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

Now on to today’s briefing.

-Emily, [email protected]

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The South Island Prosperity Partnership has released its 2025-26 Impact Report, covering a year in which the organization launched a regional economic taskforce in response to U.S. tariff pressures, developed a five-year economic plan for Greater Victoria, and recorded growth across its ocean economy and Indigenous prosperity initiatives.

When tariff threats materialized in March 2025, SIPP launched the Rising Economy Taskforce at its annual Rising Economy Conference. The 35-member group produced Igniting Momentum, a report identifying seven systemic risks to the regional economy and delivering 112 recommendations for municipal, provincial, and federal governments, as well as community organizations. Of those, 16 have been claimed or moved to the action stage.

COAST, SIPP's ocean economy initiative, reported 526 blue economy jobs created and more than 600 members. The report notes $83 million in investment in B.C.'s ocean economy since COAST began, and $3.7 million in revenue and investment directly attributed to COAST programmes. In January 2025, COAST launched Blue Action Canada, described in the report as Canada's first dedicated ocean-tech accelerator, whose first cohort of eight companies raised over $2 million in investment and secured more than $1.7 million in sales contracts.

The Indigenous Prosperity Centre brought together 250 youth from 18 Nations at its first Indigenous Youth Economic Conference and hosted a Blue Economy Day Camp for 20 young people from 13 Nations. The South Island Indigenous Business Directory grew from 90 to 130 businesses. In October 2025, SIPP released Rising Economy 2030, a five-year regional economic plan, alongside the Greater Victoria Possibility Charter, which had gathered more than 150 organizational signatories by year's end.

🛸 Fly me to the moon: A shoebox-sized satellite built by UVic students and researchers is set to launch aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 this month, with missions to study the ionosphere and release an open-source radio communications system for amateur satellite builders worldwide.

🚢 I am sailing: The federal government awarded a $74.7 million contract to Campbell River's Ocean Pacific Marine to build three new RCMP coastal patrol vessels, replacing aging ships that currently serve Vancouver Island and B.C.'s north coast.

🎤 Can you hear me now: Prompt Victoria is accepting speaker applications until July 13 for its November AI conference, seeking practical, experience-based sessions on building and applying AI across three tracks.

🌿 New from Mateína: A zero sugar, organic yerba mate that delivers clean energy — no crash, no weird ingredients. Just plant-powered fuel that works.*

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SPONSORED BY PHS COMMUNITY SERVICES SOCIETY

PHS Community Services Society supports vulnerable seniors who need specialized meals.  

Producing 3,900+ meals in a limited kitchen designed for 200 meals, they need your help.  

Register or donate to the PHS Run Team through the Under Armour Eastside 10K to fund a new kitchen and essential meals.

Find your next career:

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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.