In the 2024 provincial election, you told us that timelines for provincial permitting have worsened over the past five years (47%) and that the province is not doing enough to reduce permitting delays in municipalities (64%). As a result, the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade is gathering real-life stories from our members about these challenges.

We want to hear from you about the obstacles you’ve faced when doing business in B.C., especially regarding the time, complexity, and costs involved in obtaining project permits and approvals from all levels of government—particularly the provincial government.

Your input will help us illustrate the real-world impacts of these issues and strengthen our recommendations for streamlining regulations and reducing delays. While not all submissions will be included in our final report, every story will inform our advocacy efforts and highlight the urgency of making B.C. a more competitive place to do business.

Please complete the following form to share your story.

If it’s easier to discuss your permitting challenges over email or by phone, please contact our Policy Team at advocacy@boardoftrade.com.

Contact Information

First Name *
Last Name *
Preferred Email *
Professional Title *
Organization Name *

Project Details

Please share example(s) of specific instances in British Columbia where your business encountered delays, burdensome costs, overly complex regulations, or other roadblocks due to government regulatory processes at any level. We are seeking information about challenges impacting all aspects of regulatory and administrative requirements. Please include anything you deem relevant including:

  • A summary of the project, initiative, or business activity and what you were trying to achieve.
  • Specific regulatory, policy, or procedural issues faced—if possible, indicate the specific government policy or regulation that caused the challenge.
  • The time it took to receive necessary approvals or advance to the next step.
  • An estimate of additional costs due to delays, compliance burdens, or fees.
  • The consequences of the delays or complexity—such as lost jobs, reduced investment, or inability to provide goods and services to customers or communities.
  • Suggestions on changes to current provincial policies, processes, or regulatory approaches that would have reduced or eliminated the challenges your business faced.
Do you give us permission to tell your story to government or in our public policy report? *
Submit
Back Next

Thank you for your submission.

Back Next
Back Next