Business in Vancouver (BIV)

TORONTO — Five things to watch for in the Canadian business world in the coming week: Roots vote Shareholders of Roots Corp. will vote on Tuesday on a deal that will see the retailer taken private by Marquee Brands, the firm behind Martha Stewart, Laura Ashley and Roberto Cavalli. Marquee plans to partner with Joseph Mimran, the Canadian fashion visionary behind Joe Fresh, Club Monaco and Alfred Sung, to help grow the Roots brand.

A total of eight candidates are running for Vancouver mayor in the Oct. 17 municipal election. That includes Mayor Ken Sim, who is seeking a second term. Below are brief biographies of the candidates representing five of the city’s mainstream parties, along with links to their websites. Business in Vancouver has also posted several stories this year regarding the election, including where the parties stand on housing, the economy and public safety. Vancouver’s next mayor will serve a four-year term.

OTTAWA — The labour market stalled for a second month in a row in September, pushing back on calls for interest rate hikes from the Bank of Canada. Statistics Canada said Friday the economy lost 68,000 positions in September, coming off a loss of 42,000 roles in August. Economists had expected a gain of 9,200 jobs in the month. StatCan said job losses were nearly evenly split between full- and part-time work and were concentrated in the public sector.

September did no favours to B.C.’s labour force as the province lost 20,200 jobs compared with the month prior. Statistics Canada data released Friday also revealed the unemployment rate edged down 0.1 percentage point to 6.4 per cent as more British Columbians left the labour force. Canada as a whole shed 68,000 jobs as unemployment climbed 0.1 percentage point to 6.5 per cent.

Housing affordability will inevitably dominate the political agenda as election debates intensify. For millions of Canadians, the question is whether they will ever be able to move from paying for housing to owning it—and building more homes will not solve that problem if they cannot get through the door. The political response has rightly focused on supply. Canada needs to build more homes, and we need to build them faster.

Vancouver voters will choose a city council Oct. 17 and a provincial government a week later. Small business owners who spoke to Business in Vancouver say neither level of government has been listening to their concerns about rising costs, construction disruptions and bureaucratic delays. Parmjot Gill, who bought the 43-year-old Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium in April for an undisclosed amount, said that he was frustrated on Sept.

Inside a 21-storey condo tower, Stefan Weston grasps a power drill and, one by one, removes screws from a wooden guardrail. Around him, the hum of power tools and the rattle of metal on metal echo through the half-finished building. At 44, Weston has been forced into a new career installing and maintaining elevators. Early in the trade, the monotony is not lost on him, but he has found a sense of peace in a solid paycheque and the knowledge he’ll return home safe at the end of his shift.

OTTAWA — Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon is promising to keep a lid on fees charged by airports under the government’s partial privatization plan, as airline executives insist the rules must be in place before investors make their bids. However, it remains unclear if the new approach will include across-the-board caps on landing fees and other charges or whether restrictions will be imposed on a deal-by-deal basis and in a more flexible fashion.

Metro Vancouver’s office market softened in the third quarter while the region’s industrial sector continued to tighten amid strong leasing activity and limited supply. Office vacancy rates increased in both downtown Vancouver and suburban markets, reaching 12.2 per cent and 7.9 per cent respectively, according to Colliers’ Q3 2026 national market snapshot released Thursday.

Adrian Raeside editorial cartoon for the Times Colonist, Oct. 8, 2026