Douglas Weekly 2025

Douglas Weekly – August 11

August 11, 2025

Ceedar's founders are Connor Turland and Pegah Vaezi. Photo: LinkedIn.

IN THE KNOW:

Funding boosts local AI company

Victoria-based startup Ceedar has secured $200,000 USD in pre-seed funding led by Metalab Ventures and several customers-turned-angel investors.

Founded in 2023 by Connor Turland and Pegah Vaezi, Ceedar’s mission is to simplify the bookkeeping process for business owners by automating financial reporting, maximizing tax deductions, and integrating seamlessly with financial platforms like Stripe and Wise.

The platform handles tasks like categorization, sales tax tracking, and reconciliation to save time and reduce stress for founders. This approach has resonated with the startup’s early user base, several of whom have invested in the company after experiencing its benefits first-hand.

The company has posted rapid growth, boasting a 70% month-over-month revenue surge in Q1 2025 and becoming profitable ahead of schedule.

Next, Ceedar plans to enhance its software and expand into the U.S. market.

July job losses no cause for alarm, Province says

British Columbia remains resilient amid U.S. tariff threats, according to the latest Statistics Canada Labour Force Survey for July 2025.

While the province reported month-over-month job losses in July, B.C. has added 21,400 full-time jobs since the start of the year—the highest gain among Canadian provinces.

B.C.’s private-sector employment grew by 1,500 jobs in July, making B.C. the only large province to see such growth that month. Since July 2017, private-sector roles have expanded by 179,200 and self-employment by 28,700.

B.C.’s unemployment rate is 5.9%, the fourth lowest nationally and below the 6.9% Canadian average. Wage growth is also strong, with the average hourly wage at $37.75, leading all provinces and marking a 2.9% increase year-over-year. Sector-specific gains include an addition of 14,700 jobs in retail trade and 1,600 in agriculture in July alone.

Downtown thriving despite challenges

The Downtown Victoria Business Association (DVBA) is countering persistent public narrative around safety concerns by highlighting local businesses demonstrating resilience and growth.

The organization lauds entrepreneurs who are expanding their presence, relocating to larger spaces, or opening new ventures in the city’s core, and points to Cenote’s owner launching Volta, Puzzle Lab moving into a larger storefront, and The Natural Hair Salon establishing a new training academy downtown.

And, says the DVBA, several businesses have transitioned from pop-up shops to full brick-and-mortar establishments, reflecting renewed confidence in the area.

The organization says this type of business expansion signals a broader momentum within Victoria’s downtown, even as issues such as public safety and affordability remain top of mind for owners.

DVBA CEO Jeff Bray notes that while challenging headlines persist, individual success stories reveal a passionate and committed community of business owners whose resilience is key to sustaining and revitalizing downtown Victoria as an attractive destination to shop, dine, and work.

Ocean Diagnostics to lead national research project

Blue tech company Ocean Diagnostics has been selected by the National Research Council Canada to lead a multiyear project developing national monitoring framework for aquatic and marine microplastic pollution in Canada.

The organization develops innovative technology to diagnose and monitor freshwater and ocean health.

Founder Ethan Edson says “this is a huge step forward for our team and the ocean science community in Canada. Microplastics are an urgent environmental issue, and the need for consistent, comparable, and actionable data across different ocean and river ecosystems is greater than ever.

With the support of NRC, we’ll be working closely with government and academic partners, policymakers, and communities across the country to create the foundation for long-term monitoring and better decision-making by leveraging Ocean Diagnostic’s enabling sampling, sensing, and lab analysis technologies in partnership with NRC’s cutting-edge statistical transport models.”

Camosun College Board elects new Chair

Lindsay Kearns, a Coordinator for the BC Centre for Women in the Trades, has been elected as the new Chair of the Camosun College Board of Governors. Kearns assumed the role earlier this month, taking over from outgoing Board Chair Tanya Clarmont.

Kearns is a Coordinator for the BC Centre for Women in the Trades, a project of the BC Federation of Labour. She is also a Director at Large on the Executive Board of the BC Trades Equity Society, serves as the recording secretary for the Victoria Unit of IBEW Local 230, and sits on the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee of the Canadian Apprenticeship Forum.

She holds her Red Seal Construction Electrician certification from Camosun College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and Indigenous Studies from the University of Victoria.

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