Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue:

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

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The federal government has announced $173.7 million over five years to renew the Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES), a programme that has supported more than 500,000 women entrepreneurs across Canada since its launch in 2018. The funding was announced by Minister Rechie Valdez, Minister of Women and Gender Equality and Secretary of State for Small Business and Tourism.

The investment is divided across three streams. The Women Entrepreneurship Loan Fund receives $59 million to continue offering microloans of up to $50,000 to women business owners — building on more than 1,600 loans already delivered through the programme's partner organizations. The WES Ecosystem Fund receives $100 million to support advisory services, business training, and mentorship for women looking to start, grow, and scale their businesses.

The remaining $7 million goes to the Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, a national network of 10 regional hubs and more than 250 partner organizations that produces research and data to strengthen business support programmes for women. An additional nearly $8 million will cover programme operating costs over the five-year period.

The renewed investment comes as women entrepreneurs continue to face barriers to accessing capital and mentorship networks. The WES renewal is part of a broader federal effort that also includes support for diverse entrepreneurs through the Black Entrepreneurship Program and the 2SLGBTQI+ Entrepreneurship Program.

🌱 Last chance: Victoria's Shift Browser is in the final week of applications for its $25,000 USD Impact Grant, supporting early-stage startups and nonprofits working at the intersection of technology and environmental sustainability — deadline is July 2.

🌊 The kids are alright: COAST and the Indigenous Prosperity Centre welcomed 20 Indigenous youth to the COAST Hub as part of an Indigenous Blue Economy Day Camp, connecting participants with ocean innovators and career pathways in the blue economy.

🤝 New kids on the block: The South Island Prosperity Partnership announced its 2026/27 Board of Directors at its AGM, welcoming three new members as the organization shifts focus to delivering on its Rising Economy 2030 strategy.

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June 29 | Vital Data Mini-Con 2026

Health data has never been more important, but it’s also more fragmented than ever. Across the country, valuable data is often locked away in separate systems that don’t communicate effectively, if at all. At the same time, there is growing pressure to actually make use of this data—especially with the rapid development of new AI tools.

July 9 | VIATEC Summer Social at the HarbourCats

Trade the laptop for a ballpark hot dog. On Thursday, July 9th, VIATEC takes over the Canadian Club House at Royal Athletic Park for an evening of baseball, cold drinks, and the tech community under the summer sky. The Victoria HarbourCats are hosting the Bend Elks, and you've got one of the best seats in the park.

Have something or someone we should know about?

Reply or email [email protected] so we can work together to spotlight the lesser-known stories of Victoria's tech ecosystem.