North Vancouver businesses engage with provincial candidates ahead of election
The North Vancouver Chamber brought together local business leaders and provincial election candidates for an engaging Provincial Pre-Election Mixer on October 20 at Royal Canadian Legion Branch 118.
The business-focused event gave Chamber members a chance to make their voices heard, engage directly with candidates, and learn where political parties stand on issues affecting North Vancouver businesses ahead of the provincial election.
As the independent voice for business in North Vancouver, the Chamber is committed to ensuring elected officials and decision-makers hear our members’ priorities and concerns.
Putting business priorities front and centre
North Vancouver Chamber CEO Jonathan Mosley presented findings from the Chamber’s recent pre-election survey, highlighting the key challenges and priorities facing local businesses.
Review Pre-election Survey Presentation →
Transportation, rising operating costs, and housing affordability emerged as top concerns for North Vancouver businesses, making it increasingly difficult to recruit and retain employees.
Other priorities included tax relief, reducing regulatory burdens, improving access to labour, and investing in transportation infrastructure.
These findings helped inform questions posed to candidates, ensuring that the priorities of North Vancouver businesses were part of the election conversation.
Hearing directly from provincial candidates
Candidates from all three North Shore ridings — North Vancouver-Seymour, North Vancouver-Lonsdale, and West Vancouver-Capilano — addressed three questions on key issues affecting local businesses and the broader community.
Each political party was given equal time to respond, providing attendees with an opportunity to hear different perspectives and proposed solutions.
Explore the three questions below to read summaries of the candidates’ responses.
Question 1 What will your government do to support small business, making it easier to manage rising costs and uncertain times?
Lori Climenhaga
CentreBC | North Vancouver-SeymourClimenhaga highlighted the challenges businesses face from rising wages, rents, taxes, and economic uncertainty. She outlined CentreBC’s commitments to reduce provincial red tape by 25% by 2030, establish a $50-million Main Street Fund, lower income taxes, and deliver a fully costed plan to balance the provincial budget. Drawing on her experience working with businesses and chambers of commerce, she emphasized the importance of listening to business owners and addressing their concerns through government action.
Trevor Withers
BC Conservative Party | North Vancouver-LonsdaleWithers emphasized reducing costs and simplifying regulations to help small businesses invest and grow. He outlined proposals to eliminate the 7% provincial sales tax on machinery, software, and equipment, introduce a “one in, two out” approach to regulations, simplify taxes, and introduce no new taxes. He also acknowledged the connection between housing affordability, transportation, and businesses’ ability to attract employees.
Honieh Barzegari
BC NDP | West Vancouver-CapilanoBarzegari focused on supporting businesses through trade diversification, investment, and workforce development. She highlighted the BC NDP’s plans to expand international trade opportunities, prioritize purchasing from B.C. businesses through a Buy BC First approach, and offer interest-free business loans. She also discussed incentives for businesses hiring young people entering the workforce and investments in emerging sectors such as life sciences and technology.
Ben Holt
BC Greens | North Vancouver-SeymourHolt focused on creating greater certainty for small businesses, particularly those facing rising commercial rents. He outlined proposals for commercial rent controls tied to inflation, municipal vacancy taxes on unused commercial properties, and giving existing tenants the first opportunity to purchase commercial spaces when they become available for sale. He emphasized that predictable occupancy costs would help businesses plan, invest, and remain in their communities.
Naomi Chocyk
OneBC | West Vancouver-CapilanoChocyk emphasized tax reductions and private-sector growth as ways to support small businesses and strengthen the provincial economy. She outlined OneBC’s proposal to reduce personal and corporate taxes by 25% and lower the provincial tax rate by two percentage points. She argued that lower taxes would encourage investment, create employment opportunities, and help retain workers and businesses in British Columbia.
Question 2 Housing affordability and congestion make it hard for North Vancouver businesses to recruit and retain employees. What will your government do to address these issues?
Naomi Chocyk
OneBC | West Vancouver-CapilanoChocyk identified housing affordability and congestion as barriers to attracting and retaining workers in British Columbia. She advocated reducing government administrative costs and regulatory burdens to redirect resources toward infrastructure improvements, including transportation capacity and better commuter access to the North Shore.
Arwa Shurab
BC Greens | West Vancouver-CapilanoShurab emphasized the need to address housing affordability and transportation together. She outlined BC Green commitments to build and protect 25,000 affordable homes annually, strengthen renter protections through vacancy controls, and protect 2,000 affordable rental units annually through increased funding. On transportation, she highlighted plans to double bus service during the party’s first term, establish sustainable funding for transit agencies, and provide free transit for young people under 25 and seniors aged 65 and older.
Susie Chant
BC NDP | North Vancouver-SeymourChant highlighted investments in public transportation, including the RapidBus connection between Park Royal and Metrotown, as well as active transportation improvements and employer shuttle programs. She also pointed to increased housing construction and declining rental costs as developments that could improve affordability. Additional measures she discussed included the BC NDP’s commitment to continue freezing ICBC rates to help manage household expenses.
Lori Climenhaga
CentreBC | North Vancouver-SeymourClimenhaga outlined CentreBC’s plans to accelerate housing approvals by establishing provincial timelines of six months for rezonings and eight weeks for building permits by 2028. Other proposals included a $125-million annual housing performance fund, expanding BC Builds to deliver 20,000 below-market homes by 2031, and increasing the renter’s tax credit. For transportation, she highlighted a proposed 15% increase in transit service by 2030 and a commuter tax credit for monthly and annual transit passes.
Lynne Block
BC Conservative Party | North Vancouver-SeymourBlock highlighted workforce housing initiatives and the BC Conservatives’ Get BC Building Plan, including incentives for rental housing and a proposed BC Development Tribunal to improve development decision-making. She emphasized the need to coordinate new housing with infrastructure such as schools, utilities, and transportation. On congestion, she called for potential crossing improvements, alongside a commitment to fully fund TransLink for two years and review its funding model.
Question 3 How does your government plan to balance government revenue and spending to continue to deliver healthcare and education, and the current campaign promises?
Lori Climenhaga
CentreBC | North Vancouver-SeymourClimenhaga emphasized fiscal accountability while protecting healthcare and education. She outlined CentreBC commitments to expand nurse practitioner positions, improve access to family doctors, increase scheduled surgeries, add school spaces and educational assistants, and support responsible use of artificial intelligence in education. She also highlighted proposals for an independent budget officer, quarterly reporting on platform commitments, and a balanced provincial budget by 2034–35.
Caroline Elliott
BC Conservative Party | West Vancouver-CapilanoElliott emphasized controlling government spending and growing the private sector to generate additional provincial revenue. She expressed concern about provincial deficits, debt servicing costs, and the effectiveness of public spending. She advocated fiscal restraint, economic growth, and directing healthcare and education funding toward frontline services, while maintaining healthcare funding and improving service delivery.
Susie Chant
BC NDP | North Vancouver-SeymourChant emphasized protecting public healthcare and education while gradually reducing the provincial deficit. She highlighted investments in training doctors and nurses, expanding medical education, and supporting essential public services. She also discussed a proposed wealth tax to help fund essential public services, emphasizing the importance of continued investment in healthcare and education.
Joshua A Singer Johnson
BC Greens | North Vancouver-LonsdaleJohnson outlined the BC Greens’ proposal to balance the provincial budget in their first year without reducing public services. He highlighted plans for $9.2 billion in new spending, supported by a projected $25 billion in additional revenue, including a proposed wealth tax on assets exceeding $50 million. He emphasized investment in affordable housing, public transportation, healthcare, and other services while shifting more of the tax burden toward substantial accumulated wealth.
Naomi Chocyk
OneBC | West Vancouver-CapilanoChocyk emphasized reducing personal and corporate taxes to encourage private-sector investment, job creation, and economic growth. She also advocated reviewing government regulations and allowing a greater role for privately funded healthcare services, arguing that this could improve access to care and reduce pressure on the public healthcare system. She identified regulatory reform and economic competitiveness as priorities.
Candidate responses have been summarized from remarks delivered at the October 20 event. These summaries are intended to provide an overview of the perspectives and proposals presented and are not verbatim transcripts. Views and policy commitments are those of the respective candidates and parties and do not constitute endorsements by the North Vancouver Chamber.
Connecting businesses with candidates
The evening concluded with an opportunity for attendees to network, ask questions, and speak directly with candidates about the issues affecting their businesses and the North Shore.
The room was full of energy, and it was encouraging to see so many members of our business community actively participating in the conversation, sharing their perspectives, and learning more about the choices ahead.
Advocating for North Vancouver businesses
Events like our Provincial Pre-Election Mixer are an important part of our advocacy work. By bringing businesses and candidates together, we help elevate local business issues, encourage meaningful dialogue, and provide opportunities for members and the broader community to make informed decisions at the ballot box.
Thank you to our Event Champion, Seaspan, all the candidates, Chamber members, and guests who joined us for an evening of valuable discussion and connections. Your engagement helps strengthen the voice of North Vancouver’s business community.
