Strikes, low demand, skilled-labour shortage among factors holding B.C. businesses back: CFIB

A group representing small businesses across B.C. says its members are rapidly losing optimism amid several overlapping challenges.

Kalith Nanayakkara, a senior policy analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB) for B.C., says although members have been vocal about how the BC General Employees’ Union strike is impacting their businesses, they are reporting other, bigger issues of concern.

“When we ask our members, ‘What’s the biggest limitation on sales or production growth,’ Insufficient demand and shortage of skilled labour have been the top two issues for the past few months,” said Nanayakkara.

The BCGEU strike, the strike by Canada Post workers, and the trade war with the United States only compound those issues, he says.

Last month, Finance Minister Brenda Bailey forecast a record-high deficit of almost $11.6 billion for the first quarter of the 2025-2026 fiscal year.

“The last thing that small businesses want to see, or frankly need, is higher taxes to deal with that deficit,” said Nanayakkara.

“So what we wanna see is growth of the economy, and that includes the province focusing on its core deliverables. And helping stimulate the economy.”

He says most surveyed members of the CFIB are asking elected leaders for the same things.

“We’re calling on the government — all levels of government — to lower taxes, cut red tape, and we need to see regulatory reform.”

British Columbians, Nanayakkara says, can continue to support small businesses by shopping locally.