Commentary
Tune in regularly to Commentary on BIV.com, where you can find the latest insight into issues facing Vancouver, British Columbia and Canada
Passing grades for city halls, but homelessness a hot-button issue
Metro Vancouver’s three largest municipalities have completed more than a year under the heads of government that were elected to office in 2018. Kennedy Stewart replaced the retiring Gregor...
Editorial: Canada’s clarity deficit keeps rising
Clarity is atop the list of items Canadian businesses need more of from their governments. But it appears to be on the bottom of government priority lists. Consider, for instance, the recent...
Mid-mandate BC NDP makeover moves the party to middle ground
No matter what stripe the political party, the predictable pattern will emerge in government: you campaign radically and govern moderately. The left and right rhetoric slushily slides into the mushy...
Five secrets for building your customer service ‘wow’ factor
has changed profoundly in the last several decades as new digital and cloud technologies are reshaping our everyday business processes. At the same time, however, it looks like the fundamentals of...
Jobs weakness points to need for new focus on business climate
With the release of Statistics Canada’s December Labour Force Survey, it is now possible to tabulate annual employment growth rates and other key labour market indicators. Based on annual averages...
Three in five Canadians think Trump has been bad for Canada: poll
This year, Saskatchewan will hold a provincial election and there are plenty of rumours suggesting that British Columbia will consider having an early one as well. Most of the political...
Canada boasts diverse mosaic of moralities, survey suggests
During the course of my career as a public opinion researcher, I have asked about topics that would be expected to garner unanimous backing. Still, it is impossible to say that all Canadians feel the...
Editorial: More taxing times for small businesses
The Canada Revenue Agency’s (CRA) customer service function needs an upgrade. A recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) report underscores what most small businesses will already...
Big Taxi’s big roadblocks stalling ride-hailing competition in B.C.
We got ride-sharing last week in the Lower Mainland. People hopped a lift from neighbours in the cold and snow. We had ride-hailing, too. People waved their arms to flag a taxi. But we had neither...
Most B.C. residents recognize mining’s role in drive for zero-emission vehicles: poll
In British Columbia, any discussion that delves on the topic of resource development –whether it happens inside a classroom, in a pub or on social media – can be easily bogged down in absolutism....