Vancouver businesses urge election candidates to reduce tax swings and barriers to operating

The Story

With municipal and provincial elections approaching, business owners and advocates in Vancouver say many small operators are looking for candidates to address what they describe as mounting instability and rising costs of doing business.

Neil Wyle, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, said businesses in his area are feeling “stressed and stretched” and want stability. Wyle pointed to what he called “wild tax swings,” citing changes that he described as ranging from increases around nine per cent to 10 per cent, to periods with “no per cent,” which he said make planning and operations more difficult.

Wyle said the uncertainty created by abrupt shifts in tax policy is a challenge for day-to-day management. “It’s hard to run a business when you get all this strange stuff out of left field,” he said, describing conditions as “a bit wild all over the board.”

Other operators said election platforms should also respond to safety concerns and permit-related costs. Ashif Suleman, owner of the Rock Shop Experience on Granville Street, said his business faced a break-in earlier this month.

Suleman said he wants Granville Street to return to what he described as its earlier role as an entertainment district. He argued that people do not find the area safe enough to visit and said the street’s conditions are affected by homelessness. In his view, those factors also contribute to barriers for businesses trying to serve customers.

Suleman also called for fewer fees and less “nickel-and-diming” in how approvals work. He cited the cost of permits as an example, saying he pays more than $1,200 for a permit to place a garbage bin in an alleyway. Suleman said he believed the expense would be covered through property taxes but added that the city does not collect it, requiring him to pay someone to pick up the bin.

Ryan Mitton, legislative director for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB), said taxes are among the top issues raised by small business owners during discussions across the country. He said the CFIB’s conversations with small businesses consistently point to the cost of operating, adding that whether the pressure comes from provincial or local governments, the shared goal should be reducing overall costs.

Mitton said for local businesses the key factor is property tax, while for provincial matters it is the small business tax. He also linked rising costs to broader economic pressures facing small firms, stating that when businesses are caught between higher operating costs and tariffs, the message for governments is to reduce costs and taxes.

Suleman said his expectations for candidates are not limited to specific policy changes, and he described a broader desire to be treated as an operating partner for the city. “We want them to realize we are a partner in terms of the city and how it is,” Suleman said, framing the request as an effort to make municipal decision-making more responsive to businesses on the ground.