Kelowna-Mission MLA Gavin Dew says small businesses across B.C. are being abandoned by the NDP government in the face of rising vandalism, violence, and street disorder.
In a media release, Dew quotes numbers from a new survey from the Business Improvement Areas of BC (BIABC).
It found that 67 per cent of downtown businesses report street disorder has worsened in the past year, fueled by drugs, mental health crises, and homelessness. Another 74 per cent business owners say staff fear and anxiety have increased, while 61 per cent said they face rising operating costs linked to crime and vandalism.
Nearly one in five businesses believe they may not survive another year if conditions do not improve. Dew is the Opposition Critic for Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation.
“Small businesses have been left to fend for themselves,” Dew said. “Every day brings another story of property crime, open drug use, violence, or even a body found outside a storefront. The NDP’s failed policies are making the situation worse.”
Dew said this includes drug decriminalization without recovery supports, a refusal to invest in addiction treatment and recovery, and a revolving-door justice system that fails to deal with prolific offenders.
He also claimed that the impact extends beyond storefronts, adding that low business confidence and the highest youth unemployment since the 1990s are signs of deeper economic failure.
“These are heartbreaking and frustrating issues, but talk isn’t enough,” he said. “We need action, real investments, and policy changes that tackle the root causes of mental health, addiction, and homelessness.”
