Key Issue: Local & Regional Government

COVID-19 has led to many levels of government providing grants and bursaries to businesses to keep them afloat. This has resulted in massive debt levels. Additionally, once the BC Government invests to support small and growing business sector and they reach a certain level of profitability, they are then acquired by capital south of the […]

As highlighted in the 2016 report titled, The Economic Importance of the Lower Fraser River, the region under discussion stretches from Richmond to Hope, and is one of the prime economic generators in BC. As such, the Lower Fraser is a significant contributor to the national economy. Without clear strategic management between all levels of […]

The BC Urban Mayors Caucus was formed to draw attention to issues affecting the largest urban communities in the province. The group produced a document entitled Blueprint for BC’s Urban Future1, that calls for greater action in four specific areas, including Mental Health, Substance Use and Treatment; Affordable Housing; Public Transit; and A New Fiscal […]

“The Community Charter provides the statutory framework for all municipalities in BC except the City of Vancouver…and sets out municipalities’ core areas of authority…”1 Within this framework, grants or financial support to business is expressly forbidden.2 This provision hampers municipalities who wish to support their business community during times of crisis. Background In 2020, COVID-19 […]

BC’s businesses continue to face financial challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Local governments are feeling the same financial stressors, due to facility closures and the halting of other revenue streams. Raising municipal revenues through property taxes would only serve to increase costs to businesses. As a result, the pressure on local governments […]

The success of businesses in BC is directly impacted by the policies of our municipal and provincial governments such as: Business tax levels, including income taxes, capital taxes, commodity taxes; Property tax levels, including the relative proportions to individuals and businesses; and Various regulations that impact the efficiency of doing business in the Province and/or […]

The provincial government passed Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act 1 (DRIPA) legislation in November 2019 to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The purposes of the act are as follows: To affirm the application of the Declaration to the laws of British Columbia; To contribute to […]

The trade tensions Canada experiences for four years during the presidency of Donald Trump will not go away overnight. On the contrary, President Joe Biden has made some shocking policy decisions that have devastated the Canadian economy, cost thousands of jobs, and undermined the already fragile trade relationship between Canada and the United States. Canada […]

The United States and Canada have an interconnected, complex, and, at times, strained relationship. The last 4 years have shown how quickly communication can break down, and the economic toll such a break down can have. While there was hope that the next four to eight years will be amicable, the recent flurry of executive […]

The BC Government’s new Lobbyists Transparency Act (2020) (LTA) has placed considerable burden on the not-for-profit sector, and smaller organizations including Chambers of Commerce/Boards of Trade. In addition, this legislation undermines the democratic process that enables organizations to lobby and advocate to government. It significantly constrains communications and collaboration with government on the impact of […]