Bridgitte Anderson talks BC economy on Conversations That Matter series

“Whether it’s the rising cost of housing, unaffordable grocery bills, or an increasingly heavy tax burden, too many British Columbians feel the economy is not working for them,” said Bridgitte Anderson, the CEO and President of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, in the latest episode of Conversations That Matter with host and veteran journalist Stuart McNish.

Bridgitte was invited to join the series to talk about the challenges and opportunities to grow B.C.’s economy. From the U.S. trade war to B.C.’s economic climate, Bridgitte unpacks the importance of strengthening Canada’s economy and how economic growth can make everybody’s lives better.

Earlier this year as the threat of American tariffs loomed, GVBOT called on the provincial government to focus on growing the British Columbia economy by 3 percent.

“To build a future worthy of our aspirations and one we can be proud to pass on to the next generation, British Columbia must pursue policies that will boost our economic growth and raise our collective standard of living,” said Anderson.

GVBOT projects that by growing the provincial GDP by 3%, the economy will grow, government revenues will increase, and the standard of living for all British Columbia residents will improve.

Anderson said that a boost of 3% will raise personal GDP by $9,000 and add an additional $4.0 billion dollars to government revenues by 2030. The challenge comes at a time when the provincial debt and deficit are at all-time highs.

The province optimistically projects GDP growth of 1.8 percent, a figure that TD Economics challenges. TD projects a 1.5 percent growth for this year and falling to 1.3 percent next year.

Watch or listen to the episode to learn more about Bridgitte’s thought leadership and how B.C. can be capable of turning challenge into opportunity.