August 29, 2025
RED FM News Desk
Mission’s Conservative MLA Gavin Dew, who also serves as the Opposition Critic for Jobs and Economic Development, says small businesses in British Columbia are being left to fend for themselves against rising vandalism, violence, and street disorder under the NDP government.
In a statement Dew said “A new survey from the Business Improvement Areas of BC (BIABC) revealed that 67% of downtown businesses report that street disorder has worsened over the past year, fueled by drugs, mental health crises, and homelessness. 74% of business owners say their staff’s fear and anxiety have increased. 61% are facing rising operational costs due to crime and vandalism and Nearly 1 in 5 businesses have warned they may not survive another year if conditions do not improve.”
“Small businesses have been left to fend for themselves,” said Dew. “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 added that the impact goes beyond just storefronts, warning that rock-bottom business confidence and the highest youth unemployment since the NDP’s 90s era are signs of a deeper economic failure.
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