Downtown Businesses need attention

In a letter to Premier David Eby, the Business Improvement Areas of BC writes “… there is still an urgent need to address local priorities that don’t fall within the scope of the Fund and is calling on government to create a separate funding envelope that addresses the rampant vandalism and property crime issues impacting communities across BC.”

“It is an issue when you are trying to run a business and you’re trying to put money in the till. And it’s it’s just adding to your concern as well as I think something else that they have to concentrate on when they really want to deliver the best businesses to our community.”

In fact, BIABC recently conducted a survey of 500 businesses in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley, Kelowna, Kamloops, Prince George and Victoria, in which nine percent of businesses felt they would last less than a year under present conditions, 17 percent said a year beyond that and 22 percent identified two years, but not beyond.

“Downtown Prince George has been trying to support our businesses in a small way for the last four years. We have small micro-grants that are helping them to put in safety, and preventative measures, but those are only small $500. But since 2018, between that grant and a broken Windows grant, we’ve given out $22,000 to over 45 businesses.”

Van Mook says that, though, is only a fraction of what businesses are incurring due to vandalism and property crimes, with many proprietors saying it goes well beyond the cost of doing business.

by Cheryl Jahn

Downtown Businesses need attention

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