Businesses in cities and main streets across the country say a “humanitarian crisis is playing out in” Canada’s communities and they want the federal government to act swiftly to tackle the crime, addiction and social issues they say are hurting businesses and downtowns.
The issues, business groups say, have been on the rise in recent years but were made significantly worse by the pandemic.
“Repeat offenders are significant drivers of crime and the current bail system does not protect Canadians or small businesses,” Kate Fenske, chair of International Downtown Association Canada (IDA Canada), which represents urban business districts across Canada, said Tuesday.
