Today a media launch took place to formally announce the Save Our Streets Campaign and Coalition. The Surrey Board of Trade participated in this media launch as a member of the coalition and the campaign.
“The Surrey Board of Trade encourages businesses to join the coalition and the campaign to come forward to let the public and government know that we need coordinated action now on the ongoing crime tax that businesses are facing,” said Anita Huberman, President & CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.
The recent escalation in crime and violence in our communities has reached a crisis point. Many community members are afraid for themselves, their families and of the deterioration of their neighbourhoods as safe places to live, work and play. That fear is evidenced in the business community by employees being afraid of being assaulted in and around their job locations and customers becoming increasingly nervous over venturing into certain commercial areas.
The dramatic increase in the cost of security and absorbing costs of theft have resulted in businesses in jeopardy of closure, as some in fact have done, and in a significant increase in the cost of living for every family in British Columbia as prices of goods and services are increased in an attempt to recover those costs.
SOS is a growing movement of concerned citizens groups, associations, and businesses from throughout B.C. They include:
Aritzia
Bay Centre Victoria
BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association
Chilliwack Beware Crime and Safety
Citizens Take Action (Dawson Creek/Ft. St. John)
Clean Streets Penticton
Clean Up V9L (Duncan)
Convenience Industry Council of Canada
Downtown Nanaimo Business Association
Downtown Victoria Business Association
Georgia Main Food Group
Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
Kamloops Citizens for Change
London Drugs
Lululemon
Marquis Wine
MEC Mountain Equipment Company
Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers
Nanaimo Area Public Safety Association
Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce
Nelson Neighbourhood Network
Pacific Reach Properties
Purdy’s Chocolatier
Restaurants Canada
Retail Council of Canada
Rexall
Safer Vancouver
Save-On-Foods/Pattison Food Group
Save Our City Vancouver
Securiguard
7-Eleven Canada
Surrey Board of Trade
Victoria Crescent Association (Nanaimo)
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Trevor Pancoust at 778-386-0843, tpancoust@pacegroup.com.
Surrey Board of Trade: Anita Huberman, President, 604-340-3899, anita@businessinsurrey.com
