Jeremy Heighton: Every party and candidate needs to articulate how they would create the conditions for safer, stronger, more resilient business communities. Pretending there are simple answers doesn’t help anyone, but accepting the status quo can’t be the answer either
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Provincial elections inevitably produce big debates about the future of British Columbia. But amid the competing announcements and campaign promises, we can’t lose sight of the places where many of the challenges facing our province are experienced every day: our downtowns, main streets and commercial districts.
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These are the places where British Columbians work, shop, meet and build community. They are also home to tens of thousands of small businesses that employ our neighbours, support local organizations and contribute to the character and economic vitality of communities across B.C.
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As British Columbians head into an early provincial election, those businesses deserve to be part of the conversation.
Business Improvement Areas of B.C. represents the majority of the province’s 80 Business Improvement Areas and more than 55,000 small businesses. What we hear from them is remarkably consistent: operating conditions are deteriorating and, for many, remaining viable is becoming increasingly difficult.
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Sunrise
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Costs have risen. Economic uncertainty persists. Businesses are struggling to attract and retain employees. And in too many communities, public safety, street disorder, retail crime and repeat offending have become part of the daily reality of operating a business. Together, these challenges are putting sustained pressure on businesses already struggling to absorb higher costs and disruption.
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A recent BIABC survey provides some perspective. Sixty-five per cent of businesses identified public safety and street disorder as a significant concern. Sixty-three per cent said operating conditions had worsened over the past year. Sixty-eight per cent were concerned about the impact of crime on their employees, while 89 per cent believed governments were not doing enough to address repeat offending, retail crime and public safety.
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Those numbers tell us something important about the health of our communities.
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When an employee feels unsafe at work or walking to their car after a shift, when a retailer absorbs another theft or broken window, or when customers avoid a commercial district because they no longer feel comfortable there, the consequences extend well beyond a single storefront.
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This election provides an opportunity for every party and candidate seeking to govern British Columbia to clearly articulate how they would address these challenges and create the conditions for safer, stronger and more resilient business communities.
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We need a comprehensive approach to public safety that addresses repeat offending and retail crime while recognizing the interconnected challenges of mental health, addictions and homelessness. These are complicated issues. Pretending there are simple answers does not help anyone. But accepting the status quo cannot be the answer either.
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We also need a serious conversation about the cumulative cost of doing business. A new tax or regulatory requirement may appear manageable in isolation. But small businesses experience them collectively — alongside rising rents, wages, insurance, security, supplies and other operating expenses. For businesses working on thin margins, those cumulative costs matter.
