Check out my look into legal cannabis sector. Sales are down overall, although some product categories still see growth. Alcohol still dominates, with 5X more sales. #retail #cannabis #alcohol

Great news for start-up ventures at Simon Fraser University. The province's InBC Investment Corp. and SFU are launching a venture fund set to have $20M to provide to SFU-related companies. www.biv.com/news/technol...

Huge venture capital raise today for Coquitlam-based #quantum company Photonic: $275M. The announcement comes as some execs attend #WebSummitVancouver #technology #WebSummit #quantum

B.C.'s ban on new U.S. alcohol imports has not helped sales for B.C. wineries. BCLDB stats show that wholesales for #BCwine were flat earlier this year. Wholesales for wines from France (+24%), New Zealand (+18%) and Argentina (+13%) were far more popular. Overall alcohol sales continued to decline.

Travel on flights between YVR and U.S. destinations was down for the 15th month in a row in March. Big declines were in travel to Las Vegas (29.9%), Palm Springs (23.5%) and Honolulu (12.4%). #travel

With plenty of Metro Vancouver hotel projects in the pipeline, some are just completed or nearing completion as #FIFAWorldCup nears. #hotels #hospitality #BCecon

Vancouver city council just passed a motion to direct staff to craft a six-month pilot project for food-delivery robots to use sidewalks in downtown / Kitsilano. Many details are to be worked out by staff. The province must also issue regulations. #robots #technology www.biv.com/news/technol...

Exciting news for downtown Vancouver as Simons confirms what had been long speculated: it will lease 92,000 square feet at CF Pacific Centre. Chatted with some analysts about that this morning. #retail #BCecon www.biv.com/news/retail-...

Hard to believe Expo 86 opened 40 years ago later this week. Check out my look into the World's Fair that provided plenty of infrastructure and shaped how Vancouver developed. #Expo86 #citybuilding

Vancouver used to regularly top rankings for most expensive average hotel rates among major Canadian cities. No more. Toronto has been No. 1 for the past six months, despite lower occupancy. I look into why this is happening. #tourism #hospitality #hotels

Finally Lululemon appoints new CEO. Challenges abound for Heidi O’Neill, who has plenty of experience at Nike and on corporate boards. One similarity between Lulu and Nike? Dismal investments in recent years. I wish her well. #retail #$LULU www.biv.com/news/retail-...

Vancouverites are increasingly renting out their vehicles via peer-to-peer networks. I looked into this phenomenon in the lead-up to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, when one platform told me it expects Vancouver vehicle owners to reap about $600,000. #technology

Most B.C. businesses to feel effects of the province’s planned PST expansion to professional services, including accounting and security. #BCpoli #BCecon www.biv.com/news/pst-exp...

End of an era at London Drugs with president and COO Clint Mahlman readying to retire in May. Nick Curalli will have big shoes to fill. Thanks Clint for the many interviews through the years. All the best in retirement! #retail #retirement

SFU and Queen's University plan to bid for what could be $900M to build out supercomputing infrastructure. It's about time the feds allocate all of the $2.4 billion for AI capacity that former PM Justin Trudeau promised almost two years ago. #BCtech

Plenty of new grocery stores set to open in Metro Vancouver. The 10-store Sungiven Foods Canada having the most ambitious target: 15 more Metro Vancouver stores by 2029. That includes "at least" two more this year. Check out my look at that and others: #grocery #retail #BCecon

Good news for Vancouver ag-tech Miraterra, which today said it closed a $16M financing round to scale work analyzing soil to empower farmers to make better decisions. #BCtech #agriculture

B.C. grocery prices to surge as Iran war drives up energy costs #food #inflation #oil #grocery

Vancouver's hospitality sector is excited about the World Cup but some win or lose based on how fans must exit BC Place to the east. #FIFAWorldCup #hospitality www.biv.com/small-busine...

In news that might have been expected, Moody's downgrades B.C.'s credit rating. #BCecon www.biv.com/news/economy...

Great news for Vancouver International Airport as it was voted by millions of passengers as being among the top 10 airports in the world. It also ranks as the best airport in North America. #Aviation #travel #tourism www.biv.com/news/transpo...

B.C.'s year-old ban on U.S. alcohol imports not only rankles U.S. officials and reduces consumer choice, which is the intent of the policy. It also hurts some Canadian small businesses and the Vancouver International Wine Festival. #VIWF #retail #BCpoli #cdnpoli

The #FIFAWorldCup is forcing some events out of Vancouver venues, as event organizers stay nimble with strategies to overcome challenges. This is taking place as festival organizers say corporate support has dropped off, requiring them to operate more frugally.

Here's how scammers allegedly diverted more than $6.2 million from Westshore Terminals. #fraud #lawsuits

B.C. government's planned changes to how doctors are paid riles some doctors. Some say their clinics may have to close. #healthcare #BCpoli www.biv.com/news/economy...

Check out my look into the brave new world of quantum computing, and the changes it is set to bring. Some B.C. companies are at the forefront of this evolving tech sector. #quantum #technology #BCtech

Surprising StatsCan data show Canadian e-commerce sales FELL in late 2025. Overall retail sales rose. I look into why and into which B.C. companies are bucking the trend. #retail #ecommerce #AI #technology

Granville Street to close to vehicle traffic, get sidewalk patios on five blocks downtown during for a 39-day stint for the FIFA World Cup. #FIFA #FIFA2026 #WorldCup

For 13 months in a row we have had declining B.C. road travel into the U.S. Data show B.C.-plated passenger vehicles in February made 16.6 per cent fewer trips across the four main border crossings near Vancouver, compared with February 2025. #travel #tourism

Canada's premiers signed an MOU last year to work toward allowing Canadian wineries to sell direct to consumers countrywide. The push is on to keep them to that pledge. #BCwine #CdnPoli #BuyCanadian www.biv.com/biv-rss-news...

A B.C. government policy change is set to impact how family doctors can bill for services. This means they will not be able to treat as many people who do not have designated family doctors. Those people may find it harder to get treatment. #BCpoli #healthcare www.biv.com/news/economy...

Fund that invests in Indigenous projects has closed a capital round and is eyeing B.C. investments #capital #Indigenous

A transit rider is suing TransLink for allegedly issuing fare-evasion tickets outside fare-paid zones and allegedly having its officers shove, elbow and detain passengers. Also alleges they target "newcomers" and those who do not speak English well. TransLink: they "follow established procedures."

Vancouver's Nettwerk Music Group nabs $300M investment from Create Music Group, and separately gets management buyout. Management to have 80% stake. Some investors exit. Ryan Beedie / Beedie Capital had been the largest shareholder. He said his company will remain a "significant shareholder." #music

Big night for public hearings on major real estate projects in downtown Vancouver. One has passed. On to the other. I look into those projects and other solutions to revitalize the area. #yvrre #retail #hospitality #BCpoli www.biv.com/news/real-es...

Flair Airlines' CEO is no longer based in Vancouver. Maciej Wilk has left, with Toronto-based Len Corrado today taking over. Airline said the transition was "planned," but Wilk had been elevated to permanent CEO from interim CEO last summer. #aviation

Hearing from restaurant owners that they are missing money put into a fintech to facilitate transferring tips to workers. I'm thinking that this glitch that has gone on for more than a week better be corrected quickly. #hospitality #restaurants www.biv.com/news/hospita...

Here's how restaurants, hotels and airlines are making business decisions thanks to the K-shaped economy, where rich spend lavishly and others become more frugal. #Kshaped #hospitality #BCecon

British Columbians in January continued to travel less to the U.S. B.C.-plated vehicles travelled south at the four main border crossings near Vancouver 31.8 per cent less in January than in January 2025 - the 12th straight month of declines. #tourism

New data show YVR set records for passengers and cargo volume in 2025. Asia-Pacific growth was the engine propelling growth. More domestic and European travel too. Not hard to guess which country saw the biggest decline in passenger count. #aviation #travel #tourism

Evidence shows the K-shaped economy is real, with wealthier people spending lavishly, while most others look for bargains and trade down. This impacts business decisions as well as people’s lives. #retail #BCecon www.biv.com/news/how-the...

Vancouver city council's decision to allow restaurants/bars to apply to stay open serving alcohol longer on a permanent basis, is finding some traction even though the process costs thousands of dollars. #hospitality #restaurants #Vanpoli www.biv.com/small-busine...

Wrote a couple stories on a BCSC panel finding a company and individuals were involved in a pump-and-dump scheme. Lots of back and forth, and a blistering response from the company today. #investing #regulation

Having the Olympics in a time zone that means no events take place in the late afternoon and evening Vancouver time mean that sports bar and restaurant owners are not expecting much of a sales bump from the Games. #hospitality #2026Olympics www.biv.com/small-busine...

Vancouver's average hotel room rate in December plunged 31.7%, which was no surprise because Taylor Swift held no concerts here this year. What was interesting was that the average room rates have lagged those in Toronto for three months in a row. #tourism www.biv.com/news/hospita...

Curious move for Northland Properties to buy trademarks & IP for Denny's in Canada. It resembles a move decades ago by A&W Canada, where that company bought rights to the A&W brand and created a different menu, mascots. #restaurants #hospitality www.biv.com/news/hospita...

Impressive turnaround. Steve Nash Fitness World dissolved during the pandemic. A new Fitness World swooped in to buy assets. It now plans to spend $50M to open 25 more corporate locations within five years. Franchising is also possible. #fitness #gyms

Looked into how Jane Nielsen, the front-runner for the Lululemon CEO post, has a track record of consolidating office real estate, and how that could impact Vancouver operations. #lululemon #retail www.biv.com/news/potenti...

The B.C. government told me it is rejecting the hospitality industry’s request to cut red tape and allow all restaurants and bars to temporarily stay open longer on 2026 World Cup game nights. #WorldCup2026 #BCpoli www.biv.com/small-busine...

Check out my look into popular 11-location Vancouver-based donut shop Lee's Donuts, which just named a new president, Cameron Jarvis, and is charting expansion through franchising. #franchising #smallbiz #donuts www.biv.com/news/retail-...