WorkBC Centre - Duncan

301 - 80 Station Street

Duncan, BC V9L 1M4

Phone: 250-748-9880

Fax: 250-746-8986

centre-duncan@workbc.ca

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Wednesday 10:00am - 6:00pm

Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Closed Weekends & Holidays

Not Yet a Client? Get started with WorkBC Services!

Apply for WorkBC Services

Learn about WorkBC Services

Employer Services

Already a Client? Access your Services!

Online Employment Services (OES)

WorkBC Learning Management System

Resources

Whats going on at WorkBC Cowichan?

Calendar of workshops & events:
Sept 1: Career Cafe is 10-11am.
Sept 2: Career Decision Making Workshop is 10:30-12:30pm.
Sept 7: Closed
Sept 8: Career Cafe is 10-11am.
Sept 10: Resume & Cover Letter Workshop is 1-3pm.
Sept 14: Interview Skills Workshop is 9-11am.
Sept 15: Career Cafe is 10-11am.
Sept 16: Hidden Job Market Workshop is 10:30-12:30pm.
Sept 22: Career Cafe is 10-11am.
Sept 23: Resume & Cover Letters is 1-3pm.
Sept 24: Inclusive Job Fair in Duncan is 12-2pm.
Sept 29: Career Cafe is 10-11am.
Sept 30: Closed.

Weekly Newsletter

*|MC:SUBJECT|*

View this email in your browser

The Weekly

Cowichan & Ladysmith's Labour Market News

Friday, September 4, 2026

Employment Workshops & Events

A table of workshops & events: Sept 7: Closed. Sept 8: Career Cafe is 10-11am. Sept 10: Resume & Cover Letter Workshop is 1-3pm.

Image of tools laid across a tabletop. Text: Reminder - Our offices will be closed Monday, September 7th for Labour Day.

A smiling woman passing over her resume. Text: Resume & Cover Letter Workshop. Join us for hands-on guidance, tips on formats & styles, and the latest trends. Sept 10 from 1-3pm at WorkBC Duncan.

Photo of two WorkBC staff at a table with brochures and posters. Text: Meet the Outreach Team. Job search support & employment prep at Cowichan Valley Basket Society. Sept 10 from 11:30-1:30.

Job Fair poster with two smiling people. Text: Featuring local employers from construction, hospitality, community services, and more.

YOU'RE INVITED!
Join WorkBC Cowichan Valley at our Inclusive Job Fair in Duncan!

We've got some great employers joining us on September 24th!

🤝 Get ready to meet these employers - PLUS more to to announced:

Canadian Mental Health Association: Cowichan Valley Branch
Clements Centre
Cowichan Tribes
Cowichan Valley School District #79
Gibby's Cafe and Catering
Glenora Farm
Jerry’s Transport Ltd.
London Drugs
M'akola Housing / Ts'i'ts'uwatul' Lelum Assisted Living
Providence Farm
Thunderbird Motor Inn
Walmart

Email or call to register for WorkBC Workshops & Events!
centre-duncan@workbc.ca
250-748-9880

Labour Market News

Former Koksilah Elementary School in Duncan sold to church, landscaping company
The Cowichan Valley School District announced Monday that the former Koksilah Elementary School property has been sold to Duncan Pentecostal Church and Living Stones Landscaping Inc. The sale was finalized Aug. 28, with the new owners expected to take possession of the property on Sept. 15.

2 workers resign amid strike at Cowichan Valley Citizen newspaper
On Thursday, the Victoria–Vancouver Island Newspaper Guild (VVING), which represents workers at the Cowichan Valley Citizen, said two people resigned as a strike that started on Aug. 13 drags on.

Defence minister non-committal on Crofton navy base proposal
National Defence Minister David McGuinty says the federal government has received a proposal to turn the pulp and paper mill site at Crofton into a navy base, but made no commitments.

Unions demand next ferries be built in B.C.
A coalition of unions has launched a campaign demanding that the next vessels added to the B.C. Ferries fleet be built in B.C. The 17 trade unions call themselves Build Them Here, and they represent more than 7,000 workers, including shipbuilders, ferry workers and steelworkers. They claim the province’s shipbuilding industry has both the capacity and ability to build whatever B.C. Ferries needs.

Ottawa extends gas tax break ahead of countertariffs on U.S. goods
The gas tax break, introduced in April in the government’s spring fiscal update to counter soaring oil prices, was set to expire Sept. 7 but will be extended to Jan. 31, 2027. It will then be halved until the end of March, then phased out completely.

Canada’s economy loses 41,700 jobs in August, unemployment steady at 6.4%
The previously hot labour market stalled out to end the summer with a loss of 42,000 jobs in August, Statistics Canada said Friday. The unemployment rate held steady at 6.4 per cent last month, the agency said. August’s losses fell short of economists’ expectations for a gain of 15,000 positions.

Making it easier for reservists to train and serve, while keeping their jobs secure
Under the Employment Standards Act, the right to reservists’ leave is available to all eligible employees regardless of how long they have been employed. Employees must provide their employer with at least four weeks’ advance notice of their upcoming training or deployment activities, unless they are deployed on short notice, then notice must be provided as soon as possible.