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Vancouver Launches Business Task Force to Boost Economic Growth

Prime Highlights

  • Vancouver launches the Mayor’s Business Growth Task Force to further develop business conditions in the area.
  • The task force will facilitate easier law changes and economic growth to drive harder despite worldwide uncertainty.

Key Facts

  • Technologists, financialists, tourisms, and property sector members are among those on the task force, including a former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell.
  • It will examine such issues as licensure, taxation, economic incentives, and investment, the report going to the city council in about six months’ time.

Key Background

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim launched the Mayor’s Business Growth Task Force, a strategic plan to improve the city’s business climate amid growing global economic uncertainty, on April 7, 2025. The task force is made up of a cross-section of industry leaders from different sectors of technology, finance, tourism, and real estate, as well as former B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell. The panel has been tasked with identifying and solving issues that plague conducting business in the city.

The task force mission is mainly to examine and recommend how to streamline permit processes, taxation policy, economic incentives, and investment strategy processes. Through rationalizing these areas, the task force aims at eliminating unnecessary barriers, streamlining the key industries, and making Vancouver competitive in the rapidly changing world economy. Mayor Sim emphasized local preparedness, stating that while global economic forces are not under one’s control, the city could perform proactive steps to create a conducive environment for entrepreneurial growth.

City councillors Mike Klassen, Lenny Zhou, and Pete Fry will be liaisons, from the task force to the city council. The non-partisan movement was mentioned by councillor Fry, referring to the concerted effort to address uncelebrated economic challenges. The task force has a requirement to present its findings and recommendations to the city council within six months, resulting in beneficial action towards making Vancouver’s economic landscape more resilient.