting status and a new name: the University of Victoria. Over the next couple of years, it also relocates one last time, to the Gordon Head-Cadboro Bayarea campus. Today, UVic is known for, among other things, its strengths in climate and sustainability research and its unique joint Indigenous law program, and is recognized as one of Canada’s most comprehensive universities.
After going through several name changes as a training school — among them the Royal Canadian Naval College, RCNRCAF Royal Roads and the Canadian Services College Royal Roads — Royal Roads Military College is established.
A year after a plebiscite supports establishing a regional community college in Victoria, Camosun College is created by merging the Lansdowne campus with the BC Vocational School (now the Interurban campus). The name “Camosun” is a Lekwungen word
that means “where different waters meet and are transformed,” which was changed from the originally planned moniker, Juan de Fuca College, when administrators realized just how “Fuca U!” might play as a college cheer.
Royal Roads Military College closes and reopens as Royal Roads University, a public applied research university that becomes known for its innovative, leadership-focused education programs for both undergraduate and graduate students. The same year, Hatley Castle is named a National Historic Site.
In a joint venture with UVic, Camosun, the Justice Institute of B.C.and Sooke School District, Royal Roads opens a satellite campus in Langford, and names it RRU Langford, John Horgan Campus in honour of the province’s late premier. The intention: To offer undergraduate programs with flexible, stackable pathways to a bachelor’s degree. Because everyone needs a little learning to get ahead these days.
From family homes to thriving local businesses, Waypoint Insurance is proud to protect the heart of our communities across British Columbia. With deep local roots, trusted advice, and coverage tailored to your needs, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
From family homes to thriving local businesses, Waypoint
Insurance is proud to protect the heart of our communities across British Columbia. With deep local roots, trusted advice, and coverage tailored to your needs, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
From family homes to thriving local businesses, Waypoint Insurance is proud to protect the heart of our communities across British Columbia. With deep local roots, trusted advice, and coverage tailored to your needs, we’re here to guide you every step of the way.
