Menu
BC Office
Working toward a socially and economically just British Columbia
Established in 1997, the CCPA’s BC Office investigates key challenges facing our province through independent research, analysis and expertise. We propose real, workable solutions, and share our findings as widely as possible to advance social, economic and environmental justice – and to challenge the message that there is no alternative.
Our publications are available to all at no cost. Please support the CCPA and help make important research and ideas available to everyone. Make a donation today.
-
Building better
Community benefits agreements are a creative and effective way to build a better construction workforce
-
About that deficit: How much fiscal capacity does the federal government have?
In the absence of costed election platforms, political promises need to be scrutinized carefully for an “impossible trinity.” That is, the federal government can only…
-
A eulogy for carbon pricing–and what comes next
Canada’s bold experiment with carbon pricing is over, pulled by new Prime Minister Mark Carney to remove a controversial wedge issue before the coming federal…
-
Mark Carney’s Values: What his 2021 book reveals about the leader he might be
It’s fair to say that Mark Carney’s 2021 book, Values: Building a Better World for All, was his early application to be prime minister. Values…
-
BC budget boosts deficit and capital spending in response to Trump tariffs—and that’s a good thing
British Columbia’s 2025 provincial budget arrived just over four months after the October 2024 BC election but in the interim the world has changed. The…
-
A message from Nora Loreto, CCPA Board Chair, and Jason MacLean, Secretary-Treasurer, on the closure of the B.C. office of CCPA
The past year has been challenging for the CCPA, culminating in the closure of the B.C. office in February 2025. This letter aims to provide…
-
Infrastructure costs an excuse to ban apartments on residential land, but are actually cheaper for high-density housing, new research shows
VANCOUVER — In the midst of a housing crisis, infrastructure costs are used increasingly as an excuse for restrictive zoning policies in BC, which effectively…
-
Worried about Infrastructure Costs? Then End the Apartment Ban
Takeaways: Opponents of building more homes in British Columbia, and especially denser, lower-cost options like apartments, often wield the argument that their communities lack the…
-
Writing from our researchers this year
Housing—in particular a lack of affordable housing throughout BC—was a major concern for British Columbians this year and no doubt will continue in 2025. Our researchers wrote extensively on this issue. Here are some highlights.
-
BC Child Poverty Rate Climbs as Income Inequality Grows
Thirty-five years after Canada’s parliament promised to end child poverty it still hasn’t happened. In 1989, a unanimous all-party House of Commons resolution was passed…
-
Reading the policy tea leaves: What BC’s new cabinet appointments tell us about the government’s priorities
In the absence of mandate letters, let’s take a look at what the new cabinet picks and the reorganization of some key ministries tell us, in light of NDP and Green election promises.
-
Soaring cost of living—especially for housing—causes living wages to increase across BC
The 2024 living wage for Metro Vancouver has risen to $27.05 per hour, a 5.3% increase from last year. This significant increase highlights the region’s…
Updates from the CCPA
Read the latest research, analysis and commentary on issues that matter to you.
CCPA Updates