Treasury Board president Anita Anand and West Vancouver-Sunshine Coast-Sea to Sky Country MP Patrick Weiler met with Whistlerites July 22, talking shop and discussing policies the federal government is bringing to the table.
They started the morning meeting at Alpha Café, where community members brought up the need for tourism supports, including driving international markets to Whistler and the Underused Housing Tax Act’s impact.
Weiler and Anand also went to Picnic Whistler, and met with owner Amy Mac, where they were gifted charcuterie before heading to the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre.
Anand was in town for the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) summit and said she was speaking about the importance of “multilateralism at a time when our world is facing existential threats.”
Whistler’s business needs
Barrett Fisher, president of Tourism Whistler, noted the market from the U.S. and Mexico was strong, but folks further afield weren’t bouncing back to the mountain in the same numbers present prior to COVID-19.
She highlighted how inflation impacted restaurant bills and expanding construction costs, making margins narrower for establishments, and noted visitors can’t absorb all the increases.
Anand said she heard from locals that the federal government needs to be flexible when responding to local needs.
“The main driver of economic growth is tourism. And what is important for small businesses here is to ensure that the environment remains flexible and welcoming to tourists so that economic growth can continue," Anand said. "And so, the federal government will continue to step up with supports for small businesses for increasing productivity and for the tourism sector.”
Dave Burch, local realtor, spoke about the impact of the Underused Housing Tax (UHT) legislation as it’s written, which has caught up hotels. He and others present didn’t take issue with the goal of providing local housing, but the harm the legislation could do to the local economy.
As previously reported by Pique, the UHT is a levy on foreign-owned properties unoccupied for less than 28 days a year. It is speculated that some owners may decide to sell to Canadians versus paying the tax, which would remove them from tourist accommodation pools and create second homes for the new owners.
Anand gave a nod to Weiler, who has been advocating for Whistler, but said he needed more support on the issue during the meet and greet.
“He has been absolutely stellar in the House of Commons and in our caucus and broader government to represent the voices of this community—especially with regards to that issue, but on a number of other issues," she said. "In terms of the specific path forward, I will take the feedback that we heard from the business community today and speak with my colleagues across government."
Weiler said while it was clear from talks there’s a need for increased tourism support post-COVID-19, persistent challenges in his riding include regional transportation to tackle congestion and the need for employee housing.
That morning, Premier David Eby held a press conference announcing $12.7 million for employee housing in Whistler.
Then, there’s the issue of increasing costs for doing businesses in Whistler.
“One of the big challenges we're hearing from a lot of businesses here is just the increase in cost of leases putting a huge stretch and the cost of everything from supplies to the impact of interest rates," Weiler said. "So, No. 1 focus for us is ensuring that we created an environment where interest rates will start coming down."
Anand pointed towards policies for decreasing interest rates, noting they’ve gone from a high of eight per cent in June 2022 down to under three per cent today, under the Bank of Canada’s target range.
Encouraging dialogue
Two long-standing Whistler businesses shuttered this year, Escape Route and Whistler Bike Co.
When asked what’s being done on a local level to ease strains on businesses, Mayor Jack Crompton pointed to the recently announced provincial housing funding to house employees and said he encourages dialogue between renters and landlords.
“We can't dictate who landlords rent to and for how much. That said, I do think it's vital to ensure commercial landlords are aware of the reality Whistler businesses face, which is something I spend time doing. Though we don't have regulatory control, we certainly have a mandate to encourage a business climate that is strong,” he said.
“It is very hard to see cornerstone businesses like Escape Route and Bike Co. leave the community. They've long been community supporters and very much culture makers for Whistler.”
Despite their closure, one initiative Crompton is spearheading is exploring how to revitalize the site of Whistler’s former movie theatre, at 4295 Blackcomb Way, and the sleepy corner of Whistler Village that surrounds it. He described a need for “weatherproof” businesses in the resort.
“It's a huge space, and really will require a forward looking, creative entrepreneur or group of entrepreneurs to take on something of that scope and scale,” he said.
