Open Letter to Prime Minister Carney: Calls to Action from the Business Community

The Right Honourable Mark Carney
Prime Minister of Canada
Ottawa, Ontario

Re: Calls to Action from the Business Community

Dear Prime Minister Carney,

On behalf of the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade and our 5,000 members across the Greater Vancouver region, congratulations on your election victory. The business community of Greater Vancouver, and indeed all of Canada, shares the vision you outlined during the campaign of a strong, sovereign, and prosperous Canada. Now more than ever, collaboration between government and business is essential to achieving it.

When you are next in Vancouver, we warmly invite you to address the local business community on our stage, which is the largest business events platform in Western Canada.

As you rightly identified during the campaign, Canada faces a defining moment. Donald Trump's unjustified trade war poses an existential threat to our economy, our sovereignty, and our way of life. In this environment, the economy must be the lens through which every policy decision is viewed. Every decision must be grounded in building a stronger and more resilient economy.

This is precisely the call to action behind the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade’s 3% Challenge: Agenda for Growth — a bold but achievable goal to drive 3% annual real GDP growth. Meeting this target would create tens of thousands of good jobs, raise incomes, and generate billions in additional revenues to fund the services Canadians rely on. Many of your platform’s commitments, like eliminating internal trade barriers, accelerating infrastructure development and building the strongest economy in the G7, reflect this same ambition.

Last week, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade joined over 100 business and civic leaders from the Seattle Metropolitan and Portland Metro Chambers for a joint advocacy mission to Washington, D.C. The Cascadia Corridor delegation met with more than 20 U.S. federal legislators and senior officials from the White House, the Department of Commerce, and the Office of the United States Trade Representative. The message was clear: Canada remains a trusted and valued partner — and there is broad bipartisan opposition to sweeping tariffs that would harm both economies.

These meetings — which occurred during your own meeting with President Trump — underscored both the urgency and opportunity in front of us. Officials acknowledged a softening stance toward Canada, and a pathway for resolution, though sectors such as lumber, steel and aluminum will continue to face challenges. The visit also highlighted shared regional priorities — from infrastructure and cross-border trade to climate leadership and supply chain resilience. In this environment, continued, visible and coordinated Canadian leadership will be critical.

As Co-Chair of Premier Eby’s Trade and Economic Security Task Force, I also know that B.C. supports a Team Canada approach to these challenges, and stakeholders in B.C. look forward to working with you and your newly formed cabinet to enhance Canada’s competitiveness.
With this context in mind, we urge you to make the following actions central to your first 100 days:

Stabilize Canada-U.S. Relations

We urge your government to move quickly to de-escalate tensions and stabilize relations with our most important trading partner. The United States accounts for nearly 75% of Canada’s exports — and countless jobs here depend on that relationship. Industries like forestry and aluminum, particularly in B.C., are already under pressure from tariffs, protectionist policies, and unfair trade practices. We echo B.C. Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar’s calls for strong federal support for these sectors to remain viable in this environment.

We commend your firm and clear approach during your recent visit to Washington, D.C., including your message that “Canada is not for sale.” Your “elbows-up” diplomacy sent a necessary signal at a critical time. Your meeting with President Trump, coinciding with our own Cascadia Corridor advocacy mission, reinforced the importance of cross-border collaboration and regional ties. We appreciate your continued defense of Canadian economic interests, including fair trade in lumber, steel, and aluminum — and welcome your commitment to ongoing dialogue.

Ultimately, Canada must become a destination for investment again. That means streamlining taxes, modernizing regulation, and ensuring our economic fundamentals attract capital across sectors — from critical minerals to clean tech to manufacturing.

Enhance Canadian Trade

Bolster Trade Diversification
Expand access to programs like the Trade Accelerator Program (TAP) to equip Canadian SMEs to grow beyond the U.S. market. Participating companies in British Columbia alone have each generated an average of $2.5 million in new revenue and 7.9 new jobs within two years. Scaling up such programs coast to coast is critical to strengthening Canada's economic resilience.

Support Internal Trade
Deliver on your promise to eliminate all federal barriers to internal trade by Canada Day. National mutual recognition of credentials and free movement of goods and services could unlock up to $200 billion in growth and reduce costs for businesses and consumers alike. This is not only an economic imperative — it is a sovereignty imperative.

A lot of ink has been spilled on how senseless it is that a business here in Vancouver would have a harder time selling its wares to customers in Montreal, for instance, than in Asia. We do not need to replicate these arguments here but urge continued and urgent action on advancing internal trade within Canada.

Invest in Trade-Enabling Infrastructure
Use the new $5 billion Trade Diversification Corridors Fund to prioritize strategic projects, including the George Massey Tunnel Replacement, Highway 1 expansion and expedited and coordinated action for the future of the Roberts Bank area as an increased hub for trade and export. Strengthening domestic supply chains and enabling the efficient movement of goods will fortify Canada's position amid global disruptions.

Accelerate Major Project Development

In collaboration with provinces adopting similar initiatives, adopt a One Window approach for major projects, with a maximum two-year timeline for federal approvals. Swift action on project reviews will send a strong signal that Canada is a competitive, reliable destination for investment, at a time when our global competitors are moving fast and investment is mobile. Reducing the time it takes to receive a permit will make Canada more competitive, especially in areas like critical minerals, mining and energy. We encourage your government to consider regional projects of priority, like LNG Canada Phase 2 here in B.C.

Reform Tax Regime

We encourage the federal government to prioritize a competitive business environment and a robust macroeconomic framework that fosters productivity and growth. One essential measure would be tax and regulatory reform. In recent member surveys, Vancouver businesses have identified reducing regulations and red tape, as well as improving permitting and approval timelines, as the top economic areas that the federal government should prioritize. Following closely are measures such as modernizing and simplifying the tax system and implementing a comprehensive whole-of-government economic strategy. We encourage the government, in undertaking its review, to prioritize the reform of tax and permitting with the ultimate goal of streamlining the system to ensure efficiency and a fertile business environment.

Stabilize Immigration Changes

Immigration is essential to Canada’s long-term economic success, but recent policy changes have created uncertainty for businesses, post-secondary institutions, and communities alike. We urge your government to commit to a period of stability in immigration policy so we can rebuild our brand internationally.

British Columbia relies on international students and skilled newcomers to address persistent workforce shortages across key sectors, from health care to construction to technology. To be clear, it was important that immigration levels and temporary residents overall be more aligned to our capacity, including services and housing. However, sudden shifts to international student caps, work permit eligibility, or permanent residency pathways disrupt planning, hiring, and service delivery. Stability, transparency, and regional alignment must guide the path forward.

In closing, to meet and sustain a 3% growth target longer-term, Canada must reverse its declining productivity trend. Our global peers are outpacing us on innovation, capital investment, and R&D — and the gap is widening. We urge your government to work collaboratively with the business community to increase investment and R&D. Equally important is improving access to venture capital and growth financing for Canadian companies ready to expand globally. A long-term national growth target — tied to improvements in productivity, labour force participation, and investment — would help galvanize public and private actors around a shared economic vision.

The Greater Vancouver Board of Trade stands ready to work with you and your government to achieve this pivotal opportunity. Again, we would like to kindly invite you to engage with us when you are next in Vancouver, including the opportunity to speak on our stage to address the Greater Vancouver business and broader community, or to meet with us or our members. Please have your office connect with our team at advocacy@boardoftrade.com to discuss your interest and availability.

Sincerely,
Bridgitte Anderson
President and Chief Executive Officer
Greater Vancouver Board of Trade