Chamber Chats with Paul Haysom

The Holiday Season is stressful for so many people in so many ways. Inflation, interest rates and uncertainty are compounding mental health too. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams talks about managing our seasonal stress with Canadian Mental Health Association CEO Jonny Morris.

Do you fully understand the implications of inflation and higher interest rates? None of us are untouched by these factors. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams discusses financial literacy tips with Luke Biles of MNP and Travis Koivula of Island Savings.

Despite challenges we experience within our Healthcare system Canada is still a world leader in providing care to sick people. That care is not all paid for by your tax dollars. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams learns about how philanthropy enhances our hospital care from Avery Brohman of the Victoria Hospitals Foundation.

The Royal BC Museum has been under scrutiny since a controversial announcement last year about it’s planned temporary closure and rebuild. In this Chamber Chat with CEO Bruce Williams you will learn the status of those plans and RBCM’s ongoing operations with RBCM Board Chair Leslie Brown and Acting CEO Tracy Drake

Construction, building and design are robust across our region and have been for many years. What is trending, what is the impact of high interest rates and inflation, and is it best to build or renovate ? These issues and more are discussed in this Chamber Chat as CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Ann Squires Ferguson of Western Design and Build and Dave Stephens of Lida Construction.

Just like your vital signs data reveals how healthy you are, The Victoria Foundation Vital Sign Report analyses the health and vibrancy of our community. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Paige Shoenfeld, VP with Leger and Jonathan Dyck, Director with the Victoria Foundation to check on our region’s Vital Signs.

How often do you see a questionable email or text message and wonder if it’s a scam ? Cyber security is a growing concern and cyber crime is a growing business. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams gets good advice about on line engagement from Rachel Guinto of Island Savings.

The eyes of Canada will be on Victoria in January 2024 when we host the National Sportsnet broadcast of Scotiabank Hockey Day in Canada. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams gets all the details of the who, when and where from the organizers of this epic hockey event.

The automobile industry and local dealerships were hit early and hard by the pandemic, impacting inventory, parts and service and prices. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams gets details on the current situation in the vehicle sector from Amy Jones of Galaxy Motors and Mandu Goebel of the Campus Auto Group

The Kulea Culture Society works to engage us all in a cultural understanding of the diversity that makes our region stronger. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Kulea team members about the Colourful Business Expo, their Kitchen and Culture cooking classes, their programmes to address racism and more.

Our use of, and reliance upon technology has been advancing rapidly over the past few decades, and our use of new technology was accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The tech sector across Greater Victoria is the largest sector in our economy . In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Dan Gunn CEO of The Victoria Innovation, Advanced Technology and Entrepreneur Council (VIATEC) about o...

Housing supply and affordability is a huge issue in Greater Victoria. In addition to private companies and governments there is a non-profit agency building affordable housing across the region. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Virginia Holden, Executive Director of the Greater Victoria Housing Society about housing supply, income related rent and types of housing available.

As BC continues to electrify our transportation, heating and cooling systems and much more of our lives, how stable and robust is our power grid ? In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams is in conversation about the grid with BC Hydro CEO Chris O’Reilly.

The BC Sports Hall of Fame recognizes many familiar names and teams, but also includes some lesser-known but exceptional people. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Hall of Fame representatives about those inductees and an upcoming Hall of Fame event in Victoria.

Canada’s population growth has been based on people immigrating here from other countries, and that growth will continue as we welcome more new Canadians every year. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Luis Gutiérrez, Executive Director of the Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) about their work to help immigrants and refugees establish their new life in Greater V...

We all know how important it is to support our family, neighbours and friends by shopping local. And when you think local also drink local. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Kristen Needham of Sea Cider and Jim Lister of Phillips Brewery and Soda Works about what their products mean to our local economy.

The demand for housing across Canada is mounting and as it does some very innovative, inclusive and environmentally advanced building is happening. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Ed Geric of Mike Geric Construction, one of the leaders in building sustainable communities

The conventional media world of TV, Radio and Print has seen significant challenges with the growth of online and on demand media. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams (a former media manager and host) speaks with CHEK Media Group CEO Rob Germain about how CHEK has overcome those challenges to achieve success

In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams continues with the series of conversations about managing mental illness and mental health, especially in workspaces. Today we speak about school and classroom supports with Andrea Paquette of the Stigma-Free Society

When we talk about managing mental illness and mental health the suggestion of speaking with a counsellor is always mentioned but some people are still reluctant. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Clinical Counsellor Janice Bell about how helpful it is to speak with a professional like her

Dr. Ashley Spetch is WorkSafeBC’s chief mental health officer — the first position of its kind for any workers’ compensation board in Canada. She talks about the growing number of psychological injuries that are occurring in the workplace.

Jonny Morris and Kabir Bhagaria Join us in our insightful series on mental health. Jonny, CEO of the Canadian Mental Health Association for BC, shares his expertise while Kabir, from the corporate world, offers a unique perspective. They discuss topics like stress, anxiety and how mental health impacts the workplace. Listen in to gain a greater understanding of mental health and ways we can promot...

The return to air travel after the pandemic had a bumpy start but the flying experience is a smoother ride now. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks about air travel experiences with Serge Corbeil of Air Canada

In these times of high interest and inflation it can be challenging for businesses to access capital to grow and sustain operations. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams discusses financing options with Shayne Beadall of BDC.

As the travel experience continues to bounce forward from the disruption of the pandemic a Vancouver Island organization is helping travel businesses with culture, environmental impact and operational elements like a “first impression analysis”. In this Chamber Chat CEO Bruce Williams speaks with Brian Cant, acting President and CEO of 4VI