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Rising Economy Taskforce

Greater Victoria, like the rest of the world, is facing the economic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. That’s why South Island Prosperity Partnership (SIPP) convened the Rising Economy Taskforce in April to accelerate regional economic recovery and create the resiliency to withstand future economic shocks.

The Rising Economy Taskforce is pleased to launch Reboot: Greater Victoria’s Economic Recovery Plan 2020-2022. This report, developed with input from 12 sector-focused committees and extensive consultation over the last several months, captures the top priority actions that can help our region in the short-term (0-6 months), intermediate-term (6-18 months) and help move our region towards increased resiliency against future shocks (18-24+ months)

Find the committee reports and a full list of taskforce and committee members below

Read Greater Victoria's Recovery Plan

Monitoring Economic Recovery

The taskforce will monitor key indicators each month through an economic recovery dashboard. This dashboard is publicly available and helps us all understand the impact that the pandemic has had on our region’s economy and how our region’s recovery is taking shape.
Sign up to receive the monthly updates by email by visiting the dashboard page!

View Dashboard

Updates and Reports

Rising Economy Taskforce –  Full Committee Reports August 27

Rising Economy Taskforce – Q&A July 7

Rising Economy Taskforce – Q&A June 2

Rising Economy Community Member Check-in: March 2021

Taskforce Structure and Timelines

Members of the taskforce were given detailed Terms of Reference that explore the various scenarios that could require their involvement for the next few months, or as long as 18 months. The taskforce will be informed by public feedback and also through 11 sector based committees to ensure all sectors of the economy are heard from. You can read the recent media coverage here.

The Members of the Taskforce Include:

Chair
Emilie de Rosenroll
CEO, SIPP

Vice Chair
Frank Bourree
Bourree and Associates

Craig Norris
CEO, Victoria International Marina
SIPP Board Chair

Christina Clarke
CEO, Songhees Devco
SIPP Board member

Mandy Farmer
CEO, Accent Inns

John Wilson
CEO, Wilson Group

Bruce Williams
CEO, Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce

Gordon Fyfe
CEO & Chief Investment Officer, BC Investment Management Corporation (BCI)

Carol-Anne Hilton
CEO, Indigenomics Institute

Dr. Murray Fyfe
Medical Officer of Health (South Island), VIHA

Captain (Navy) Sam Sader
Base Commander, CFB Esquimalt

Dave Corey
Executive Officer, VREB

Ruth Mojeed
Founder and CEO | The Inclusion Project

Paul Nursey
CEO, Destination Greater Victoria

Robert Jawl
Managing Director, Jawl Properties

Cliff McNeil-Smith
Mayor of Sidney

Rasool Rayani
Investor, Entrepreneur, Business Owner

Lisa Helps
Mayor of Victoria

Jennifer Vornbrock
Community and Government Relations, UVic
SIPP Board member

Steve Pearce
Board President, Think Local First

Julie Lawlor
Executive Director, Westshore Chamber of Commerce

Gerry Salembier
Assistant Deputy Minister, BC Region at Western Economic Diversification

Erinn Pinkerton
CEO, BC Transit

Jamie Marshall
Vice President, Business Development & Innovation, BC Ferries

Chief Gordon Planes
T’Sou-ke Nation

Colin Plant
CRD Board Chair

Sandra Richardson
CEO, Victoria Foundation

Geoff Dickson
President & CEO, Victoria International Airport

Dan Ruscheinski
Senior Director, Esri Canada

Steve Wellburn
Partner, Private Enterprise and Professionals, MNP

Nikki Macdonald
Consultant, Adjunct Professor, UVic

Mitzi Dean
MLA Esquimalt-Metchosin

Doug Kobayashi
Colwood Councillor

Zac de Vries
Saanich Councillor

Ken Armour
Esquimalt Councillor

Sherri Bell
President, Camosun College

Jamie Cassels
President and Vice Chancellor, UVic

Dan Gunn
CEO, VIATEC

Jeremy Meckler
Regional Manager, Community Business, Vancity

Tina Fang
Chair of the Canadian Migration Institute
SIPP Board member

Taskforce subcommittee members include:

Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sports and Recreation

Frank Bourree (Co-Chair)
CEO | Bourree and Associates

Dallas Gislason (Co-Chair)
Director of Economic Development | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Paul Nursey
CEO | Destination Greater Victoria

Mandy Farmer
CEO | Accent Inns

Deirdre Campbell
Managing Director | Beattie Tartan Integrated

Robert Bettauer
CEO | PISE (Pacific Institute of Sport Excellence)

Franz Lehrbass
Executive Director | Royal & McPherson Theatres Society

Kathryn Lauren
CEO | Victoria Symphony

Lisa Nordstrom
General Manager | Sidney Pier Hotel

Ian Robertson
CEO | Greater Victoria Harbour Authority

Nick Blasko
Founder | Atomique Productions

Jon Tupper
Director | Art Gallery of Greater Victoria

Kegan McFadden
Executive Director | Victoria Arts Council

Kathleen Gilbert
Executive Director | Vancouver Island South Film & Media Commission

Oceans and Marine

Craig Norris (Co-Chair)
CEO | Victoria International Marina

Dallas Gislason (Co-Chair)
Director of Economic Development | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Alex Rueben
Executive Director | ABCMI

Sonterra Ross
Manager of Business Development & Operations | Seaspan

Sage Berryman
CEO | Ralmax

Captain (Navy) Sam Sader
Base Commander | CFB Esquimalt

Mike Whalley
CEO | Babcock Canada

Kate Moran
President | Ocean Networks Canada

Brook Castelsky
CEO | Oak Bay Marine Group

Ian Robertson
CEO | Greater Victoria Harbour Authority

Inclusive Economy

Ruth Mojeed (Co-Chair)
Founder and CEO | The Inclusion Project

Jacques Van Campen (Co-Chair)
Director of Innovation | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Elysia Glover
Executive Director | Community Microlending

Carol Ann Hilton
CEO | Indigenomics Institute

Maureen Sawa
CEO | Greater Victoria Library Association

Mark Breslauer
CEO | United Way of Greater Victoria

Tina Fang
Chair | Canadian Migration Institute

Darlene Galant
President | Victoria Labour Council

Diana Gibson
CEO | Community Social Planning Council

Jean McCrae
Executive Director | Inter-Cultural Association

Kristi Fairholm-Mader
Co-Founding Director | Scale Collaborative

Ron Rice (Advisor)
Executive Director | Victoria Native Friendship Centre

Silvia Mangue (Advisor)
Founder & Manager | Kulea Culture Society o/a Colourful Business

Real Estate and Construction

Suzanne Bradbury (Co-Chair)
Managing Director | Fort Street Properties

Emilie de Rosenroll (Co-Chair)
CEO | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Kathy Whitcher (Co-Chair)
Executive Director | UDI

John Knappett
President | Knappett Construction

Reed Kipp
CEO | Devon Properties

Rory Kulmala
CEO | Vancouver Island Construction Association

Ed Geric
President & CEO | Mike Geric Construction

My Phung
Principal / Appraiser | Phung Horwood

Dave Corey
Executive Officer | Victoria Real Estate Board

Kaye Melliship
Executive Director | Greater Victoria Housing Society

Tyler Dolan
Managing Director | Colliers

Robert Jawl
Managing Director | Jawl Properties

Travel and Transportation

John Wilson (Co-Chair)
CEO | Wilson Group

Dallas Gislason (Co-Chair)
Director of Economic Development | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Troy Macdonald
Director of Sales | Helijet

Geoff Dickson
CEO | Victoria International Airport

Randy Wright
CEO | Harbour Air

Larry Stevenson
CEO | Island Corridor Foundation

Captain Jamie Marshall
Vice President of Business Development & Innovation | BC Ferries

Greg Hill
Manager, Corporate Strategy & Performance | BC Transit

Patrick Nangle
CEO | Modo

Technology and Advanced Manufacturing

Dan Gunn (Co-Chair)
CEO | VIATEC

Jacques Van Campen (Co-Chair)
Director of Innovation | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Dan Rucheinski
Senior Director | Esri Canada

Jerome Etwaroo
Associate Director of Coast Capital Innovation Centre | University of Victoria

Sarah Gulbrandsen
President & COO | Ring Partner

Scott Dewis
Chief Visionary Officer | RaceRocks

Alan Winter (Advisor)
Former Innovation Commissioner

Corina Ludwig (Advisor)
President | Function Fox

Agriculture, Food and Beverage

David Nicholls (Co-Chair)
General Manager & Co-Owner | Vancouver Island Brewing

Jacques van Campen (Co-Chair)
Director of Innovation | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Linda Geggie
Executive Director | CRFAIR

Kristin Needham
Owner | Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse

Steve Pearce
Board President | Think Local First

Mike Murphy
Owner | 10 Acre Bistro

Lindsay Dault
Owner | Country Bee Honey Farm

Candice Appleby
Executive Director | Small Scale Food Processors Association

Patricia Reichert
Food Systems Specialist | Closing the Supply Gap

Bill Collins (Advisor)
President | Cascadia Seaweed

Retail, Services and Restaurants

Calen McNeil (Co-Chair)
Owner | Big Wheel Burger & Zambris

Dallas Gislason (Co-Chair)
Director of Economic Development | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Denny Warner
Executive Director | Saanich Peninsula Chamber of Commerce

Chris Edley
Chair | Esquimalt Chamber of Commerce

Jeff Bray
Executive Director | Downtown Victoria Business Association

Steve Pearce
Board President | Think Local First

Megan Shaw
Executive Director | Sidney BIA

Martin Cownden
Board Chair | Oak Bay BIA

Karen Mason
President | Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce, Sooke BIA

Julie Lawlor
Executive Director | Westshore Chamber of Commerce

Bruce Williams
CEO | Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce

Al Hasham
CEO | Maximum Courier

Darlene Holstein
General Manager | The Bay Centre

Indigenous Economy

Christina Clarke (Co-Chair)
CEO | Songhees Nation DevCo

Jacques van Campen (Co-Chair)
Director of Innovation | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Chief Russ Chips
Chief | Sci’anew (Beecher Bay) First Nation

Josh Handysides
CAO | Malahat Nation

Ron Rice
Executive Director | Victoria Native Friendship Centre

Jeff Ward
CEO | Animikii Indigenous Technology

Education and Skills Development

Jennifer Vornbrock (Co-Chair)
Community & Government Relations | University of Victoria

Emilie de Rosenroll (Co-Chair)
CEO | South Island Prosperity Partnership

Geoff Wilmshurst
Vice President of Partnerships | Camosun College

Richard Gale
Director of Innovation at Camosun Innovates | Camosun College

Pedro Márquez
Vice President of Research, International, Marketing & Business Development | Royal Roads University

Zoe Macleod
Director of Professional and Continuing Studies | Royal Roads University

Finance and Capital

Rasool Rayani (Co-Chair)
Investor, Entrepreneur & Business Owner

Mark Lovick
Vice President South Island Region | RBC

Kendall Gross
CEO | Island Savings

Jack Watson
Relationship Manager | TD Bank

Jacky Weber
Manager of Commercial Banking | CIBC

Jeremy Meckler
Regional Manager | Vancity

Nicole Gervais
Regional Manager of Payments & Cash Management | Coast Capital Savings

Gordon Fyfe
CEO | BCI

Paul Lacerte
Managing Partner | Raven Capital Partners

Municipal Partners Committee

Ken Williams (Co-Chair)
Mayor | District of Highlands

Ken Armour (Co-Chair)
Councillor | Township of Esquimalt

Lisa Helps
Mayor | City of Victoria

Cliff McNeil-Smith
Mayor | Town of Sidney

John Ranns
Mayor | District of Metchosin

Maja Tait
Mayor | District of Sooke

Geoff Orr
Mayor | District of North Saanich

David Screech
Mayor | Town of View Royal

Colin Plant
Board Chair | CRD

Zac De Vries
Councillor | District of Saanich

Doug Kobayashi
Councillor | City of Colwood

Niall Paltiel
Councillor | District of Central Saanich

Hazel Braithwaite
Councillor | District of Oak Bay

Mike Hicks
Director | Juan de Fuca Electoral District