The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has established the Safer Businesses Council to respond to increasing crime rates.
The group will comprise various businesses across Canada, such as retailers, restaurants, and banks. It will focus on tackling safety concerns and guarding the future of municipal economies in the country.
The council’s mandate is as follows:
- Championing robust measures to address violent and repeat offenders
- Advocating for improved front-line support for vulnerable populations
- Identifying policy gaps that unintentionally contribute to the problem
- Collaborating with federal policymakers to develop innovative, community-driven solutions
“You can’t have strong communities without safe businesses. When employers, employees and customers feel unsafe, local economies start to unravel. This Council will put business voices at the heart of the conversation on public safety and drive real, practical policy solutions,” said David Pierce, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s vice president of government relations, in a statement.
The organization added that participant organizations would influence national advocacy efforts and communicate directly with policymakers. It highlighted the importance of the council’s role given that unsafe business environments would repel investment, jobs, and opportunities from communities.
“When local businesses thrive, entire communities benefit. Jobs are created, public revenues increase, and Canadians gain greater access to the services they rely on every day,” the Canadian Chamber of Commerce wrote in a statement on its website.
The organization represents over 400 chambers of commerce and trade boards and over 200,000 businesses of various sizes.
In an October survey by the chamber’s Business Data Lab, many businesses reported long-term optimism. However, the tariffs in the center of the trade fight between Canada and the US are set to impact Canada’s economy; the Canadian Federation of Independent Business warned that the conflict has been harming small and mid-sized businesses, with the manufacturing, wholesale, and transportation sectors taking the brunt of the blow.