ICCCV an

ABOUT US History

According to the recent census, over 15% of British Columbia’s population claim Irish descent. In many ways this is no surprise; Ireland and Canada share a deep history. In 1536, Irish emigrants began travelling to Newfoundland in search of fish. Between 1830-1850, over half a million Irish emigrants landed on the Eastern provinces of Canada. Throughout the 1950’s, 1970’s and 1980’s Irish people traveled far and wide across Canada, seeking new personal and economic experiences and opportunities.

Since the fall of the Celtic Tiger in 2008, Irish emigration to Canada has grown exponentially with Vancouver becoming one of the most popular destinations amongst Irish emigrants.

Founding the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce Vancouver

Despite this large diaspora, in 2017, many people felt that although there was increasing momentum for growing Irish community and businesses within Vancouver, there was something missing: A viable means for connecting and supporting this large group of talented individuals. A number of Irish people recognized the lack of support and networking opportunities for growing the Irish business community in Vancouver. They reached out to the late Irish Ambassador to Canada, Jim Kelly, with the idea of forming a chamber of commerce in Vancouver. With much enthusiasm and support, the Ambassador helped them establish a chamber. This small group would become the founding members of the Ireland-Canada Chamber of Commerce Vancouver (ICCCVan) to collaborate and create on the traditional and ancestral xʷməθkʷəy əm (Musqueam), Sḵwxwú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl ilw ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) territories.

The chamber in 2023

Five-years later and through a global pandemic, the chamber’s board of Directors is made up of six volunteer members and is looking to grow this to support the ever-growing Irish business presence in the city. The ICCCVan is a not-for-profit organization supported by the Irish Dept. of Foreign Affairs who continue to contribute to the operating costs of the Chamber through the Emigrant Support Program. The ICCCVan was created to promote, connect and support Irish professionals and business owners in Vancouver, effectively accelerating their integration into the Vancouver business environment. They are the only Irish professional networking organization in Vancouver, offering members a variety of opportunities to promote their business, build professional and social networks, learn from and contribute to the community , as well as numerous opportunities for professional education and development. The ICCCVan currently focuses on the promotion of trade and commerce for Vancouver-based Irish businesses between Canada and Ireland. The Canadian European Trade Agreement (CETA) has created opportunities for businesses to expand into Irish and European markets. Working within CETA, the chamber work to promote trade and commerce between Ireland and Canada and advance the business interests of our members.

The Chamber collaborates with and supports the Consul General of Ireland to Western Canada, the IDA, Ireland Canada Business Association (ICBA), Enterprise Ireland and Invest Northern Ireland amongst others in its remit. The ICCCVan also maintains close links with their sister chapters in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal helping support members as they move across the country to get up and running quickly.

Since Covid the Chamber has been able to get back to what it does best which is organizing events for our members and newcomers to attend. Events vary from formal St Patrick’s Day Business Breakfasts to Summer Trade Festivals and smaller gatherings for members in unique locations. Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, Eamonn McKee the Irish Ambassador to Canada, Vancouver City Councilor Pete Fry and a number of Irish business owners have attended and spoken at the chamber’s events in the last year.

If you are thinking of coming to Vancouver to work reach out to ICCCVan via their website where you can connect with the board directly at www.icccvan.ca

Standing L-R: Sean Daly, Kate Clarke, Eoin Logan, Alan Cosgrave & Alan Bradley. Seated L-R: Michael Murphy, Minister for Finance Michael Mcgrath and Retired Consul General Frank Flood

For Avoca, it all began in our little weaving Mill in Avoca Village, Co. Wicklow, back in 1723...

Deriving from the old Irish word abhoca meaning ‘little treasure’, we have been weaving here since 1723 and are proud to say there are skilled third generation weavers still working here today. 300 years later in 2023, colour and craft are still at the heart of what we do, and we are very proud of our history, heritage, and of our talented weavers.

Speaking about our 300 year anniversary, Avoca’s Managing Director Shane Flynn said,

“Avoca is a widely recognised brand associated with the finest of Irish produce by our customers in Ireland, and indeed across the world. Celebrating the 300 year anniversary of our Mill in Avoca Village is a historic milestone and one we are immensely proud of.

When visiting the weaving Mill, the hub and heart of our business, you get a real sense of the heritage as well as the skill and expertise of our weaving team. Extremely talented craftspeople have been working with us for many years. For some, the weaving trade has been passed down through the generations of their family and they can identify family members in the old photos adorning the walls of our Mill.

300 years on and we’re proud to stay aligned to traditions, keeping colour and craft at the centre of all we do at Avoca. We look forward to continuing these traditions for many more years to come”. Avoca’s Tourism and Events Manager Joanne Pollard said,

“This year is such a special year for the teams working across the Avoca business, in particular the team at the Avoca Mill who not only work with tremendous passion designing and producing all our woollen product but also share this passion with thousands of visitors to the Mill every year. It’s a huge privilege to be part of the 300 year celebrations and to share our history and heritage through our daily guided tours with visitors from near and far”

To celebrate the 300 year anniversary of our mill, Ireland’s oldest working weaving mill, our in-house design team have created six beautiful throws. The intention behind these designs is to honour our mill’s humble beginnings back in 1723, when raw wool was brought here and was turned into cloth and blankets for the local community. One special throw in the range is woven with custom spun yarn using wool from Wicklow Cheviot Sheep, locally sourced from wool farms close to our mill. Weaving is love and labour intensive. It takes a lot of patience to get perfection. Many hands play their part, from warping and tying-in to weaving, mending, finishing, washing, brushing and labelling.

Every thread in our famous throws whisper the tale of our little mill in Co. Wicklow, where we’ve been weaving since 1723 and today, you can still hear the clickety-clack of the looms at work.