Policy Search

The United Nations Refugee Agency says Canada has admitted the largest number of resettled refugees in recent years and has had the second highest rate of refugees who gained citizenship. In 2021, Canada admitted 10,810 government-assisted refugees. Between January 2015 - November 2021, British Columbia admitted 14,860 refugees. British Columbia became home to 510 of asylum claimants, who settled...

Given persistently high rates of youth unemployment in British Columbia—at 8.6%1, three percent higher than the national average2 —preparing youth to follow an entrepreneurial path is not only an acceptable choice, but also a strategic decision. There are programs in B.C. and in Canada that introduce youth to career paths, but there is not enough focus on developing practical entrepreneurial...

Innovation and technological advancements are extremely fast paced, but B.C.’s healthcare system has the opportunity to catch up. B.C. and Canada has an aging population. Acute intervention, which accounts for 80% of publicly funded dollars but serves less than 20% of the population, will be more costly in the future . Now is the time for innovative strides in the public health care system by...

According to the International Energy Agency, up to six times more minerals and metals will be needed by 2040 to accelerate the global energy transitions necessary to meet net zero emission commitments for 2050. Canada and our allies also recognize that changing geopolitical circumstances including, for example, an increasingly authoritarian posture in China and the Russian invasion of Ukraine...

For a single detached building permit, the DCC, depending on the municipality, is typically between $15,000 and $30,000. The requirement for payment of the DCC at subdivision or building permit stage, well in advance of closing of the sale and occupancy, results in a significant demand on cash flow, particularly for smaller construction/development companies.

Municipalities across B.C. share common issues impacting businesses’ ability to operate in a safe environment for their staff, their physical assets, and their customers. Loss of a sense of safety, break-ins, harassment (real or perceived) of customers, parking issues and the increased cost of doing business in unsafe environments have seen businesses close, reduce open hours, and/or cancel plans...

Public safety challenges have grown as local governments across the province utilize a blend of business improvement associations, BEOs, police, and municipality-specific mental health practitioners. The nature of some of the issues and calls for enforcement fall short of requiring police services yet are currently beyond a BEOs authority to resolve until such time as the British Columbia Police...

B.C.’s collision industry is the lowest paid of the Western Crown insured provinces B.C.’s collision repair providers post the lowest earnings. In comparison, Saskatchewan providers report nearly double the earnings of providers in B.C. This is a situation created by ICBC using a pricing model which is not at all competitive with other sectors of the auto industry, nor competitive with other...

The medical system in British Columbia and across the country is broken! We are at a crossroads in healthcare where we have to find solutions. The time to point fingers is over. We need to look at the system from the top down and re-connect the community voice with community health.

Most entrepreneurs in British Columbia are required to have their business name approved by the BC Registry Services. This is an essential step in their business registration. However, B.C. business names are not cross referenced against the federal Nuans database of corporations and trademarks, leaving these entrepreneurs vulnerable to legal disputes, difficulties operating in other provinces and...