August 26, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Businesses in British Columbia has reported increased fears for safety amid violent incidents and social disruption, reveals a recent survey.
According to Jeremy Heighton, President of the Business Improvement Areas of British Columbia (BIABC), businesses in B.C. are shouldering an unfair burden due to the government’s lack of programs to address social disruption. This claim follows a survey of business owners across the province who report growing concerns for the safety of their staff.
The survey found that two-thirds of businesses have seen an increase in street disorder over the past year. As a result, 75% of businesses reported a heightened sense of fear for their staff, while 50% noted a negative impact on their customers. More than 60% of businesses are also spending more on repairs due to crime and vandalism.
“I had a meeting with our city council and a number of our business owners,” Heighton said. “One told us they lose $1,000 a day to what police would call ‘survival shoplifting’: things like candy bars, juices, and milk.”
In 2023, the province launched the Securing Small Business Rebate Program, which offered rebates to small businesses targeted by vandalism. However, the program ended in January and has not been renewed by the provincial government.
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