Welcome to this week’s Midweek Memo. In this issue, learn about why Victoria companies sell abroad, a private hybrid healthcare option for Qualicum Beach, and check out the pictures from 2025’s first networking event with the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce.

Now on to today’s briefing. It’s 792 words: a three-minute read.

-Emily, [email protected]

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Majority votes to stay in Victoria, but affordability is still a concern

Last week, we wrote about Victoria securing third place on the Globe and Mail’s ranking of the 100 most livable cities in the country, and its positive signs for the future with increasing employment growth.

However, at the end of 2025, Victoria residents were also being targeted by a campaign launched by the Business Council of British Columbia, which was intended to keep British Columbians from being lured to Alberta.

We asked if you’d ever considered leaving Victoria for Alberta. Here’s what you had to say:

66% — No, I have a nice life here.

• “I have no interest in the political climate of Alberta.”

• “…however I have considered moving elsewhere in B.C. and the States”

30% — Yes, living in Victoria is just too challenging.

• “[I might be] the reverse of most people. It may make sense for me to retire to Alberta due to the cost of housing and living in the Victoria and Saanich area. I have a high-value home, but don't know if I can afford it in the future when I am a retiree.”

• “[Victoria is] too expensive, [with] too many restrictions on property owners on how to use their properties.”

• “[I’ve] lived here and worked in Alberta and Saskatchewan for 10 years, and prospered. It was the only way to afford a house, as wages there are higher, and with an AB address a person will pay less taxes. Plus with PST and the cost of fuel, booze, food, and home heating [being] cheaper, it makes sense. Not just construction but healthcare has higher wages, and nurses at all levels have more responsibility.”

The remaining four percent said that they hadn’t considered moving to Alberta, but that there was still time.

📰 More Victoria innovation news

🤝 Oh my god, we’re back again: The Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce hosted its first business mixer of 2025 — check out the pictures from the event.

🤗 You are not alone: Jordan Schley, founder and CEO of Care2Talk Health, announced that the company would by opening a private hybrid in-person and virtual clinic in Qualicum Beach. The Victoria company provides an intuitive virtual healthcare platform, inspired by the isolation its founder’s grandfather felt during the COVID-19 pandemic. Previous clinics the company has opened have inspired much debate about the role of private healthcare in the province.

🚫 Home and away: Greater Victoria’s tech sector was highlighted for its role in selling products in markets outside of Canada. “Their competition is elsewhere," Dan Gunn, CEO of VIATEC, said in an interview. "And so, we build these really great — what we call micro-niche companies — companies that are one of a handful of companies in the world that can do the specialty that they do. And they continue to grow and thrive here. […] If you can do it anywhere, then why not do it in Victoria?"

🕴️ Tech jobs of the week

Find your next career:

• Chief financial officer at Ocean Networks Canada

• Windows - technical analyst at Myra Systems

• Senior product manager at Koho

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

📅 Upcoming events

January 16 | Victoria Tech Nachos

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

January 23 | Canadian Digital Marketing Summit

For the first time, CDM Summit is coming to Victoria, on January 23. Join for an exciting one-day event where trailblazers and innovators gather to explore the future of digital marketing. In this inaugural summit, you’ll experience the latest in breakthrough strategies, cutting-edge technologies, and the trends shaping tomorrow’s marketing landscape. Whether you’re looking to enhance your skills, grow your professional network, or be inspired by industry leaders, this is your opportunity to lead with confidence in an ever-evolving digital world.

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.