Business

Susan Lambert is shown inside her home which is currently being renovated in this handout photo provided by her husband Mike Lazarovits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mike Lazarovits

Renovation boom continues even as project costs increase and interest rates rise

Many Canadian homeowners still spending thousands a year

Susan Lambert is shown inside her home which is currently being renovated in this handout photo provided by her husband Mike Lazarovits. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Mike Lazarovits
FILE - Juul products are displayed at a smoke shop in New York, on Dec. 20, 2018. Embattled vaping company Juul Labs announced layoffs Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, as the company tries to weather growing setbacks to its electronic cigarette business, including lawsuits, government bans and increasing competition. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)

Vaping company Juul cuts 400 jobs amid growing setbacks

Industry experts speculating company could soon go bankrupt

FILE - Juul products are displayed at a smoke shop in New York, on Dec. 20, 2018. Embattled vaping company Juul Labs announced layoffs Thursday, Nov. 10, 2022, as the company tries to weather growing setbacks to its electronic cigarette business, including lawsuits, government bans and increasing competition. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem speaks at a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, June 9, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle

Job losses will rise but won’t reach levels seen in past economic downturns: BoC

Slowdown necessary to halt inflation, says Bank of Canada governor

Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem speaks at a press conference in Ottawa on Thursday, June 9, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/ Patrick Doyle
Homes under construction are seen in a new subdivision in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata, on Friday, July 30, 2021. First-time homebuyers in Canada are facing one of the toughest real estate markets in generations. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Tips for first-time homebuyers as affordability in Canada continues to deteriorate

Home prices slowly beginning to improve, but overall affordability still down

Homes under construction are seen in a new subdivision in the Ottawa suburb of Kanata, on Friday, July 30, 2021. First-time homebuyers in Canada are facing one of the toughest real estate markets in generations. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
FILE - Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco on Nov. 4, 2022. Twitter said Tuesday, Nov. 8, that it will add a gray “official” label to some high-profile accounts to indicate that they are authentic, the latest twist in new owner Elon Musk’s chaotic overhaul of the platform’s verification system. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)

Musk seeks to reassure advertisers on Twitter after chaos

New “official” label on high-profile Twitter accounts abolished just hours after it was introduced

FILE - Twitter headquarters is shown in San Francisco on Nov. 4, 2022. Twitter said Tuesday, Nov. 8, that it will add a gray “official” label to some high-profile accounts to indicate that they are authentic, the latest twist in new owner Elon Musk’s chaotic overhaul of the platform’s verification system. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
West Coast Animal Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital (WAVES) has announced it has partially reopened its ER after being forced to close it in September due to staffing issues. (Black Press Media file photo)

Langford vet clinic reopens ER for urgent care

WAVES closed its ER in September to preserve the mental health of staff

West Coast Animal Veterinary Emergency Specialty Hospital (WAVES) has announced it has partially reopened its ER after being forced to close it in September due to staffing issues. (Black Press Media file photo)
Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang

Canada’s looming Indo-Pacific strategy warns of China entanglement, boosts India ties

Joly: Canada seeks deeper ties with more democratic, reliable countries

Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly rises during Question Period in the House of Commons on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Tuesday, Nov. 1, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Justin Tang
Gladstone Brewing Company came out on top at the BC Beer Awards this past weekend. Photo by Alexandra Stephanson

Vancouver Island brewery named B.C.’s Brewery of the Year,

Courtenay’s Gladstone Brewing Company wins four golds and a silver at BC Beer Awards

Gladstone Brewing Company came out on top at the BC Beer Awards this past weekend. Photo by Alexandra Stephanson
The pirarucu leather Mac Pack is displayed in Piper & Skye’s showroom, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, in New York. In New York City, the luxury brand Piper & Skye has used pirarucu leather for shoulder bags, waist packs and purses that can fetch up to $850. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)

Giant, sustainable rainforest fish is now fashion in America

The fish and the business behind Rihanna’s Vogue pregnancy photo’s red, fish-scaled jacket

The pirarucu leather Mac Pack is displayed in Piper & Skye’s showroom, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2022, in New York. In New York City, the luxury brand Piper & Skye has used pirarucu leather for shoulder bags, waist packs and purses that can fetch up to $850. (AP Photo/Julia Nikhinson)
Locally sourced menu items – such as this Sunwing Farms tomato salad with Haltwhistle Cheese Company chevre, black olive puree, Saanichton Farms puffed wheat berries and garden herbs, is among the reasons the North Saanich eatery made the top 10 in Canada list for En Route. (Fox and Monocle/Facebook)

Doubling down on passions pays off for North Saanich chefs

Fox and Monocle Cafe named ninth best new restaurant in Canada

Locally sourced menu items – such as this Sunwing Farms tomato salad with Haltwhistle Cheese Company chevre, black olive puree, Saanichton Farms puffed wheat berries and garden herbs, is among the reasons the North Saanich eatery made the top 10 in Canada list for En Route. (Fox and Monocle/Facebook)
Julie Scurr, Chamber president. (Citizen file photo)

Ongoing labour shortage expected to continue, says Vancouver Island business leader

Cowichan chamber of Commerce president Julie Scurr said situation a result of a perfect storm

Julie Scurr, Chamber president. (Citizen file photo)
Representatives from Tseshaht Market and Alberni District Co-op stand beside one of the newly-installed gas pumps during a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 29. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)

Tseshaht Market partners with Co-op for fuel

Tseshaht Market celebrated the grand opening of its Western Nations fuel pumps

Representatives from Tseshaht Market and Alberni District Co-op stand beside one of the newly-installed gas pumps during a grand opening celebration on Saturday, Oct. 29. (ELENA RARDON / ALBERNI VALLEY NEWS)
Bill Collins, chairperson of Cascadia Seaweed, said the company’s goal is to see 50,000 hectares of seaweed cultivation by 2040. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Seaweed industry looking at potential to scale up production on Vancouver Island

Seaweed farming’s economic and environmental benefits discussed at economic summit in Nanaimo

Bill Collins, chairperson of Cascadia Seaweed, said the company’s goal is to see 50,000 hectares of seaweed cultivation by 2040. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
A real estate sign is pictured in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, June, 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS Jonathan Hayward

Vancouver home sales down 46% from last year, 13% from September: board

Composite benchmark price for Metro Vancouver sat at $1,148,900

A real estate sign is pictured in Vancouver, B.C., Tuesday, June, 12, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS Jonathan Hayward
Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey smile at the bar of their Pluvio Restaurant, which was recently named Canada’s best fine dining restaurantby TripAdvisor. (Andrew Bailey photo)

Ucluelet restaurant named Canada’s best fine dining experience

Pluvio tops TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best Awards

Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey smile at the bar of their Pluvio Restaurant, which was recently named Canada’s best fine dining restaurantby TripAdvisor. (Andrew Bailey photo)
Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey smile at the bar of their Pluvio Restaurant, which was recently named Canada’s best fine dining restaurantby TripAdvisor. (Andrew Bailey photo)

Ucluelet restaurant named Canada’s best fine dining experience

Pluvio tops TripAdvisor’s Best of the Best Awards

Warren Barr and Lily Verney-Downey smile at the bar of their Pluvio Restaurant, which was recently named Canada’s best fine dining restaurantby TripAdvisor. (Andrew Bailey photo)
FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition on March 9, 2020, in Washington. Musk posted video Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday, Oct. 28, deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)

Musk floats paid Twitter verification, fires board

Billionaire Elon Musk is already floating major changes for Twitter — and…

FILE - Elon Musk speaks at the SATELLITE Conference and Exhibition on March 9, 2020, in Washington. Musk posted video Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2022, showing him strolling into Twitter headquarters ahead of a Friday, Oct. 28, deadline to close his $44 billion deal to buy the company. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)
Adam’s Tarp and Tool co-owner Byron Blow poses in front of the new store in Langford. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)

Adam’s Tarp and Tool opening new store in Langford

Owners plan to expand to all major cities on the Island

Adam’s Tarp and Tool co-owner Byron Blow poses in front of the new store in Langford. (Brendan Mayer/News Staff)
Nolan Beise, founder of Circl, shows off a headset used to measure brain activity. Beise was among those presenting at a health-care technology showcase Oct. 26 at Vancouver Island Economic Alliance’s summit in Nanaimo. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)

Entrepreneurs at Island summit showcase high-tech solutions for health-care issues

Brain activity tracking, Indigenous mental health, seniors’ care discussed at summit in Nanaimo

Nolan Beise, founder of Circl, shows off a headset used to measure brain activity. Beise was among those presenting at a health-care technology showcase Oct. 26 at Vancouver Island Economic Alliance’s summit in Nanaimo. (Karl Yu/News Bulletin)
The Netflix menu is shown on a screen in Pittsburgh, on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. Netflix joins an array of new ad-supported streaming options when it launches the cheaper tier of its service on Nov. 1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Gene J. Puskar

Cable 2.0: Netflix and other streamers bring back ads after disrupting TV landscape

Free ad-supported platforms set to launch in Canada as Netflix releases its own cheaper version

The Netflix menu is shown on a screen in Pittsburgh, on Monday, Oct. 17, 2022. Netflix joins an array of new ad-supported streaming options when it launches the cheaper tier of its service on Nov. 1. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Gene J. Puskar