Starting this evening and running for the next two months, the City of Victoria is hosting a series of roundtable discussions with people who do business in the community to inform our next Economic Action Plan, Victoria 3.0 – Pivoting to a Higher Value Economy.
I am happy to be facilitating all the round tables and warmly invite participation from a broad cross section of the community. Each roundtable contains two topics to allow for the cross-pollination of ideas. The first roundtable – tonight at City Hall from 5-7pm – is on high tech and advanced education, research and development.
We need input from people from a wide range of economic sectors and backgrounds. This input will help us develop a plan to position Victoria as an attractive place to invest and to start and grow a business over the next five to 20 years. The goal is for Victoria to become a small powerhouse that creates high-value jobs and builds a high-value economy that meets current, and anticipates future, needs.
I believe everyone in Victoria deserves a good job, a good home, and a sustainable community – and that the City has a role to play in making these things happen. That’s why this plan will use our status as a capital city and position Victoria as a globally-relevant and globally-fluent small powerhouse. This will help us to create the jobs of the future and an inclusive, sustainable, and high-value economy for the long term.
Tech, Advanced Education Research and Development
Monday, October 7, 2019 from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m., Victoria City Hall Antechamber
This roundtable is for movers and shakers working in tech and research and development in industry or in post-secondary institutions.
Indigenous and Newcomer Businesses
Tuesday, October 8, 2019 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., Victoria City Hall Antechamber
This roundtable is for Indigenous-run businesses and organizations that support Indigenous entrepreneurs. It is also for newcomer-run businesses and organizations that support newcomer entrepreneurs.
Ocean Futures Cluster Development
Friday, October 25, 2019 from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m., Victoria City Hall Antechamber
This roundtable is for anyone working in the ocean and marine sector, very broadly defined. NOTE: This workshop is by invite only in order to have a focused conversation on cluster development. If you or someone you know would like an invite please email kmoore@victoria.ca
Neighbourhood Business and Social Enterprise
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 from 12:30 p.m. – 2 p.m., Victoria City Hall Antechamber
This roundtable is for people who run businesses in the City’s neighbourhoods and includes people who work from home in these neighbourhoods. It is also for everyone working in the social enterprise sector.
Small Business and Finance
Wednesday, November 20, 2019 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m., Victoria City Hall Antechamber
This roundtable is for anyone who runs a small business in Victoria, with a focus on downtown businesses. It is also for everyone working in the financial sector.
Input from the roundtable discussions will inform the draft plan that will be presented to City Council and the public for consideration in January 2020.
In 2015, the Mayor’s Task Force on Economic Development and Prosperity created the City’s first economic action plan, Making Victoria: Unleashing Potential. Almost all of the actions in that plan have been achieved. Successes include a decrease in retail vacancies downtown, an increase in the number of net new business licences, a low unemployment rate, and the amount of development underway.
Key questions for each roundtable discussion are available in advance on the City’s website. Click the session you’re interested in to see the questions for that session. The roundtables are free to attend and open to all. For more information and to register, head here.
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