A message on the 2024-25 fiscal year from GVBOT President & CEO, Bridgitte Anderson

This article is from our 2024-25 Annual Report.

It’s become cliché to say we live in unprecedented times. Yet how else do you describe the last 12 months? This fiscal year, more than any other year in my time as President and CEO, has shown - time and again - the importance of a business community that works together to champion economic growth.

Rising geopolitical tensions, a global economic slowdown, and Trump’s unjust trade war and tariffs on Canadian goods have made for a tumultuous year. However, the team at 999 Canada Place has done their level best to navigate these choppy waters and ensure that our organization continues to increase its influence and impact, providing a strong voice for the business community in the region, and deliver results that position us as a key player in shaping the future of Greater Vancouver.

Our reach and visibility expanded dramatically this year. With 47 main stage events drawing more than 12,000 attendees, our social media platforms reached a record-breaking three million impressions, over 7,000 media hits, and hundreds of thousands of website visitors; our voice carried farther than ever before.

Foundational to our mission this year was the launch of Agenda for Economic Growth: The 3% Challenge. This multi-year campaign is grounded on the simple premise that if we want to build a future that reflects our ambitions—and one we can be proud to pass on to the next generation—British Columbia must pursue policies that unlock growth, attract investment, and raise our standard of living.

Economic growth is more than just a number. At its core, it reflects the lives of everyday people—the value of their efforts, their ability to provide for their families, and the hope that their children will have a better future. By staying laser-focused on growth, we confront the greatest enemy of prosperity: uncertainty.

Uncertainty shows up every day. It’s the young person unsure whether they can build a life here. The family stretched to their limits with mortgage payments. The senior worried about accessing timely healthcare. The small business trying to navigate trade compliance or the large employer debating whether a multi-year arduous permitting process is worth the risk of investment.

Uncertainty is a death by a thousand cuts. Let it fester, and it undermines confidence, deters investment, and weakens our ability to act when it matters most. Our collective challenge— governments, businesses, not-for-profits, and individuals—is to remove that uncertainty and unleash the full potential of our economy. 

This year, we met that challenge head-on. In the face of growing trade friction with the U.S., we stepped up. Our team joined over 100 leaders from across Cascadia for a joint advocacy mission to Washington, D.C., meeting with lawmakers, White House officials, and trade representatives to defend Canadian economic interests. We welcomed U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to Vancouver during his first visit and relaunched our U.S. Tariff Resource Hub to support businesses on the ground.

Nationally, we amplified our voice through the Canadian Global Cities Council, which I currently chair. We hosted the first-ever CGCC Day on the Hill, met with federal officials, and released a detailed letter to Prime Minister Carney outlining key economic priorities for his government’s first 100 days. At every level, our message was consistent: a strong economy is the foundation for everything else.

Our policy team worked tirelessly to mobilize dozens of leaders and experts across four major reports—all anchored in the 3% Challenge. From streamlining permitting and reducing business costs to expanding internal trade and preparing our province for the AI economy, our work delivered timely, targeted solutions.

While we build locally, we must ensure we’re able to get goods to market, and the World Trade Centre Vancouver team has been hard at work over the last 12 months doing just that. In 2024-25, WTC-V directly supported more than 1,000 companies navigating CUSMA compliance, trade acceleration, digital transformation, and market diversification.

We also recognized that amid all these changes, one group is being hit especially hard: young people. Canadian graduates are facing the highest unemployment rate in nearly three decades, with the unemployment rate for those aged 15 to 24 at 16.6%. That’s why our Leaders of Tomorrow (LOT) program— now in its 25th year—is critically important. Thanks to support from the VBOT Foundation, bursaries were introduced for the first time this year. LOT equips students with the mentorship, skills, confidence, and professional connections they need to build careers here in B.C. and be able to lead in the years ahead.

As part of our commitment to reconciliation, we continued to offer Indigenous Awareness training in partnership with Indigenous Corporate Training. Nearly 200 individuals participated in five sessions this year, building cultural understanding and practical knowledge to support respectful relationships with Indigenous Peoples.

2026 brings big opportunities to our region. The world’s attention will be on us when the FIFA World Cup 2026 descends on BC Place. This May, for the second year in a row, Vancouver will host Web Summit, one of the world’s largest tech conferences connecting start-ups, tech giants, and investors from around the globe. And while the future may not be more predictable, we will have a plethora of opportunities to position and showcase B.C. as a globally attractive investment destination; we just need to ready ourselves to lead.

Canada has the resources the world needs most: energy, food, and critical minerals. And we also have the talent to create the technologies and companies of the future. We have all the building blocks necessary to be a world leader and British Columbia can and should be the launchpad for that leadership.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade will continue to build on the foundation we laid this year, strengthening the conditions for growth, investment, and opportunity across our region. The road ahead will not be easy. But with the continued support of our members, partners, volunteers, and staff, I know we will meet this moment. Together, we will be the strong voice our economy needs, putting forward real solutions and seizing this generational opportunity to build a better future for all.