Ep 580 - Unmanageable Permitting Processes

Guest: Todd Yuen

By Stuart McNish

A robust industrial property sector is vital to the economy. According to a Metro Vancouver study, “Industrial lands serve various purposes, such as warehousing, manufacturing, and supporting emerging technology businesses. They provide essential employment opportunities and contribute to supply chains.” In other words, they are vital to economic growth.

Here’s the challenge, says Todd Yuen of Beddie Industrial. “There’s a critical shortage of industrial lands in Metro Vancouver and we’re losing businesses and their employees to Alberta and other jurisdictions.” The reasons for the shortages are complex, according to the InterVISTAS report, which include “constrained land supply, complex jurisdictional overlaps, and a need to review the development process.”

Yuen says, “To give you an example of the unmanageable permitting process, we just put a new site on the market after seven years of approvals. The wheels within the permitting process turn so slow they create an air of anti-progress."

We invited Todd Yuen, the President of Beedie Industrial, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the need to build industrial facilities, the impediments to doing so, and the consequences of inaction.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 579 - Labour Negotiations & Job Action

Guest: Kevin Howlett

By Stuart McNish

Canada Post is in the midst of job action by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers. They’re not on a full strike; instead, they’re still delivering mail but not all of it. On September the 15th, the Union implemented a national ban on delivering flyers and neighbourhood mail. This followed an overtime ban in May.

Air Canada just concluded negotiations with flight attendants. After a three day work stoppage that wreaked havoc on the airline and passengers, the attendants were ordered back to work but the union ignored the order, negotiations resumed, and they went back to work. Weeks later, union members rejected the company's offer by 99.1% but they also kept working.

In British Columbia, the BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) initiated job action aimed at gaining an 8.25% wage increase over two years. The union’s website says, “We escalated job action in several key areas: Public service workers who support B.C. 's mining operations joined the strike. An overtime ban was announced in corrections and sheriff services. As the strike carried on, BC Liquor Store Workers walked off the job and as the job action continued into week eight, 25,000 of the 34,000 Union Members in government jobs were on strike. At the time of recording this interview, there is job action but not a full-out strike.

We invited human resource specialist Kevin Howlett to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the changing nature of labour negotiations and job action.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca

Ep 578 - Canada - UK Trade

Guest: Thomas Codrington

By Stuart McNish

On September the 9th, British-owned Anglo American announced it was merging with Teck to “form a leading global critical minerals champion headquartered in Canada.” Teck CEO Jonathan Price said, “This transition will create significant economic opportunity in Canada while positioning Anglo Teck to deliver sustainable, long-term value for shareholders and all stakeholders.”

It is one of a number of investments and trade deals that have been underway between British Columbia and Britain over the past 5 years. “We’re working to build even stronger relationships with Canada and British Columbia,” says Thomas Codrington, the British Consul General to British Columbia.

Total trade between the UK and Canada is on the rise, thanks to the UK’s response to leaving the EU. In 2020, Canada and the UK signed the Trade Continuity Agreement and it serves as a showcase of the value of diversifying trading relationships. As a result, trade is up by more than 50 percent between 2016 and the first quarter of 2025.

We invited Thomas Codrington, the British Consul-General in Vancouver, to join us for a Conversation That Matters about the potential and benefits of increased trade between the UK and British Columbia.

You can see the interview here https://www.conversationsthatmatter.ca/

Learn More about our guests career at careersthatmatter.ca