Vancouver City Hall plans to dismantle the Vancouver Economic Commission and bring its function in-house under the control of the city manager's office.
"A phased decommissioning plan will be enacted to minimize impacts of the transition on the business community and program partners to the greatest extent possible," a city hall press release states.
The VEC was formed in 1995, and though funded by the City of Vancouver, has operated at arm's length of city hall. Over the years, it has worked to cultivate certain business sectors, notably film and television, clean technology and e-sports.
Some of the functions of the commission will be assumed by a new department -- the Business and Economy Office -- under the aegis of the city manager.
“By further integrating business support functions into the day-to-day work of City Hall, it will ensure the city optimizes these supports in a coordinated way,” said City Manager Paul Mochrie.
“Particularly with Metro Vancouver’s creation of Invest Vancouver in 2019 to attract investment into our economy at a regional level, this new office will help the city focus on the local economy, supporting Vancouver businesses, and complementing Invest Vancouver’s business attraction and retention work.”
“This move reflects the immense importance of business support and economic development to City Council,” said Mayor Ken Sim. “We’re focused on being business friendly at City Hall, which means delivering services and supports in the most seamless and efficient way possible for local businesses.”
