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Business groups push to restore public servant directory

Pledge to hire Vancouver cops, nurses falls short

Province plans limited replacement after taking public servant contacts ofﬂine K Page 3

Hundreds of police hires offset by departures as nurse recruitment trails K Page 10

BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER September 21 - 27, 2026 | Issue 1921

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SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K

Major B.C. business groups aligned to restore government staff directory Business, professional groups question why the provincial government removed its public servant directory by Graeme Wood gwood@biv.com

.C. business and professional groups appear broadly aligned in lobbying the provincial government to restore access to its online directory for public service members. “Removing the directory makes it more challenging for ourselves and others in the business community to reach out to those individuals directly managing the files of our members,” Matthew MacInnis, president of the Electrical Contractors Association of B.C., told Business in Vancouver in an interview. MacInnis’ group is among most of the province’s major industry players and largest local commerce and trade groups that have recently registered to lobby for regaining access to the directory after it was taken offline last month. Premier David Eby announced Aug. 25 that the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) approached his government and shared its opinion that the directory poses cybersecurity risks to the government. They cited specific concerns raised related to the use of AI to conduct spoofing and phishing attacks. “We had to decide to leave the database up or take it down. There was no good option here,” said Eby, adding that “we want people to be in touch with government.” Business groups opposed to the removal include the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, the Mining Association of BC, the Urban Development Institute and the BC Construction Association— who along with 22 other groups wrote a joint letter to Minister of Citizen Services Diana Gibson Aug. 25 with alternative solutions to the outright removal. “We still rely on this tool on a daily basis to understand the structure of ministries, identify which branches and officials are responsible for particular policy and regulatory files, and ensure that questions, information and stakeholder perspectives are directed to the appropriate people. “Removing public access will make those interactions challenging at a time when the government needs to increase access and trust, not make it more difficult to engage,” the letter stated. The letter noted that all other provinces have some form of directory and that

B.C. business groups propose alternatives to the government staff directory, such as the use of security tests, verified accounts, search limits, restricting downloads and removing sensitive contacts. | EMILY NORTON/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

Our public service must have a human face.

the federal government’s Government Electronic Directory Services (GEDS) remains publicly searchable, providing a directory of federal public servants with some exceptions. While acknowledging the apparent threats and not knowing their extent, the groups proposed some alternatives such as the use of security tests, verified accounts, search limits, restricting downloads and removing sensitive contacts. The letter also said the move does not align with open government principles and comes as government asks businesses to supply more information on

themselves to government. BIV reached out to the Ministry of Citizen Services to ask if it was contemplating any changes to its directory to allow some capacity to be restored. In a statement via email, the ministry said it is contemplating some changes. “We recognize that people use the directory not only to contact government, but also to understand how government is organized and identify the right area to engage. We will be providing an updated directory page soon, including senior executive contact information for all government ministries. “The updated version will direct users to ministry, service, and media contacts, while reducing the public exposure of individual employee contact information and associated cybersecurity risks.” The ministry said it fends off hundreds of cybersecurity attacks each day and that AI tools “make it faster and easier to harvest public information and create more convincing, targeted messages and scripts.” The removal last month also caught the attention of the Office of the Infor-

mation and Privacy Commissioner. Commissioner Michael Harvey said in an online news release that his Emerging Information and Privacy Technologies team “will evaluate the validity of the security risks and identify how organizations can remain transparent in the circumstances.” “We exist in a rapidly changing digital environment, where threat actors are increasingly targeting key individuals and public servants based on publicly available information. “The cybersecurity threats are very real and must be taken seriously. However, completely removing public access to the directory without a functional replacement is a very serious transparency issue, which contributes to an erosion in the public’s trust to our democratic institutions,” Harvey said. “Our public service must have a human face.” The ministry said that it will work with the commissioner on its updated version. “Ideally this gets solved sooner rather than later,” MacInnis said. •

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K

B.C. wine sales slide despite American alcohol ban Liquor distribution branch defends shelf space, promotions as local wholesale sales decline

Wholesale sales for all broad categories of alcohol to B.C. resellers were down in the quarter ended June 30. | CHUNG CHOW

by Glen Korstrom gkorstrom@biv.com

ritish Columbian wine wholesale sales fell in the latest quarter despite the province’s ban on new American alcohol imports, prompting industry calls for stronger promotion by

government-run liquor stores. The British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch data tracks all wholesale sales West Coast wineries make to resellers, such as private and government-run stores, as well as to pubs, restaurants and bars. The BCLDB serves as an intermediary in the transactions, but it is not privy to data for consumer spending at retail or hospitality check-

outs. B.C.-wine wholesale sales fell 6.4 per cent by volume, to 8,141,849 litres, in the quarter ended June 30, compared with the same quarter one year earlier, the BCLDB said in its most recent market report. By dollars, in those two quarters, wholesale sales for B.C. wines fell 7.8 per cent to $121,417,678, according to the

BCLDB. Wine Growers B.C. CEO Jeff Guignard pointed to inaction from the BCLDB’s retail arm, BCLiquor (BCL). “It is frustrating for the government retailer to not do everything they can to prioritize B.C. wine during a moment ‹‹ CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K ALCOHOL ‹‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4

It is frustrating for the government retailer to not do everything they can to prioritize B.C. wine during a moment like this, with our trade relationship with the U.S.

like this, with our trade relationship with the U.S.,” he said. He said he has heard from private retailers and restaurant owners that their sales for B.C. wines are up. That means that the source for the flagging sales is through the BCLDB’s own sales channel, Guignard said. The decline in wholesale sales for B.C. wines was steeper than for the category as a whole. Year-over-year wholesale sales for all wines in B.C. fell a comparatively small 2.4 per cent to 15,211,403 litres, and 0.3 per cent to $249,976,333 in the quarter that ended in June, the BCLDB said. The B.C. wholesale sales data also revealed evidence that resellers were trading down to buy lower-priced B.C. wines—something they were not doing for the category as a whole. Wholesale sales for B.C. wines fell more in dollars than in litres, despite inflation. B.C. resellers spent a wholesale average of $14.91 per litre on B.C. wine in the quarter that ended in June, down from an average wholesale value of $15.14 in the same quarter one year earlier, the BCLDB data showed. B.C. winery representatives, such as Haywire Winery owner Christine Coletta and Solvero Wines winemaker Alison Moyes, both said they have similarly noticed customers trading down and wanting to buy less expensive B.C. wines.

Industry asks BCLDB for more support

Marquis Wine Cellars owner John Clerides said at his store, B.C. wine sales were up 58.6 per cent in the quarter

Bottles of B.C. wines are on offer at private retailer Liquor World. | CHUNG CHOW

ending June 30, rising from 2,246 bottles to 3,563 bottles compared with the same quarter a year earlier. The BCLDB’s stagnating sales for B.C. wines stem from the government body “not prioritizing B.C. products or taking advantage of the real buy-local opportunity that we have right now,” Wine Growers B.C.’s Guignard said. Increasing sales for B.C. wines should

be a priority for the government retailer because that helps grow the economy, he said. Guignard said BCLDB employees are “generally good partners” but his frustration with that arm of government lies with its merchandising, purchasing and promotional decisions. He said they could do more to support B.C. wine but instead they act “in ways

that end up prioritizing deeply discounted imported wine instead.” The BCLDB said in an email its distribution and retail arms “are strong supporters and advocates for B.C.-based liquor manufacturers and our local wineries.” It said its BCLiquor (BCL) retail divi‹‹ CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K ALCOHOL ‹‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 5

For products to remain actively stocked and distributed through LDB wholesale warehouses, minimum volume criteria apply.

sion reserves its largest share of shelf space for local wines. That includes more than 450 B.C. Vintners Quality Alliance (BCVQA) wines in dedicated sections branded Locally Yours and 670 B.C.-made wines overall, the BCLDB said. Guignard said he spoke with a B.C. winery principal who griped about not being able to get wines listed at a nearby government-run liquor store in Keremeos. The BCLDB, however, said that store has plenty of B.C. wines. Customers, it said, can choose from 150 different B.C.made wines at that store. “There is no minimum volume threshold for a product to be considered for placement in BCL stores, and listings may be available in a subset of stores,” the BCLDB said in its email. “For products to remain actively stocked and distributed through LDB wholesale warehouses, minimum volume criteria apply.” The BCLDB said it promotes “BCVQA Wine Month in April, Buy Local Month in August, featuring BC VQA wine, regional B.C. manufacturer profiles in taste magazine and dedicated traditional, digital and social media promotion of local products across BCL marketing platforms.”

Alcohol wholesale volumes fall across major categories

People are buying less booze. All major categories of alcohol saw a decline in wholesale sales in B.C. in the quarter that ended in June, at least by volume. By dollars, resellers spent $127,629,400 on refreshment beverages in the quarter that ended in June, up 0.1 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier. By volume, those refreshment bever-

British Columbian wine wholesale sales fell 6.4 per cent by volume in the latest quarter despite the province’s ban on new American alcohol imports. | CHUNG CHOW

age wholesales, largely for coolers and ciders, fell two per cent in the quarter, year over year. Resellers spent $268,043,137 on beer wholesale sales in the quarter ended in June, down three per cent from $276,429,137 in the same quarter one

year earlier. By volume, beer wholesale sales fell from 64,511,416 63,326,133 litres— down 1.8 per cent. Spirits was the category that saw the steepest declines in wholesale sales in that quarter.

By volume, spirits wholesale sales in that quarter fell from 6,540,146 litres to 6,280,400 litres, a decline of four per cent. Resellers spent $199,597,650 on spirits wholesales in the quarter ended in June, down 3.8 per cent from $207,461,338 in the same quarter one year earlier. •

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K

Wildfires leave B.C. wineries short of grapes, revenue Local purchases offer relief as producers assess smoke damage

Christine Coletta owns Haywire Winery, which was spared fire damage, as well as Garnet Valley Ranch Winery, which lost buildings to wildfire and grapes to smoke damage. | CHUNG CHOW

by Glen Korstrom gkorstrom@biv.com

ockets of the B.C. wine sector were hit hard this past summer with forest fires while others are enjoying an early harvest season thanks to relatively good weather.

The biggest challenge for many wineries in the Summerland region is how to recover following weekslong evacuations due to wildfires. The U.S. government’s ban on almost all Canadian alcohol is another challenge for some, although B.C. wineries tend not to export much wine.

Wine Growers Canada (WGC) data suggests that last year B.C. wineries largely exported cheaper wines to the U.S. B.C. wine exports to the U.S. amounted to about 9.2 per cent of B.C. wine production, or 38,662 litres. By dollars, however, those exports only generat-

ed $391,627 last year, or about 4.7 per cent of the sector’s production value, according to WGC. Pricier icewine exports to the U.S. account for most of Canada’s wine exports across the southern border, but ‹‹ CONTINUED ON PAGE 8

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K

x x x

WINE ‹‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 7

Ontario, by far, produces most of the country’s icewine. Icewine production in B.C. has declined in the past few decades in xx because growers have feared mild part winters with temperatures that do not fall sufficiently to make icewine, said Sandra Oldfield. She scaled down icewby x ine production in the 2010s, when she x was CEO of Tinhorn Creek Vineyards. Now a business consultant, she said you only sell and xxxmake x x x what x x x you x x xcan x xxxxxxx that she does not think xxxxx xxx xxx x x xdemand x x x x for xxx icewine is sufficient for many xxxxxxx xxxxx xxx xxx x xB.C. x winxxx eries producexxxxx icewine. x x x xtoxxxxxxx xxx xxx •

Summerland fires scorch B.C. wine sector

The Bald Range wildfire in early August wreaked havoc on wineries in the Okanagan Valley’s Summerland region. It burned a winemaker’s house at Garnet Valley Ranch Winery, said owner Christine Coletta. “We lost some other buildings, some sheds and pavilions,” she said. Fire burned scrub grass between some of the rows of vines on Coletta’s 130-hectare property, where she devotes 18 hectares to growing grapes. Her vines survived unburned because irrigation staved off the fire, she said. Coletta said she knew that the grapes would be unusable so, to relieve stress on the vines, she picked them and dropped them on the ground. “They go back into the hands of Mother Nature or, in this case, hungry bears,” she said. Her winery generated about 6,000 cases of wine last year. This year, there will be none, Coletta said. Coletta’s second winery, a four-hectare property that is half covered in vines, is Haywire Winery—a 10-minute drive further south. It was largely unscathed, as was her house, where three acres of vines are planted, she said. A few hectares worth of vines in another location are also fine, she said. That means that from her own production and contracted growers, she will likely be able to produce about 8,000 cases of wine this year, she said. “Now the challenge for the entire valley is to encourage people to come back to the Okanagan,” Coletta said of wine tourists.

Community support, insurance complexity follows fires

Summerland area winery staff and principals returned to their sites to re-

Now the challenge for the entire valley is to encourage people to come back to the Okanagan. xxx. open tasting rooms in early September. They then had to work through insurance-claim complexities while operating without electricity because fire burned power lines. “It’s been a challenging few weeks, but we are back on track now,” said winemaker Alison Moyes of Solvero Wines. “We’ve had a great deal of support from the local community, and the wine community. It’s the silver lining.” She pointed to a fundraising event at Vancouver’s Marquis Wine Cellars, where owner John Clerides said his store’s customers raised about $12,000 for affected wineries near Summerland. Cascadia Liquor made an extra-large purchase of Solvero Wines’ products for its Vancouver Island stores, Moyes said. Okanagan liquor stores and restaurants also upped their orders, she said. Those sales are key because this year’s production is decimated. “We expected to do a harvest of 60 tonnes, and we will be doing one with about six tonnes, so about 10 per cent of what we had planned,” Moyes said. Some Solvera Wines vines burned. Other vines grew grapes now unusable due to smoke taint, Moyes said. “This region varies dramatically between site to site for who was affected with smoke effects in the grapes, or potential detrimental quality to the wine,” she said. “We were affected so I’ve opted to source about six tons of grapes from the Fraser Valley.” Winery executives in areas south of Sovero Wines, but in the Summerland area, said smoke has also affected their grapes. “We may lose production to smoke,” said Dirty Laundry Winery general manager Paul Sawler, who is also the chairman of the lobby group Wine Growers British Columbia.

xx | XX

Garnet Valley Ranch expects no wine production this year after making about 6,000 cases last year, says owner Christine Coletta. | SUBMITTED

“There are some levels of smoke, and smoke damage, that you can remediate. There’s some levels that you just can’t remediate.” Technology can help, he said. All wine branded with the B.C. Vintners Quality Alliance (BCVQA) designation must pass a tasting panel, he said, adding that no wine from grapes affected by smoke will make it to store shelves. Sawler said he expects his winery’s production to drop from 50,000 cases last year to 40,000 cases this year. XX“We’ve got some insurance coverage,” ‹‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE X yet what Sawler said. “Nobody knows

that’s exactly going to look like, for business-interruption insurance, but those were three of the busiest weeks of the season that we lost, and we’ll never get back.” Over at Lightning Rock Winery, south of Summerland, owner Ron Kubek said an insurance representative told him that business-interruption insurance does not cover a tasting room that he was forced to temporarily close. “They said, ‘You can sell wine online and wholesale,’” he said of the insurance company’s response to Kubek ‹‹ CONTINUED ON PAGE 9 X

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K WINE ‹‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 8

Alison Moyes, winemaker at Solvero Wines, said she expects her winery’s harvest to be decimated: from about 60 tonnes to six tonnes. | JON ADRIAN

for why it would not cover his tasting room’s closure for several weeks as a business disruption. “That was horrible. I found that you have got to read your insurance policy.” He said that smoke effects mean that he will not be able to make any red wine from grapes on his Summerland

property. Last year those grapes provided enough juice for about 2,000 cases of wine. He is still testing his white grapes to see if it is viable to turn them into wine. “Insurance covers about 15 cents on the dollar for the fruit value, so we’re trying to see if we can make something

because it’s a better option than making any insurance claim.” Kubek also buys grapes from growers. Some of them have decided to take the insurance money so they are not able to provide him with grapes, he said. Like Moyes, Kubek praised Cascadia Liquor on Vancouver Island for making

large Summerland-area wine purchases. They bought 100 cases of his wine, he said. Given that his winery last year produced about 5,000 cases, that was a big order for him, he said. He expects production this year to be around 1,500 cases of wine. •

10 SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K

VPD hiring nears pledge, Sim’s nurse promises fall short ABC Vancouver promised 100 more police officers, 100 more nurses during 2022 campaign by Mike Howell mhowell@biv.com

hen Mayor Ken Sim and his ABC Vancouver colleagues launched their election campaign in 2022, they made a bold promise to hire 100 police officers and 100 nurses. Three weeks after Sim and his ABC majority council were sworn in November 2022, they unlocked $16 million in the city’s 2023 operating budget to help fund the party’s campaign promise. This is what ABC Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung, whose partner is a retired Vancouver police officer, said at the time: “You cannot put a price on public safety, and you cannot put a price on mental health and wellness. And we cannot afford not to do this.” Since then, the Vancouver Police Department has hired a total of 408 officers between November 2022 and Sept. 15, 2026, according to data provided to Business in Vancouver. During that period, an additional eight officers returned to the department from secondment to other agencies, said Sgt. Adam Donaldson, a VPD media liaison officer, in an email. At the same time, 319 officers retired or left the department for other reasons. Donaldson said that leaves the VPD with a net gain of 97 officers, which includes 40 recruits sworn in Sept. 11 at the department’s new training academy in the Woodward’s building. “This number routinely fluctuates, depending on attrition and officers hired throughout the year,” Donaldson said.

‘We absolutely love you’

The VPD officially opened the academy two weeks ago at an event where Sim spoke to more than 300 people, many of whom were police officers. During his campaign-style speech, he said: “We hired 175 additional police officers.” Donaldson explained the numbers. “The 175-figure referenced refers to the number of officers [roughly] hired between the end of 2022 and beginning of 2024,” he said. Sim’s office did not respond to a request for comment on why he cited that period.

The Vancouver Police Department says 408 officers were hired between November 2022 and Sept. 15, 2026. During the same period, 319 officers retired or left the department for other reasons. | MIKE HOWELL

VPD data shows its current authorized strength is 1,452 officers, an increase of 104 officers since 2022. Some of the officers hired came from other departments. They received $10,000 signing bonuses through a program that remains active. Near the close of his speech at the training academy, Sim praised the work

of VPD officers. “I’ve said this numerous times, but you do an incredible job, an incredibly difficult job that very few people can do, and even fewer are willing to do,” he said. “You run into danger on a daily basis to keep us safe. And so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your ser-

vice. Thank you for your sacrifice. We absolutely love you.”

VPD budget at $497.1 million A report going before the Vancouver Police Board Sept. 17 says the ‹‹ CONTINUED ON PAGE 11

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

News K VPD ‹‹ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10

You run into danger on a daily basis to keep us safe. And so from the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your service. VPD’s 2026 net operating budget is $497,111,673, representing an increase of $50,013,583 (11.19 per cent) over the 2025 adjusted budget. “The increase was driven primarily by fixed and contractual wage obligations arising out of the Vancouver Police Union collective bargaining settlement, external agency levy increases, third-party contracts, year 2 implementation of the Body-Worn Camera (BWC) project, and funding to address the VPD’s ask to fund long-standing under budgeted items and inflationary pressures,” the report said. The VPD operated in 2023 with a budget of $373.5 million.

‘Challenges with hiring capacity’

ABC’s promise to hire 100 nurses was not met, according to a City of Vancouver staff memo sent to council July 2. The memo said that as of June 1, 41.5 out of 47.5 full-time equivalent positions funded by the city have been recruited for what is called the Urgent Mental Health and Substance Use Service Enhancements program. Sim and other ABC members have attributed the nurse shortfall to jurisdiction and expertise during previous council debates and scrums with reporters. The mayor has said that Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) is the expert agency when it comes to setting up mental health teams. Council’s role was to unlock the money—an estimated $8 million per year—and allow VCH to build the program. VCH reduced the number of staff required to 58, then to 55, then to 47.5— with the health authority emphasizing the need to have people with a variety of skills connected to the teams, not just nurses. “VCH continues to recruit, implement the program and refine service delivery, as well as engage in ongoing program

Mayor Ken Sim during a tour Sept. 10 of the VPD’s new training academy in the Woodward’s building in the Downtown Eastside. | MIKE HOWELL

evaluation,” said the memo authored by Margaret Wittgens, the city’s general manager of arts, culture and community services. “Reflecting the challenges with hiring capacity and labour market availability, the program was phased in over subsequent years.”

Psychiatric nurses diverting police calls

The program comprises psychiatric nurses working in the VPD’s command centre, mobile de-escalation teams, an Indigenous crisis response team

and expansion of the police-nurse Car 87/88 teams. Three physicians work with two of the teams. Wittgens said the program supported 2,435 Vancouver residents in 2025, “creating safe diversion from police services to appropriate healthcare resources with expanded options for crisis response.” In a presentation to city council in October 2025, VCH staff provided the following highlights of the program: • A total of 546 visits by Indigenous crisis response team from April to June, supporting 57 active clients

with what VCH staff described as “culturally grounded care.” • The mobile de-escalation team expanded to seven days a week, improving outreach and follow-up care, with emergency visits reduced by 38 per cent post-intervention. • Nurses in VPD command centre diverted 1,192 calls between January and July to health-care response. • Car 87/88 teams served 6,701 people in 2024. The teams located 1,530 people who were assessed and left in their own care. Another 1,515 people were assessed and hospitalized. •

12 SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

Finance K

B.C. rental markets see asking prices drop in major urban centres DATA POINTS Bryan Yu

ew renters and existing tenants looking to move experienced favourable conditions during the second quarter as asking rents broadly remained lower than a year ago in B.C.’s largest urban markets. Weak demand stemming from federal immigration caps, high levels of rental construction in recent years and a soft condominium market have contributed to higher vacancy rates, which has tempered pricing pressures. From the latest Statistics Canada data on two-bedroom asking rents from rental platform sites, Metro Vancouver retained its status as having the highest asking rent in the country at $3,030 per month ($2,280 for a one bedroom). Rents continued to decline with a 2.3 per cent

quarter-over-quarter drop and declines of 4.1 per cent and 9.8 per cent over oneand two-year periods. Abbotsford-Mission ($1,890 per month) also reported a quarter-over-quarter drop of 1.6 per cent, with a similar decline of 9.6 per cent over two years. Victoria, which reported the third highest asking rent in the country for a two-bedroom unit at $2,640 per month, reported a rebound in rents in the second quarter of 3.1 per cent, but declines of 2.6 per cent and 4.3 per cent over a one- and two-year period. Smaller urban centres have shown more rental market resilience, which is partly due to an outﬂow of population from large urban markets to smaller regions in search of affordable housing, while there has been less construction of new supply. Kamloops reported a 2.1 per cent quarter-over-quarter increase in asking rent to $1,960 per month, while levels were up 2.1 per cent and 4.8 per cent over a one- and two-year period. In Nanaimo, average rent rose 2.5 per cent year-overyear to $2,080.

Declining asking rents mean competition for new tenants is intense, but average realized rents can still climb. Moreover, asking rents will also differ based on the type of units, age and amenities. Realized rents are typically lower than asking rents for long-term tenants because provincially mandated limits on rent hikes, which tend to drive a gap between actual rent paid and market conditions. The latest consumer price index (CPI) rent growth in B.C., while down in three of the last four months through July, rose three per cent year-over-year. B.C.’s food services and drinking places recorded $1.54 billion in seasonally adjusted sales in June, up 0.5 per cent from May, matching the national gain. Sales were 6.4 per cent above a year earlier, slightly exceeding the six per cent national increase. The monthly gain eased from May’s 1.4 per cent increase but extended an upward trend already underway before the FIFA World Cup. Nationally, drinking places recorded the strongest percentage

increase in sales at 2.7 per cent, which Statistics Canada linked to matches broadcasted in bars across the country. With Vancouver also hosting matches, visitor spending and local viewing gatherings may have supported B.C.’s sales. Higher prices explain only part of the annual sales increase. B.C. restaurant prices rose three per cent year-overyear in June, compared with 2.7 per cent nationally. Using restaurant CPI as an approximate deﬂator suggests real sales grew by about 3.2 per cent. Alcohol prices in licensed establishments were unchanged from May and rose 2.3 per cent year-over-year, below the national increase of 3.5 per cent. The key question is how much of this strength persists after the tournament. Event-related spending can temporarily lift sales without signalling a lasting improvement in local household ﬁnances. Continued gains after the World Cup would provide stronger evidence of sustained underlying demand. However, consumer demand is likely to temper with renewed trade uncertainty and prospects of higher interest rates ahead. ■ Bryan Yu is chief economist at Central 1.

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14 SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

Real Estate K

B.C. developers proceed cautiously as rental market softens Slowing home construction could create future housing supply shortages, experts warn by Daisy Xiong dxiong@biv.com

ritish Columbian developers are moving ahead with planned rental projects cautiously as softer demand and a growing supply of completed units put pressure on rents. Asking rents in B.C. have fallen about 10 per cent over the past three years, the largest decline among Canadian provinces, according to Rentals.ca’s August report. The decline comes as rental demand has weakened amid federal policies restricting international students and temporary workers, while a pipeline of new rental units continues to come onto the market, according to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. (CMHC). But developers and economists warn that today’s softer market could sow the seeds of a future supply shortage as construction activity slows. “It is a very challenging real estate market, probably the hardest that many people have seen in their career that work in real estate,” said Josh Anderson, vice-president of development at Vancouver-based wealth management firm Nicola Wealth. “We’re taking a very conservative and measured approach to our development of multifamily housing in Vancouver.” Nicola Wealth’s proposed rental project at 2111 Main St., a two-building development in Mount Pleasant, has received permits. The company said it hopes to start construction next year, with completion of the first building expected in 2030. “When there’s less demand, it’s a lot harder for developers like ourselves or others to move forward,” said Anderson, adding that capital groups are much more reluctant to invest when they don’t see a strong immigration growth. “And then you add how challenging the financing market is as well for construction financing. It definitely makes it a lot more difficult in today’s market to move forward.” However, Anderson said real estate development is a long-term investment that takes years to complete. Although it is not fully known when the market will recover, many in the industry believe there could be a change in the supply-and-demand curve towards the end of the decade, given how few projects are starting today.

Housing is not an overnight solution—it takes time. New condo construction in Metro Vancouver hit a 15-year low in the first half of 2026, according to CMHC. Rental apartments accounted for most new constructions, supported by rental-focused policies and financing, while residential developments are struggling to secure financing through pre-sales, according to the organization. “So that’s why we see an opportunity towards the end of the decade to bring a project to market at that time,” said Anderson. Others in the B.C. real estate industry have also felt the impact of more cautious decision-making toward condo development. Jack Hui, managing principal of Pontem Group, a Vancouver-based building engineering and consulting firm, said some rental projects are moving forward, including some of his clients’ projects, but at a slower pace and with tighter budgets. “In particular, those bigger developers, they don’t want to lose the land, they don’t want to lay off people, then the way that they actually create the portfolio is to create a rental [project],” said Hui. But the way they do business has changed, he said, noting that competition is increasing for businesses such as his, and firms can easily be replaced if they don’t perform or are not attuned to a project. “The money is extremely tight. … We still have a lot of projects. It’s just the average price has to be lower,” said Hui. “On [the developers’] end, when they design and construct the building, they have to lower their cost as well. Otherwise, the pro forma is not going to work.”

Construction slowdown raises future supply concerns Although softer rents are improving affordability for renters in the short term, weak construction activity could create supply constraints and put up-

Josh Anderson, vice-president of development at Nicola Wealth, says weaker rental demand and tighter financing conditions are making it more challenging for developers to move projects forward. | CHUNG CHOW

ward pressure on housing costs in the longer term, some experts said. The number of rental condos in Metro Vancouver has continued to increase in recent years, rising 14 per cent from 93,961 in 2023 to 107,192 in 2025, according to CMHC. At the same time, rental demand has softened amid fewer international students and temporary workers, and slower immigration growth. “We still have quite a lot of number of units that are under construction that are becoming available in the next year or two,” said Shiva Moshtari Doust, lead economist for B.C. at CMHC. “That’s why we expect to see … the softer rental market environment continue unless there are changes with respect to the demand side of things.” Metro Vancouver remains Canada’s priciest rental market despite falling rents, according to Rentals.ca. And Vancouver’s current pace of starts is still 5,000 to 7,000 units below what’s needed to restore pre-pandemic affordability levels by 2036, according to CMHC. “Housing is not an overnight solu-

tion—it takes time,” Doust said. “When demand comes back to the market, we want to make sure that there is supply to meet the need of that demand.” This is echoed by Brendon Ogmundson, chief economist at the B.C. Real Estate Association, who warned that a slowdown in new home construction could eventually create a supply shortage, particularly if the pace of construction falls below the number of units needed. “The real worry is that two or three years from now, because we haven’t been building as many units as we need, we find ourselves at the end of this decade with a supply shortage,” he said. He said this could become an issue as the province starts to see more international students and temporary foreign workers in the next few years, although those numbers are not expected to return to the levels seen in the early post-pandemic period. “There’s going to be a lot of interesting dynamics in the next couple of years,” he said. •

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16 SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

Insights K

B.C.’s export troubles began well before today’s tariffs

PODIUM Jock Finlayson & Ken Peacock

uch of the current discussion about B.C. exports understandably focuses on tariffs and the evolving trade relationship with the United States. But it is worth stepping back from those immediate concerns to consider a more basic question: what does B.C. actually export to the world? A complete picture of what the province sells to earn its way in the world must include services. They generate roughly 40 per cent of the province’s international export earnings and have become an increasingly important part of our export economy. B.C.’s international exports can be broadly grouped into 13 clusters. The biggest, in descending order, are energy; gateway transportation; technology services; professional, ﬁnance, insurance and real estate services; mining; forestry; and tourism. Annual export earnings

across these clusters range from roughly $12 billion in the energy cluster to $7.5 billion in tourism. Of interest, four of the seven are service industries. Gateway transportation differs from other export-oriented service industries because it is closely tied to the physical movement of goods and interfaces extensively with the land base. As a result, it shares many of the infrastructure, regulatory and land-use complexities faced by the province’s resource industries. Coal, agriculture and related products, and non-resource manufacturing make up the province’s mid-sized export clusters. Coal—overwhelmingly metallurgical coal used in steelmaking—is substantial enough to stand on its own and generates more export earnings than many other clusters. Film, television, music and other copyright materials; technology manufacturing, biotech, medical equipment and aerospace; and education comprise the three smaller export clusters. Deriving roughly 40 per cent of international export earnings from services underscores the diversity and resilience of the B.C. economy. The shift toward

services has been underway for decades, supported by steady growth in gateway transportation and the rapid expansion in technology and professional services. But there is another side to the story. The rising service share of B.C.’s exports does not simply reflect booming service exports. Since 2017, service exports have continued to expand at a pace slightly above their longer-term trend. At the same time, however, the real value of B.C.’s international goods exports has fallen by several billion dollars, or roughly eight per cent. In other words, B.C.’s export mix has become more diversified partly because services have performed well, but also because merchandise exports have struggled. These figures extend through 2024 and therefore predate the current Canada-U.S. tariff dispute. The largest contributor to the decline in B.C.’s real merchandise exports is softwood lumber and other forestry-related exports, which have plunged since 2017. That decline reflects a shrinking timber harvest mainly attributable to provincial policy changes, a dwindling fibre supply, rising costs and other pressures that have reduced the competitiveness of the B.C. forest sector. This matters when assessing the changing structure of B.C.’s export economy. If merchandise exports had expanded roughly in line with their historical trend, rather than declining,

Eby should seek new mandate as Trump trade war reshapes B.C. economy PODIUM Mike McKinnon When B.C. voters went to the polls in October 2024, the debate was about health care, housing and affordability concerns. That election concluded before Donald Trump won a second term in the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Voters couldn’t have predicted a vicious trade war with our closest friend and neighbour. To meet this volatile moment, B.C. needs bold actions from its government. But ﬁrst, Premier David Eby should seek a new mandate. The world looks vastly different after just two years. Tariffs have gone from being one of many ramblings by Trump to directly increasing everyday costs and a threat to people’s livelihoods.

The scale of the threat should not be underestimated—at least 11,000 B.C. jobs could be at risk, according to an analysis by economist Trevor Tombe. Statistics Canada numbers show about $3.8 billion in B.C. exports are exposed to the latest round of tariffs—13.7 per cent of our total exports, which is the highest proportional exposure of any province. This is about groceries, paycheques, hiring decisions and investments that may or may not happen. Say nothing of Trump’s war in Iran, which has increased gas prices. These last few weeks have rapidly become the most important economic and political period we have faced since the COVID-19 pandemic. Eby has drawn on wartime imagery, but we haven’t seen much substance to what B.C. is going to do. To go beyond tinkering at the edges, he should seek a new mandate from British Columbians. When thousands of jobs could be at risk and billions of dollars in exports are under threat, the focus should shift from careful management of the status quo to

what the government is prepared to do to protect B.C.’s economy. It may require choices to accelerate major infrastructure projects, or for the government to play a larger role in developing domestic industry. There is room for a far more aggressive economic strategy designed to reduce dependence on an increasingly unreliable American market. And B.C. may require signiﬁcant new spending to support people and businesses through these challenging times. Reasonable people can disagree with how to respond to this crisis. That’s the point. British Columbians haven’t been asked. These are exactly the kinds of questions elections are supposed to answer. Prime Minister Mark Carney understood this principle. Faced with a fundamentally different economic and geopolitical reality, he sought a mandate from Canadians for the approach he intended to take. Eby should follow his lead. In terms of other political considerations, an election in the coming months would almost certainly beneﬁt the NDP—but for that,

the shift toward services would have been much less pronounced. Instead of today’s roughly 60-40 split between goods and services, the export mix would have stayed closer to the 70-30 split that prevailed pre-2017. B.C. unquestionably has a more service-oriented economy than in earlier decades. There is a positive aspect to that evolution. But we should be careful about interpreting the change as evidence of successful and purposeful diversification. Some of it represents the growth of new export capabilities. But some of it reflects the policy-influenced erosion of historical competitive strengths. Recent efforts by both the provincial and federal governments to advance new mines and LNG projects could begin to rebalance the picture summarized above, lifting goods exports and restoring growth in the mining and energy clusters. The challenge is timing. Even if several large energy and mining projects soon begin to advance through the regulatory and permitting process, it will take several years before new industrial facilities are operating and generating significant export revenues. In the meantime, we expect the B.C. economy will continue to struggle. • Jock Finlayson is chief economist at the ICBA. Ken Peacock lives in White Rock and writes the BC Economic Brief (@kenpeacock on Substack). the Conservatives have nobody to blame but themselves. Conservative MLAs—and the growing group of former Conservative MLAs— have shown willingness to surrender to Trump, including returning American liquor to B.C. shelves with nothing in return. Whatever they call themselves, Conservative politicians in B.C. have dug themselves into a massive hole. It will be a difficult climb to convince voters they are best positioned to lead the province through this conflict with the United States. But there’s a much bigger question than which political party benefits—or suffers—the most. B.C. should not confront this economic crisis under a shaky mandate given by voters before they knew what Trump had in store for us. B.C. needs a clear course of action on the trade war, and it needs one soon. Eby should give British Columbians the opportunity to make a choice on a plan to get us through this fight. • Mike McKinnon is a senior consultant at Enterprise Canada, a national strategic communications firm. He was previously an advisor to former B.C. premier John Horgan and has worked for NDP governments and campaigns across the country.

Biggest insurance brokers in B.C.

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

List K

RANKED BY | Total number of employees in B.C.

xx Biggest insurance brokers in B.C.

Rank Company '2026

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

HUB International Insurance Brokers 4350 Still Creek Dr Suite 400, Burnaby V5C 0G5 P: 604-269-1000 F: 604-269-1001 hubinternational.com Westland Insurance Group Ltd 9850 King George Blvd Suite 1500, Surrey V3T 0P9 P: 604-543-7788 F: NP westlandinsurance.ca The InsureBC Group 1847 Broadway W Suite 104, Vancouver V6J 1Y6 P: 604-731-6541 F: 604-734-6707 insurebc.ca Waypoint Insurance Inc 364 8th St, Courtenay V9N 1N3 P: 866-674-2816 F: NP waypoint.ca BCAA 4567 Canada Way, Burnaby V5G 4T1 P: 604-268-5000 F: NP bcaa.com Acera Insurance2 2025 Willingdon Ave Suite 700, Burnaby V5C 0J3 P: 604-294-3301 F: 604-294-3003 acera.ca Johnston Meier Insurance Agencies Ltd 22367 Dewdney Trunk Rd, Maple Ridge V2X 3J4 P: 604-467-4184 F: 604-467-9711 jmins.com Sussex Franchise Systems Inc.4 308-197 Forester St, North Vancouver V7H 0A7 P: 604-983-6955 F: 604-983-6933 sussexinsurance.com BFL Canada Insurance Services Inc

9 1177 Hastings St W Suite 200, Vancouver V6E 2K3

P: 604-669-9600 F: 604-686-9316 bflcanada.ca Schill Insurance Brokers Ltd 100 Ave Suite 302, Surrey V3R 0N9 10 15127 P: 604-585-4445 F: NP schillinsurance.com Wilson M Beck Insurance Services

11 8678 Greenall Ave Suite 303, Burnaby V5J 3M6

P: 604-437-6200 F: 604-437-5347 wmbeck.com Marsh Canada Ltd 12 550 Burrard St Suite 800, Vancouver V6C 2K1 P: 604-685-3765 F: 604-685-3112 marsh.com Axis Insurance Managers Inc Burrard St Suite 400 Box 275, Vancouver V7X 13 555 1M8 P: 604-731-5328 F: 604-731-3137 axisinsurance.ca Gold Key Insurance Services Ltd 128 St Suite 5, Surrey V3W 4G3 14 8430 P: 604-502-0441 F: 604-507-9942 goldkeyinsurance.ca AMC Insurance Service Ltd 80th Ave Suite 120, Surrey V3W 3A8 15 12888 P: 604-507-6666 F: 604-507-6667 amcinsurance.ca Reliance Insurance Agencies Ltd 16 4853 Hastings St, Burnaby V5C 2L1 P: 604-255-4616 F: 604-255-1117 reliance.ca Willis Canada Inc 666 Burrard St Suite 2650, Vancouver V6C 2X8 17 P: 604-691-1000 F: NP wtwco.com

Top local executive(s)

Specialties

RANKED BY Year founded No. of B.C. Percentage: No. B.C. staff xx Total number of employees in B.C. offices '26/'25 Commercial '26/'25 Personal Auto

Carol Mills, Mark Dutton, co-CEOs

Commercial, residential, auto, marine, transportation, life, retirement and employee benefits insurance products as well as risk services

1998

77 79

70% 15% 15%

2,050 2,028

Jamie Lyons, president and CEO

Personal, commercial, employee benefits, farm, and specialty insurance solutions. Areas of focus include 1980 client experience, data-driven decision-making, technology and process excellence, custom insurance programs, risk management, and operational innovation Auto, life, home, travel, marine, health and commercial insurance as well as premium financing and MGA for 1988 commercial and residential insurance.

101 97

1,655 1,649

Tony Hayes, CEO

Insurance and risk management brokerage specializing in auto, residential (owners and renters), marine and 1863 boat, recreational vehicles, business, storage, travel, health and dental, personal umbrella and life insurance

NP NP

Eric Hopkins, president and CEO

Home, auto, travel, small business, life and health insurance

1906

29 29

Andrew Kemp, executive vicepresident, P&C and chairman

Real estate, construction and surety, manufacturing, resources, power generation, telecommunications, marine, hospitality, food and beverage processors, technology, transportation, public sector, First Nations, strata and real estate, auto, personal insurance, equine, agriculture, life and benefits Commercial and personal lines of insurance as well as auto, life, disability and group programs

1956

23 22

1973

451 45

Ken Armstrong, president and CEO, ICBC Autoplan insurance, business, commercial, homeowners, travel/medical Brandon Armstrong, vice-president, strategic planning, Jason Armstrong, vice-president, corporate development Tom DeCoteau, executive viceReal estate, construction, surety, marine, environmental, aviation, sports, mining, forestry, financial president, Western Canada, Gareth institutions, technology, manufacturing, hospitality, food processing, retail, warehousing, transportation, McDonnell, president, realty division professional liability, agribusiness Kari Schill, COO, Ann-Michelle Insurance protection and risk management – strata/realty, manufacturing, contractors, marine, hospitality, deReus, SVP sales, Al Schill, CEO, home and auto Alan Schill, president, Jarett Schill, partner, Matt Schill, partner David Beck, president Insurance specialties: construction, real estate holdings and development, marine, manufacturing, oil and gas, hospitality, First Nations, mining, roofing and forestry; specialty risks; global risks; contract bonds and 2-5-10 home warranties Jason Scharfe, managing director, Mining, forestry, construction, high tech, biotech, consumer, real estate, transportation, program and Pacific zone, Ben Kent, vice-president association, public entity, manufacturing, infrastructure

1976

563 56

20% 46% 34% 20% 48% 33% 40%1 25%1 35%1 0% 90% 9% 74% 15% 11% 37% 39% 24% 10% 15% 75%

1987

5 5

1972

10 10

1981

8 8

1914

1 1

Alex Meier, president and CEO

Agribusiness, construction, contractors, real estate, energy, resources, renewables, life sciences and technology, manufacturing, non-profit, sports and recreation, professional and financial services, retail and hospitality, private client, personal lines

1928

4 4

Nav Bhinder, president , Tony Bhinder, vice-president, Sharn Bhinder, partner

Transportation specialists, large commercial accounts, motor truck cargo, high-value homes, all types of auto, life and wholesale insurance

1996

Jaswinder Singh Parmar, owner

Providing all kinds of advanced, matchless insurance coverage

Jim Ball, president, Chris Ball, CEO

Proprietary risk assessments and risk management planning for business executives; dynamic insurance products for business, marine, home and auto

Jack Meier, president and CEO

Tom Meier, president

92 92

1,127 1,068 8001 1 800 701 715 669 695 5253 525 4683 468

85%1 10%1 5%1 25% 30% 45%

2501 5 300

55%1 25%1 20%1 95%1 3%1 2%1 70%6 20%6 10%6

1953 195

5 8

NP NP NP

150 120

2000

11 11

NP NP NP

1253 125

1980

1 1

109 111

Karlo Villanueva, Vancouver growth Aviation, marine, construction, executive risk, financial institutions, food processors, forestry, real estate, 1828 and office leader, David Miller, retail/distribution, mining, manufacturing, hospitality, government, health and benefits, pension consulting, deputy leader, Western Canada, executive compensation consulting Roger Cervo, senior vice-president, complex risk

1 1

48% 42% 10% 90% 5% 5%

Sources: Interviews with above brokerages and BIV research. NP Not provided NR Not ranked 1 - BIV estimate 2 - Formerly CapriCMW 3 - 2025 figure 4 - Sussex Franchise Systems Inc 5 - 2024 figure 6 - BIV figure

216 201

1701 5 195 1543 154

60 59

Business in Vancouver makes every attempt to publish accurate information in the List, but accuracy cannot be guaranteed. Researched by Tiffany Chu, lists@biv.com.

Subscribers can access BIV’s list archive at biv.com/lists

18 SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

Legislature K Who’s lobbying whom Lobbying Activity Reports are monthly detailed records of specific interactions, including actual communications with senior public office holders (ministers, MLAs, deputy ministers, etc.). Source: Office of the Registrar of Lobbyists for B.C. LOBBYIST Beatriz Grigsby-Larson FIRM Global Public Affairs Inc. FILE Lobbying public officials on behalf of Wine Growers BC over direct sale of wine above wholesale price, government assistance for crops damaged by climate change and modernizing sales agreement between wine producers and the Liquor Distribution Branch. It’s also seeking to develop a campaign to encourage B.C. residents to shift from imports to local wines. B.C. winegrowers have faced significant financial pressures because of climate-related disasters in recent years. A 2024 deep freeze in the Okanagan Valley led to a nearly complete write-off of the 2024 vintage. In July 2026, nine Canadian provinces agreed to introduce direct-to-consumer alcohol sales in a move that would allow more Canadian wineries, breweries and

distilleries to sell alcohol across provincial borders. LOBBYIST In-house FIRM Cohere Inc. FILE Lobbying public office holders at several public agencies about policies related to the adoption of AI technologies and related support services. The Toronto-based AI company specializes in building enterprise-first technologies targeting business infrastructure, regulated industries and data-sensitive organizations covering finance, healthcare, manufacturing, telecom and government. LOBBYIST In-house FIRM Glencore Canada Corp. FILE Lobbying officials at the Ministry of Mining and Critical Minerals about legacy asset permits. Unlike active operational permits—which cover ongoing extraction, coal processing and active waste disposal—legacy asset permits focus on long-term stewardship,

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remediation, monitoring and liability management. In 2024, Glencore bought out Teck Resource’s coal division, transferring care and maintenance responsibilities at old mines that have produced significant selenium pollution for decades. LOBBYIST In-house FIRM Innomar Strategies Inc. FILE Lobbying the public office holders at the Provincial Health Services Authority around changes to the Expensive Drugs for Rare Diseases program. Subjects of influence include pharmacy participation, reimbursement, dispensing, distribution and related programs to rare drug therapy. In 2024, B.C. was the first province to launch a bilateral agreement with Ottawa to fund drugs for rare diseases, which can cost between $100,000 and over $3 million per patient annually. Applications are submitted via a specialist physician and are evaluated by a panel of clinicians, ethicists, health economists and provincial drug plan administrators. LOBBYIST In-house

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FIRM Retail Council of Canada FILE Lobbying public officials over B.C.’s recycling regime when it comes to requirements for audited financial statements, compliance, enforcement and free-riders, creating a level playing field while not increasing the cost of doing business, addressing organized retail crime and the resale of goods in online marketplaces and providing more funding for policing retail crime along with faster and more effective prosecution of offenders who repeatedly target the same store. Under B.C.’s Extended Producer Responsibility system, businesses that introduce products and packaging into the province are financially and operationally responsible for managing those materials after consumer use. The system is currently undergoing an expansion to include new items like compressed canisters and electrical items while expanding residential collection for packaging and paper products. Separately, organized retail crime is thought to have cost businesses $9.4 billion across Canada in 2024, double the amount a decade earlier. K biv.com To view past lobbying records, please visit biv.com/premium

SEPTEMBER 21 - 27, 2026

Courts K Who's getting sued These corporate claims were filed with the B.C. Supreme Court registry in Vancouver. Information is derived from notices of civil claim. Civil claims have not been tested or proven in court. DEFENDANTS Dorset College Inc. and Eddy Wai Chiu Cheng aka Eddy Cheng PLAINTIFF Gary Ka Wai Ma aka Gary Ma CLAIM $568,921.57 plus interest for an unpaid loan. DEFENDANTS Excelsior Kitchens Ltd. and Kris Myers Holdings Ltd. and Kristopher Myers PLAINTIFF Royal Bank of Canada CLAIM $442,995.21 plus interest. DEFENDANTS United Earth Contractors Corp. and David Carl Kleszewski PLAINTIFF De Lage Landen Financial Services Canada Inc. / Services Financiers De Lage Landen Canada Inc.

CLAIM $338,912.89 for breach of contract related to unpaid equipment leases. DEFENDANTS H&A Joint Venture Enterprises Ltd. and Harminder Singh and Karanveer Kaur PLAINTIFF Business Development Bank of Canada CLAIM $207,687.45 plus interest for debt. DEFENDANTS Percy John Flooring Ltd. and David Josue Murcia Alvarado (aka David Murcia Alvarado and David Josue Alvarado Murcia) and Percy John Fernandes PLAINTIFF Business Development Bank of Canada CLAIM $138,423.03 for unpaid loans.

PLAINTIFF Scott Hough CLAIM General, aggravated and punitive damages for breach of contract related to the defendant terminating the plaintiff’s tenure as CEO, which paid $320,000 plus $3,600 in discretionary health spending, a car allowance, RRSP matching and other benefits. This followed Bevo Agtech treating the plaintiff “in a manner that was needlessly abusive and callous,” including putting him on administrative leave prior to termination and making “scurrilous, unfounded and baseless” accusations about him. DEFENDANTS Isabelle’s Enterprises Ltd. (formerly Tavern Enterprises Ltd.) and Jeffrey Brian Donnelly

DEFENDANT Lasalle College Vancouver

PLAINTIFF Bennington Financial Corp.

PLAINTIFF Chase Office Interiors Inc.

CLAIM Amounts due under a lease agreement plus interest following the defendants defaulting on their lease.

CLAIM $65,439.64 for an outstanding amount owed for office furniture. DEFENDANT Bevo Agtech Inc.

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DEFENDANTS AY Floor Co. Ltd. and Yun Wo Roofing & Waterproofing Ltd. and John Doe

PLAINTIFFS Chang Zhan Zhu and Liu Yang and Wei Xuan and Wei Shao CLAIM General and special damages plus interest as a result of a fire that broke out during a roof replacement. DEFENDANT Louisville Ladder Corp. PLAINTIFF David Earle Van Duzen CLAIM General and special damages related to an incident when the plaintiff was using a ladder manufactured by the defendant. The ladder “bent, causing the plaintiff to fall and sustain injuries.”

K biv.com To view past lawsuits, go to biv.com/digital and review previous editions of BIV’s paper

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