Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue, learn about a new funding opportunity for blue economy innovators, which companies were named as finalists for local business awards, and which Victoria business has divested a key Shopify app.

Now on to today’s briefing. It’s 932 words: a three-minute read.

-Emily, [email protected]

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Is BC Ferries partnering with Elon Musk?

In the midst of the tariff war between Canada and the U.S., BC Ferries made headlines this week for considering whether to ink a contract with Elon Musk-owned Starlink to offer reliable wi-fi on its ships.

The deliberation runs counter to comments made last month by Premier David Eby, who indicated that Crown corporations would no longer consider giving contracts for major projects to American firms, and the recent focus by other major organizations in the province to prioritize Canada-owned companies in their requests for proposals. BC Ferries was transformed from a Crown corporation to a private company in 2003.

The organization notes that communication on the open sea remains one of its most pressing challenges. Capital Daily reported that the company revealed on March 7 that it is “assessing all available and affordable connectivity solutions to ensure that its crews have reliable communication, particularly in areas with poor or no cellular connectivity.” 

Sonia Lowe, senior communications officer for BC Ferries, said the organization “will soon be conducting a public procurement process to determine the right provider to deliver the reliable operational communications support that's critical for the safety of crew and passengers.“ That effort will include a consideration of whether Canadian alternatives might meet the company’s needs, but it won’t rule out Starlink.

The B.C. government has already taken Starlink off the table as a vendor for high-speed internet connection in the province’s rural communities, primarily in response to Musk’s role in the U.S. government.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🏆 Now we’re here: The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce shared the list of finalists for its 2025 Business Awards. Categories include Business of the Year (with several awards for businesses of different sizes), Non-Profit of the Year, Business Person of the Year, and more.

💰 Movin’ on up: SureSwift — which buys, holds, and grows software businesses — announced that its Back In Stock, an e-commerce app within the Shopify ecosystem, has been divested to an Australian-based e-commerce platform. 

💪 We’re halfway there: The Ocean Startup Project has launched its Ocean Idea Challenge, offering successful participants up to $7,000 to support the early stages of customer discovery and help take ideas to the next level.

⭐️ All by myself: Open Ocean Robotics announced its first commercially available uncrewed surface vehicle, the DataXplorer Gen 2, designed to autonomously collect ocean data.

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Technical writer at TyreSense

• Associate director, software development at Ocean Networks Canada

• Digital marketing specialist at RFDM Solutions

Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!

📅 Upcoming events

Victoria Tech Nachos | April 3

Victoria Tech Nachos is a covert group at the intersection of nachos and technology. It bills itself as a no-speaker, social-only, no-sponsor, nacho-friendly event.

Future Innovators: Empowering Women in STEM | April 7

Join an inspiring evening with our panel of women in STEM. iWIST is bringing together future innovators from middle school, high school, and post-secondary along with professional women in STEM for a candid conversation about their careers. All are welcome.

ABCMI & COAST Innovation Forum | April 15-16

The Association of British Columbia Marine Industries (ABCMI) in partnership with COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies), is hosting the annual Innovation Forum in Vancouver. This is a great event to understand the latest innovations, technology, science, and research that is shaping the future of B.C.’s marine industry.

Victoria Climate Connections | April 24

Victoria Climate Connections will unite professionals working on climate change science, impacts, mitigation, and adaptation in B.C. for an informal evening of networking. Climate Connections aims to build community amongst Victoria’s climate-solution seekers by bridging the gap across sectors, fostering dialogue about current climate change issues and initiatives, and creating synergies for future collaborative climate change projects. The University of Victoria will welcome climate professionals from municipal and provincial government, industry, non-profits, and climate think tanks.

The 2025 VIATEC Awards | May 1

This event brings the tech community together and take a moment to spotlight and celebrate some of the year’s most notable companies and individuals within Victoria’s $5.9 billion tech sector. For over 23 years, the event has been produced by VIATEC, Victoria’s tech industry association, and known as the VIATEC Awards.

Have an upcoming event? Reply to let us know.

🙋 I need a…

We at Victoria Tech Journal know you, our community, pretty well. Are you searching for someone in your field to have coffee with, a hiring hookup, a lead on local investors, or suggestion for a great Victoria tech tool? Whatever you’re hunting for, let us know. We’ll post it in this section and make it happen.

Email your requests to [email protected].

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.