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Downtown Victoria corner to host sleek machines

Business Beat looks at what's new and interesting in the Greater Victoria business scene
Little Black Dress 2
First-year Pacific Design Academy student Katrina Carreck shows off her version of the little black dress at the Bay Centre. A silent auction of the students’ designs is being held in support of Women in Need.

Porsche Centre Victoria is on the move, relocating to temporary digs at 1855 Blanshard St., across from Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre. The dealership expects to be in the temporary location for about a year while a new stand-alone showroom is built beside Volkswagen Victoria on Douglas Street.

Nancy Buchanan, a hairstylist in Victoria for 15 years, has opened her own Looking Glass Salon in Fairfield at 101-364 Moss St. The graduate of Kelowna’s Martier Academy worked at Bella Moda, Arq and most recently in Oak Bay at David Levi Salon. Check out Buchanan’s work on the salon’s Facebook page, or call 778-433-8785 for appointments or information.

Awards & Accolades

The Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce recently presented the 2011 Awards of Excellence. Winners included Frederique Philip, Citizen of the Year; Kari Osselton, Volunteer of the Year; Your Perfect Gift, Home-based Business of the Year; A Sea of Bloom, Small Business of the Year; Sushi on the Sea, Customer Service Hospitality; Academy Dental, Business Improvement/Beautification; and Sooke Harbour House, Community Arts and Culture.

New & Notable

The Bay Centre is hosting the Pacific Design Academy’s Little Black Dress fundraiser for WIN (Victoria Women in Need Community Cooperative). Eleven one-of-a-kind little black dresses, created by fashion design students from the Academy, are on display on the level 2 bridge at The Bay Centre as part of a silent auction, open until 5 p.m., April 13. All proceeds will go to WIN – supporting women in developing healthy, financially stable lives for themselves and their families in vibrant, supportive and sustainable communities.

Visit Thailand without leaving Victoria at the brand new NoodleCart, downtown on Blanshard Street. The newest venture from the owners of the Little Thai Place restaurants, NoodleCart offers traditional Thai dishes served in an inviting, old-world market setting reflecting the heritage of the cuisine.

Local online travel startup Travergence is making it easier for tourism companies to connect with travellers on Facebook. Travergence has developed a free Facebook app, which allows companies to showcase activities and receive online booking requests directly from Facebook. The free app is available to any tourism business in the activity or attraction sector. Signing up also gives providers a presence on the main Travergence website and its hotel content network.

Cadboro Bay Books hosts Once Upon a Crime April 24, a discussion with mystery authors Cathy Ace, Stephen Legault and Debra Purdy Kong about the world of crime writing. Admission is free for the 7 p.m. event.

If you have business news you’d like people to know about, email jblyth@telus.net.