TOGETHER WITH
Welcome to this week’s Sunday Briefing. In this issue:
Changes to the Canada-U.S. relationship
The BC Government wants your ideas
Half of downtown Victoria could be on its way out
Now on to today’s briefing.
-Emily, [email protected]
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This story was originally published in Vancouver Tech Journal
Web Summit had the hype but missed the moment on climate tech. That’s a problem.
Founder and strategist Joanna Buczkowska-McCumber argues Web Summit sidelined climate tech when it should’ve taken centre stage.
For the first time, Web Summit came to Vancouver—and the city showed up. But if you were looking for real conversations on climate, ocean innovation, or impact tech, you had to look hard. Most of them happened outside the spotlight.
This Web Summit stayed focused on mainstream tech but left some of the most urgent conversations behind. Despite the staggering urgency of our climate crisis and the billions being invested in climate-aligned innovation—the main stages pretty much ignored the sector. No deep dives into decarbonization. No systems view of sustainability in this political climate.
AI was the darling of the summit—as expected—but there was almost no conversation about what it actually takes to bring AI to life in a climate-constrained world. There was no discussion on the energy intensity of AI models, the emissions tied to scaling AI infrastructure, or how AI could be harnessed to serve climate goals rather than deepen extractive systems. In a place like Vancouver where climate, ocean and clean tech innovation is thriving, the disconnect was glaring.
🗳️ Question of the Week
Which area should the B.C. government prioritize in its “ease-of-doing-business” review?
SPONSORED BY REED POPE
Thoughtful. Practical. Effective.
Reed Pope Business Lawyers is a leading business law firm based in Victoria, offering top-tier service to a wide range of clients involved in local, national, and international transactions. For over 18 years, Reed Pope lawyers have served as trusted counsel to entrepreneurs, start-ups and emerging companies, established businesses, high-net-worth individuals, investment funds, and other investors. The firm has deep expertise in entity formation and structuring, capital raising and investments, acquisitions, exit transactions, and general start-up advisory services.
Reed Pope is proud to support the local and provincial tech sector and is excited to partner with Victoria Tech Journal to help increase visibility for innovative start-ups, scaling technology companies, and the broader ecosystem. Learn more.
📰 More Victoria innovation news
👂 Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes: Marc Abshire from the Port Angeles Chamber in Washington State joined the Chamber Chats podcast to share how Canadians’ response to changes in the Canada-U.S. relationship has impacted residents.
💭 I will try to fix you: The B.C. government announced a province-wide “ease-of-doing-business” review aimed at simplifying processes and access to services to help businesses succeed, draw more investment, and improve competitiveness. The province has asked for public input.
👋 Pressure pushing down on me: A survey revealed that nearly half of downtown Victoria businesses were considering relocating due to ongoing concerns about safety, street conditions, and operating challenges.
Want to reach Victoria tech leaders? Advertise in the Victoria Tech Journal to get in front of founders, investors, and innovators. Contact [email protected] to learn more.
SPONSORED BY FUEL IX BY TELUS DIGITAL
The TELUS GenAI success story
TELUS solved a major challenge with Fuel iX Copilots — implementing GenAI enterprise-wide without vendor lock-in, while maintaining flexibility, scalability, and strict security.
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🕴️ Tech jobs of the week
Find your next career:
QA automation developer at EducationPlannerBC
Senior tax accountant at Worldline
Technical sales executive at Iris Dynamics
Hiring in Victoria? Reply to this email and let us know!
SPONSORED BY REED POPE
Reed Pope is a leading business law firm with longstanding ties to the Victoria tech sector, advising local start-ups, emerging companies, and investors on entity formation and structuring, financings, M&A transactions, and general corporate matters.
📅 Upcoming events
Are you just starting out with generative AI or dabbling but unsure if you're really doing it right? This hands-on, full-day workshop will fast-track your skills from beginner to intermediate using practical, proven techniques that work.
What lurks at the heart of galaxies? How do we study what we can’t see? Join Dr. Chelsea Spengler for a journey into the cosmos, exploring a career in astronomy and astonishing objects like supermassive black holes.
SPONSORED BY ACERA INSURANCE
Tech evolves rapidly — so should your insurance. Acera Insurance’s highly specialized team stays ahead by helping businesses manage emerging risks and analyzing how new innovations impact your business. Contact Acera today!
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