B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
A new study has found the businesses in North America's gay villages were hit harder by the COVID-19 pandemic than those owned by members of the LGBTQ2S+ community elsewhere.
The study, commissioned by retail commerce company Lightspeed and carried out by Carleton University's Sprott School of Business, looked at the impact of the pandemic on businesses that are more than 51 per cent owned by members of the LGBTQ2S+ community - as referred to in the study - in Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles.
Most businesses in the villages fell under the retail, restaurant and entertainment categories, which have been hardest hit over the last year and a half, according to data from Statistics Canada. Those that didn't fall under those categories did not tend to operate within gay villages, said the Sprott School's Dana Brown.
Though most businesses surveyed were located outside of gay villages, the study found they were concerned about the longevity of business within the villages as they dealt with closures, gentrification and high rent.
Dax Dasilva, CEO of Lightspeed, said in an interview the reasons for commissioning the report were personal as his business got its start in the gay village in Montreal 16 years ago. The work of gathering data on LGBTQ2S+ business leaders is the first step of improving chances for those in the community, he added.
“By understanding some of these local business communities, I think we could be a better advocate for them, and also be a better provider in terms of solutions,” said Dasilva.
Overall, 60 per cent of respondents reported the pandemic negatively affected their business operations. The study also found that 20 per cent of the businesses surveyed reported having laid off employees since the start of the pandemic.
Despite the challenges, Brown said during an interview respondents did display a level of resiliency.
She also said the research was not only focused on how the businesses fared during the pandemic but the best ways to build stronger communities with the LGBTQ2S+ business landscape.
“My colleagues feel that there's the potential for fantastic economic impact if we do support these business leaders,” Brown said. “One of the things we see in the study and we know from what we know about LGBTQ businesses is that there are a lot of businesses led by LGBT leaders, and they thrive and they do well and the more the better.”
Which is why Brown said next steps in supporting LGBTQ2S+ business leaders should involve government policy to ensure the community is bolstered to allow for more talent and innovation to enter the countries' economies.
With the study completed, Dasilva said the LGBTQ2S+ business community may be better equipped to restart operations as COVID-19 restrictions begin to relax across the United States and Canada.
“There's this big desire to support local, and that I think is a great supporting point to rebuild some of these business communities and build them better,” he said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2021.
------
This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Facebook and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.
Mounties in Nanaimo, B.C., say two late-night revellers are lucky their allegedly drunken antics weren't reported to police after security cameras captured the men trying to steal a heavy sign from a downtown business.
A property tax bill is perplexing a small townhouse community in Fergus, Ont.
When identical twin sisters Kim and Michelle Krezonoski were invited to compete against some of the world’s most elite female runners at last week’s Boston Marathon, they were in disbelief.
The giant stone statues guarding the Lions Gate Bridge have been dressed in custom Vancouver Canucks jerseys as the NHL playoffs get underway.
A local Oilers fan is hoping to see his team cut through the postseason, so he can cut his hair.
A family from Laval, Que. is looking for answers... and their father's body. He died on vacation in Cuba and authorities sent someone else's body back to Canada.
A former educational assistant is calling attention to the rising violence in Alberta's classrooms.
The federal government says its plan to increase taxes on capital gains is aimed at wealthy Canadians to achieve “tax fairness.”
At 6'8" and 350 pounds, there is nothing typical about UBC offensive lineman Giovanni Manu, who was born in Tonga and went to high school in Pitt Meadows.