Commentary
Tune in regularly to Commentary on BIV.com, where you can find the latest insight into issues facing Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada
Editorial: Vote for better budget books at city hall
Big-picture campaign bromides aside, what mayoral candidates dare not address in any meaningful way is the state of local government finances. Spending is more palatable to most voters than reining...
Late to the party, Canada needs to kick-start China courtship now
This much is clear: we need China. China needs us. We can figure out why; we have some difficulty with the how. The economic benefits of a bond are clear, as are the perils of ignoring it. Let’s...
Vancouverites’ views varied on Vision’s municipal vision
For the first time in a decade, Vancouver’s municipal government will not be dominated by Vision Vancouver. After three victories for Gregor Robertson and his team, the party is running several...
Widespread winds of change discourage incumbent candidates
By the end of this month, British Columbians will have chosen new mayors and councils all across the province. A sizable number of incumbents decided not to seek office again this year, opening the...
Tips for tapping into Western Canada’s red-hot M&A deal flow
Frothy valuations in public equity markets are turning more investors to private markets for returns, and there are lots of opportunities to be had, if you know where to look. According to Export...
Editorial: Trumpland increases its faux free-trade exports
Negotiators and politicians got one thing right when they christened the North American Free Trade Agreement replacement: it contains no reference to free trade. In Donald Trump’s world, free trade...
BC Liberals tapping the fear factor in the electoral reform debate
Fear is an accomplished, even admired weapon of politics. It stirs our fight-or-flight instincts and moves people more swiftly than anything to support or oppose. Much as we would like to think...
More risky business for employers: new data breach regulations
To date, when they have suffered a data breach, B.C.-based employers have generally had to concern only themselves with asset protection. Notification of customers or the regulator has not been...
No clear front-runners as yet in B.C.’s electoral reform debate
At the end of this month, electoral packages will begin to arrive at households in British Columbia. The 2018 Referendum on Electoral Reform will ask eligible voters two questions. In the first...
Questions answered, answers questioned in LNG Canada decision
This much is clear: the formal Final Investment Decision of the LNG Canada megaproject is an extraordinary opportunity for Northern BC and for Canada and a test of our abilities to deliver our energy...