Key Issue: Transportation & Infrastructure

This week, the provincial government announced that it is proceeding with a replacement of the George Massey Tunnel. In response to the announcement, the BC Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, Fiona Famulak, released the following statement: “The BC Chamber of Commerce welcomes this week’s announcement that the Government of B.C. will replace the aging […]

The air transportation industry has barely survived the pandemic. The impacts are evident in air cargo, commercial, and leisure transportation flights. The air transportation industry has received some support, however, there is need for a long-term strategy. Many nations in Europe are implementing rapid testing at airports and providing substantial information on the efficacy of […]

BC’s trucking industry is subject to an antiquated, time consuming and overly complex permitting system. The current system causes significant delays, costs and uncertainty for the trucking industry, is harmful to BC’s competitiveness as a Gateway economy, results in greater GHG emissions, provokes non-compliance and related safety concerns, and diverts revenue from local businesses at […]

Based on current Canadian demographics, Canada’s baby boomers are retiring at a significant pace putting extra pressure on both the Old Age Pension Plan (OAS) as well as the Guaranteed Income Supplement (GIS). At this point, both these plans are funded from business owners and employees through general tax revenues. Because of the population shift, […]

Regional districts and their comprising jurisdictions across BC are going through the process of updating their regional growth strategies1. The urban planning concepts of developing goals, land use designations, and policies which support “complete communities” where “higher density trip-generating development” is being directed to Urban Centres and Frequent Transit Development Areas where “most trips can […]

Although the Kootenay region has a much smaller population base than many regions, there is a need to emphasize the importance of all transportation links throughout the region including airports, inland ferries as well as the safety of highways through the mountain passes. With a view towards regional economic development and community building, improved health […]

Background Air access for British Columbians in rural and remote regions has always been a challenge. Airlines struggle to economically provide routes and access to rural and remote areas while maintaining a positive balance sheet. Airlines have often written off the losses incurred in providing service to rural areas in order to feed passengers into […]

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 […]

High quality public infrastructure is critical to the health and sustainability of all communities, including Indigenous communities. Unfortunately, Indigenous infrastructure outcomes are very poor under the current approach. The literature, studies and media reports demonstrate that Indigenous infrastructure assets take longer to develop, cost more, and have shorter operational lifecycles than comparable infrastructure developed by […]

Canada’s gateway sector is a key driving force for the nation’s economy, facilitating the movement of Canadian goods across the country and to international markets. Improving the climate for infrastructure investment in Canada’s gateway sector is imperative to address the growing pressures and demands on the sector, support the needs of our growing economy, ensure […]