On Thursday, June 13, Jordan Sturdy, MLA for West Vancouver-Sea to Sky joined the Whistler Chamber and a dozen local business owners and Chamber Members to our boardroom for an Advocacy in Action session.
The session began with Jordan’s general updates, followed by a business roundtable amongst the attendees.
Here’s what you missed.
Housing
Sturdy mentioned the Sea to Sky region’s general unaffordability.
He went on to discuss the various housing initiatives introduced across the province.
Sturdy also spoke about the new legislation (the Homes for People plan) that enables small-scale multi-unit housing to increase the density on single-family and duplex lots. This would mean many Whistler neighbourhoods would allow for up to four small-scale units, depending on the lot size. Additionally, Whistler may require that some of these additional units would be designated for employee housing use.
Immigration – which has been important to address labour challenges – has also played a role in the lack of housing, he said. We have approximately 150,000 – 170,000 people arriving in British Columbia every year. At the same time. There are also many British Columbians moving out of the province, with many heading to other provinces for a more affordable lifestyle. Overall however, British Columbia needs to be building a lot more new properties to simply break even, he explained.
Simply put, no communities in the province have a surplus of housing.
Affordability
Affordability in Whistler remains the number one issue for everyone, from employees to businesses, explained Sturdy. This includes housing, food, labour, taxes, and other costs.
It is important that government pays attention to these issues. Businesses are facing increased costs including rent, supply chain costs, EHT, labour, and in some cases subsidizing housing for staff. Eventually, it becomes unavoidable for the businesses to absorb the increased costs and we see it passed on to the consumers.
Cost struggles for businesses
More than one attendee brought up the cost struggles of surviving as a small business in Whistler, with some questioning long-term sustainability.
One suggestion was to bring down the wholesale costs on liquor, as that’s something that could be implemented quickly, and could make a real difference for hospitality businesses.
Sturdy said that reducing liquor pricing has been a point of focus, and something he could support.
The economy
In February of this year, the BC government projected a record deficit of nearly $8 billion for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. Additionally, BC’s credit rating was cut to AA-, its third downgrade in three years, thanks to the levels of borrowing.
In terms of gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, British Columbia is now in 48th place, out of a total of 60 jurisdictions across North America. Sturdy stressed the need for a plan to get out of this position.
Growth and outlook
Sturdy explained that Whistler will continue to see growth here in terms of tourism.
Therefore, “our overriding goals have to be about how we manage that growth.”
He said that we need to make sure we have the capacity to be able to provide a great service to guests, and that we’d much rather be managing growth and opportunity than decline.
Yet while that growth is a positive overall, he admitted that it does come with its challenges.
Regional transit
Regional transit was also a popular topic for the discussion.
Sturdy stressed the need for a regional transit system, and said that the biggest hurdle is the funding formula. One option could be a fuel tax, which may not be a popular move. That said, he highlighted how we’re already paying 10 cents more for fuel than Vancouverites.
Everyone – from employers and employees to local families and tourists – could benefit from a regional transit system.
Immigration and Labour
While Sturdy earlier acknowledged that immigration was putting pressure on the housing market, the importance of foreign workers to local businesses was also highlighted.
The balance between the skills required for immigration and the needs of the newcomers are not being met. Skilled workers are seeking appropriate salaries and housing, which they often cannot attain in British Columbia due to the high cost of living. Meanwhile, other temporary workers face challenges with the pathway to citizenship.
Challenges with the impact of infrastructure upgrades
Recently, some Whistler businesses have been managing the impacts of an infrastructure upgrade in the village.
The issue was challenges with no clear communication from the infrastructure provider, and how that affected local businesses trying to continue operations. Local businesses are aware of the importance of such upgrades, but need ample clear messaging so they can prepare for service disruptions.
In response, Sturdy acknowledged the issue and said there had been similar issues in Pemberton (where he lives and operates North Arm Farm), all with little consultation. Furthermore, Sturdy has already had several meetings about these issues, and asked that the attendee contact his office about the challenges in Whistler so he could be up to date with any challenges. He indicated his interest in finding a solution, as it is impacting everyone.
The Whistler Chamber: Following the meeting, the Chamber’s Executive Director Louise Walker joined the attendee affected for a walk along the village stroll. As reported, a stretch of the stroll was without power, with many businesses putting up posters in their windows to apologise to customers. Outreach has been conducted with the businesses impacted to provide informed feedback and suggest solutions to mitigate the impact of any future infrastructure upgrades.
Support for the private sector
In some of Sturdy’s opening statements, he mentioned the government’s reliance on the growing private sector. One attendee wanted to know that if the private sector is the solution, then what is being done to support the private sector?
The challenges of running a businesses were discussed, including the fact that some companies have reached the ceiling of what they can charge.
The impact of bureaucracy and red tape was discussed, and that there are no real rewards or incentives for businesses looking to take risks. For example, it was highlighted how long it took for a new local business to open due to red tape slowing down the process.
Emissions reduction in new builds
Sustainable building was discussed, including the question of embodied emissions – the greenhouse gas emissions generated in the production and transportation of goods.
They pointed out that while BC is leading the way in some regards, there are still some issues. For example, you can now add exclusions for auxiliary buildings (such as basements), which could promote higher emissions.
Accountability
With Sturdy stepping down from his role in a matter of months, attendees wanted to know what we could collectively do to hold elected officials accountable.
The importance of strategic messaging was discussed with the local government identified as our closest connection.
The Whistler Chamber: Louise asked one of the attendees, who is on our Advocacy Committee, to take this question back to the committee for further discussion as well.
Retirement from politics
And finally, after more than a decade as an MLA, Sturdy commented that he won’t be running again for the upcoming elections. As such, this would be his last roundtable.
Numerous attendees thanked Sturdy for his service to the Sea to Sky business community.
The Whistler Chamber’s Advocacy in Action
The Advocacy in Action sessions are supported by TD Bank and offer Chamber members a chance to discuss relevant issues with community leaders.
The next session will be held on Thursday, August 15, and will primarily focus on issues for the upcoming election. This event is free for members, but has limited space, so you will need to register your interest for a seat.
Also, be sure to save the date for the All Candidates Meeting in October 2024. This will be an opportunity to learn more about candidates and pose questions.