Bail Reform to Support Business Vibrancy
The Hon. Sean Fraser
Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Sent via email to mcu@justice.gc.ca RE: Bail Reform to Support Business Vibrancy
Dear Minister Fraser,
On behalf of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and our 5,000+ members, I am writing to provide our perspectives on the federal government’s planned legislation to strengthen bail conditions and sentencing criminal offences. We appreciate that the government is taking steps to prioritize this important matter, and we welcome efforts focusing on restoring safety, stability, and confidence in Vancouver and beyond, particularly in Canadian urban centers.
Public safety and crime remain pressing concerns for businesses across the Greater Vancouver region. These challenges impact not only community well-being but also create rising operational and security costs for businesses of all sizes. In light of these concerns, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade has joined the Save Our Streets (SOS) Coalition as a founding member—a group of community and business organizations working together to highlight constructive solutions to address safety issues.
We also understand that our colleagues at the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association and Destination Vancouver – other key business associations in our city—are also contributing similar perspectives on this issue. Together, we represent a broad and diverse cross-section of the businesses that make up Vancouver’s economic fabric. While we acknowledge that the challenges facing businesses can vary by sector and location, there is a shared concern around the ongoing impacts of repeat, non-violent offenders. We are concerned that these ongoing incidents are contributing to rising security costs, diminishing business confidence, reducing foot traffic, and affecting the overall sense of safety on our high streets, in the downtown core, and throughout the region. While Statistics Canada reports that Canada’s overall Crime Severity Index declined by 4% in 2024 – driven in part by decreases in offences such as theft under $5,0001 – the local experience for many Vancouver businesses tells a different story. For instance, shoplifting has been on the rise for four consecutive years, with incidents increasing by 66% between 2014 and 2024.2 Our latest member survey further shows 65% reporting that their businesses have been affected by employee or patron safety concerns, rising security costs, cleanup expense, theft, and property damage repairs, and that crime and public safety ranked as the fourth most pressing issue facing businesses today. Notably, 46% identified bail reform as a key suggestion to help improve public safety—a clear signal that urgent, coordinated action is both needed and broadly supported.
While we appreciate the positive impact the impending legislation may have on reducing violent crime, we urge the federal government to also consider the ongoing challenges posed by repeat non-violent offenders in urban centers like Greater Vancouver. These offences often directly affect public perception, safety, and the economic viability of the business community. With major events like FIFA 2026 on the horizon and as we prepare to welcome visitors from around the world, we need to position ourselves as a safe, vibrant, and welcoming destination – not just for tourism but for businesses and long-term economic attractiveness.
Concerns with the current bail system are impairing public confidence in the justice system. A recent SOS survey found that 88% of British Columbians believe many crimes go unreported, citing a lack of trust in the system as a key reason3. Greater transparency, accountability, and adequate resourcing are urgently needed to ensure timely justice and meaningful consequences for offenders. As you move forward with this important legislation, we respectfully encourage the inclusion of complementary reforms to address the accountability gap for repeat non-violent offenders. Thank you for your leadership on this important issue. We look forward to the opportunity to engage further as these legislative measures progress.
Sincerely,
Bridgitte Anderson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
1 https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/250722/dq250722a-eng.htm
2 Save Our Streets News Release July 23, 2025. “Statistics Canada Report Doesn’t Capture Full Picture of Criminal Activity in B.C.”
3 https://saveourstreets.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Release-Research-Co-poll-20240919-820pm.pdf
CC:
The Hon. Terry Yung, Minister of State for Community Safety and Integrated Services