As business and community leaders, British Columbians, and human beings we cannot sit idly by. What we condone, we accept, and we cannot accept the growing racism and hate directed at people because of their ethnicity, culture, or faiths. Racism must be called out and it must stop now!

We are all deeply disturbed by the violent, overt and subtle displays of racism we are increasingly seeing and some that are being reported in the media. This is an affront to what it means to be a citizen in our province and country. As a place that welcomes the world, what we are witnessing is not who we are or aspire to be as Canadians. Admitting this growing problem will enable us to address it.

Brazen assaults on people of Chinese descent. Racist slurs directed at Indigenous peoples, visible minorities and people based on their faith. Hate messages written on buildings. The recipients of these reprehensible behaviours are our family members, friends, neighbours, colleagues, fellow business and community leaders, philanthropists, and generations of people who have helped build our province.

These incidents and actions come in sharp contrast to the many generous acts of kindness and tolerance exhibited by so many British Columbians every day and particularly the compassion that we have seen during this trying time.

Our cultural mosaic is the envy of the world. It is comprised of generations who were born here and those who chose to come here to make a difference, to build a better life for their families and to contribute to a better province. It doesn’t matter where British Columbians and their ancestors are from. As B.C. business and community leaders, we care deeply about our collective well-being and are standing up to say: this is wrong.

Here in British Columbia, we have been fortunate thanks to the leadership of both our government and the Provincial Health Officer, and the measures each of us have taken during COVID-19 to do our part to plank the curve. This is a collaborative success that exemplifies our capacity to care for one another.

Our primary job now is to dig out of this generational crisis together to create an even better province, with jobs and new opportunities for all. We need every British Columbian to be part of this rebuilding effort, working together with generous hearts, offering their solutions, intelligence, positivity, creativity and as Dr. Bonnie Henry so compassionately tells us: kindness.

Division makes us smaller and weaker, at a time when strength and collaboration is required given the pain that so many face. Study after study has shown that rich diversity in our workplaces and communities results in stronger performance and a higher quality of life, from improved productivity and innovation to global connectivity and economic prosperity.

Enough wrongs have been committed over the course of our province’s history and this need not be another. Let’s look back on this pivotal moment as a time when we turned our backs on racist tendencies and chose a different path that embodies our best character and shows our resilience and the humanity that has served us so well.

We ask you join us to stop racism, educate others and celebrate the diversity that gives us strength and an advantage in the changing world we face together.

The Business Council of British Columbia

Signatories:

The Honourable Janet Austin
Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia

Jeff Zweig
President & CEO, Mosaic Forest Management
Chair, Business Council of B.C.

Sue Paish
President & CEO, Digital Technology Supercluster
Past Chair, Business Council of British Columbia

Carling Dick
Principal, Earnscliffe Strategy Group
Chair, NEXT Leaders' Council

Brandt Louie
Chairman & CEO, H.Y. Louie Group of Companies

Greg D'Avignon
President & CEO, Business Council of B.C.

• Mary Ackenhusen, President & CEO, Vancouver Coastal Health
• Wilfred Adam, Former Chief, Lake Babine Nation
• Bridgitte Anderson, President & CEO, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
• Ian Anderson, President & CEO, Trans Mountain Corporation
• Mohammed Shujaath Ali Imam, The B.C. Muslim Association
• Armita S. Alikhani, AVP, Strategic Planning & Corporate Affairs, BlueShore Financial
• Peter Armstrong, Founder & Owner, Armstrong Group
• Chris Atchison, President & CEO, B.C. Construction Association
• Michael Audain, Chairman, Polygon Homes Ltd.
• Kevin Au-Yeung, President, Association of Chinese Canadian Entrepreneurs (ACCE)
• Andy Balser, Vice President, TELUS Home Solutions Marketing, TELUS Corporation
• Alan Baratz, CEO, D-Wave Systems
• Jimenez Baskerville, Vice President, Strand Based Business, Tolko Industries
• Krista Bax, CEO, go2HR
• Stewart Beck, President & CEO, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
• Stuart Belkin, Chairman & CEO, Belkorp Industries Inc.
• Mark Betteridge, President & CEO, Betteridge Inc.
• Mark Blamey, President, Kerr Wood Leidal
• Mark Blucher, President & CEO, Central 1 Credit Union
• Robert A. Booker, CEO, Ridley Terminals Inc.
• Jeff Booth, Chairman, Llamazoo
• Dan Bregg, President, Buy-Low Food
• Etienne Bruson, Managing Partner for Deloitte B.C., Deloitte Canada
• Ron Burnett, President Emeritus, Emily Carr University of Art & Design
• Steve Butz, President & CEO, YMCA of Greater Vancouver
• Frank Butzelaar, President & CEO, Seaspan
• Dr. Jason Byassee, Reverend, Vancouver School of Theology
• Ian Campbell, Chief, Squamish Nation
• Bob Cantwell, Managing Director, Boeing Canada
• Eric Carlson, Co-founder & CEO, Anthem Properties
• Bill Carpenter, Vice President, Insurance, ICBC
• Paul R. Cassidy, Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP
• Chris Catliff, President & CEO, BlueShore Financial
• Dr. Steven J. Chambers, Reverend, Vancouver School of Theology
• Angela Chapman, President & CEO, VGH & UBC Hospital Foundation
• Shaheen Chaudhary, CEO & Co-Founder, Pragilis Solutions
• Jenny Chen, CEO, Poly Culture North America Investment Corporation Limited
• Glenn Cherepak, Vice President, Process & Infrastructure, Spartan Controls
• Christian Chia, CEO, OpenRoad Auto Group
• Toby Y. Chu, Chairman, President & CEO, CIBT Education Group, Inc. & Sprott Shaw College
• Glen Clark, President & COO, The Jim Pattison Group
• Troy Connolly, Vice President, Solid Woods, Tolko Industries
• Don Coulter, President & CEO, Concentra Bank
• Katherine Coutinho, Senior Director, Corporate Communications, Ledcor
• Bryan Cox, President & CEO, Canadian LNG Alliance
• John D. Crawford FCPA, FCA, ICD.D,CFE, CA (Scotland), President & CEO, Pacific Blue Cross
• Rob Crosby-Shearer, Reverend, The Emmaus Community & the Abbey Church (Anglican/United)
• Michael Crothers, President & Country Chair, Shell Canada Ltd.
• Alex Dagg, Director, Airbnb Canada
• Roger Dall’Antonia, President & CEO, FortisBC
• Dr. Robert Daum, Chair, Board of Directors, The Laurier Institution
• Alan Davis PhD, President & Vice Chancellor, Kwantlen Polytechnic University
• Edoardo de Martin, General Manager, Microsoft Vancouver
• Christophe Desage P.Eng., CEM, Executive Director, Western Canada Operations, BBA
• Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink
• Gavin Dew, Chief Strategic Advisor, Abbotsford Tech District
• Mike Dickens P. Eng, Vice President, Kerr Wood Leidal
• Gavin Dirom M.Sc., P. Ag, President & CEO, Geoscience B.C.
• Rabbi Laura Duhan-Kaplan, Vancouver School of Theology
• Dr. Patricia Dutcher-Walls, Reverend, Presbyterian Church of Canada
• Brock Dykeman, President, University Canada West
• David Earle, President & CEO, British Columbia Trucking Association
• Allen Eaves OBC, MD, PhD, FRCPC, President & CEO, STEMCELL Technologies
• Steve Eccles, Regional CEO & Dean, Vancouver, Northeastern University Vancouver
• Ken Embree P.Eng, President, Knight Piésold Ltd.
• Brad Eshleman, President & CEO, Western Stevedoring
• Kevin Falcon, Executive Vice President, Anthem Properties
• Martha Hall Findlay, Chief Sustainability Officer, Suncor
• Mark Fitzgerald, President & CEO, Petronas Energy Canada Ltd.
• Bob Fleet, Vice President, Forestry & Environment, Tolko Industries
• Thomas Fung, President & CEO, Fairchild Developments
• Frank Giustra, Fiore Corporation
• Michael Goehring, President & CEO, Mining Association of British Columbia
• Sara Goldvine, Vice President, Communications, B.C. Housing
• Tristan Goodman, President, Explorers & Producers Association of Canada
• Heidi Gravelle, Chief, Tobacco Plains Band
• Genesa M. Greening, President & CEO, B.C. Women’s Health Foundation
• Raminder Grewal P.Eng, President, Keystone Environmental Ltd.
• Doron Grosman, President & CEO, Global Container Terminals Inc.
• Bill Harbottle, President, Jim Pattison Auto Group
• Eric J. Harris Q.C., Chair, Harris & Company LLP
• Margaret Heldman, Associate, Vice President Academic, Langara College
• Paul Hemsley B.Sc., MBA, President, Hemmera, an Ausenco Company
• John Hepburn PhD, FRSC/MSRC, CEO & Scientific Director, MITACS
• Debra A. Hewson, President & CEO, Odlum Brown Limited
• James Hoffele M.R.M., PMP, Socio-Economic Project Management Specialist, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
• Paul Hollands, Chair, A & W Corporation
• Rebeckah Hornung, Indoor Operations Manager, Whitewater Ski Resort
• William Hung, Executive Vice President, Teekay Corporation
• Kenneth Hvid, CEO, Teekay Corporation
• Rick Ilich, CEO, Townline
• Rabbi Jonathan Infeld, Congregation Beth Israel
• Trevor Jahnig, Chief Financial Officer & Vice President, Finance, Tolko Industries
• Ingrid Jarrett, President & CEO, British Columbia Hotel Association
• Reverend Vida Jaugelis, Interim Pastor, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
• Natasha Jeshani, President & CEO, Career Contacts
• Kevin Jewett, Vice President, Woodlands, Tolko Industries
• Nicolas Jimenez, President & CEO, ICBC
• Lara Johnson, Vice President, Marketing & Communications, BCIT
• Kendra Johnston PGeo, MBA, President & CEO, Association for Mineral Exploration
• Darrell Jones, President, Save on Foods
• Stephanie Jones, President, B.C. Maritime Terminal Operators Association
• Walt Judas, CEO, Tourism Industry Association of British Columbia
• Don Kayne, President & CEO, Canfor Corporation
• David Keane, President, Woodfibre LNG
• Brent Kerr Q.C., Vancouver Managing Partner, Gowling WLG (Canada) LLP
• Jess K. Ketchum, President, Ketchum Communications
• Charles Kim, President & CEO, Trans-Pac Group
• Kathy Kinloch, President & CEO, BCIT
• Bill Kiss, Co-CEO, G&F Financial Group
• Kent Kufeldt, Partner & National Business Leader, Securities & Capital Markets, Vancouver, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
• Kirk LaPointe, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, BIV, Vice President, Editorial, Glacier Media
• Kevin Layden, President & CEO, Wesbild Holdings Ltd.
• V. Paul Lee, Managing Partner, Vanedge Capital
• Carol Lee, Chair, Vancouver Chinatown Foundation
• Eva Lee Kwok, Chair & CEO, Amara Holdings Inc.
• Peter Leitch, Chair, Motion Picture Production Industry Association
• Mike Leonard, President & CEO, B.C. Maritime Employers Association
• Yael Levin, Executive Director, Congregation Beth Israel - Israel Bonds
• Don Lindsay, President & CEO, TECK Resources Ltd.
• Val Litwin, President & CEO, B.C. Chamber of Commerce
• Elio Luongo, CEO & Senior Partner, KPMG LLP
• Dave Lye, Vice President External Affairs, Ovintiv
• Fiona MacFarlane, Chair, Shawnigan Lake School
• Richard MacLean, Chief, Tahltan Band
• Karn Manhas, Founder & CEO, Terramera Inc.
• Valerie C. Mann, Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP
• Sherry Marceil, Surrey Interfaith Council
• Jon Marks, Vice President, Human Resources, Justice Institute of B.C.
• Lori Mathison FCPA, FCGA, LLB, President & CEO, Chartered Professional Accountants of B.C.
• Sean McAdam, President, Everything Wine
• Brian McCauley, President & CEO, Concert Properties
• Ken McCormack, President & CEO, Construction Labour Relations Association (CLRA) of B.C.
• Jason McDaniel, Vice President, Corporate Affairs, ICBC
• Neil McKenzie, The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints
• Reverend Monica McKinlay, Kitsilano Christian Community
• Tim McMillan, President & CEO, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
• Ron McNeil, CEO & Co-Founder, LMS Reinforcing Steel Group
• Jamie McTavish, President, Dunarday Investments
• George Meadows M.Sc. Pl., Vice President, Human Environment, Hemmera, an Ausenco Company
• Bishop Greg Mohr, B.C. Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada
• Diane Morrison, Managing Director, Mowi Canada West
• Rabbi Dan Moskovitz, Senior Rabbi, Temple Sholom
• Harold Munro, Editor-in-Chief, Vancouver Sun & Province
• Joe Pierre Nasukin, Chief, Ktunaxa Nation
• Ralph Nilson PhD., FSRC, President Emeritus, Vancouver Island University
• Dan Nomura, President, Canadian Fishing Company
• Santa J. Ono FRSC, FCAHS, President & Vice-Chancellor, University of British Columbia
• Christopher O’Riley, President & CEO, B.C. Hydro
• Greg Palaschuk, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, Finning International Inc.
• Adam Palmer, Chief Constable, Vancouver Police Department
• Kush Panatch ICD.D, President, Panatch Group
• Ajay Patel, President & CEO, Vancouver Community College
• Jim Pattison, Chairman & CEO, The Jim Pattison Group
• Walter R. Pela FCPA, FCA, Managing Partner, Greater Vancouver Area, KPMG LLP
• Scott Perchall, Director, External Communications, Government Relations & Public Affairs, Vancity Credit Union
• Reverend S.D. Perkins, Representative of the United Church of Canada, Pacific/Mountain Conference United Church of Canada
• Ryan Peterson, Vice President, Solutions, Unity Technologies
• Andrew Petter C.M., Q.C., President & Vice Chancellor, Simon Fraser University
• The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, Chair of the Board, Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
• Susannah Pierce, Director, Corporate Affairs, LNG Canada
• Dr. Stefano Piva, Lead Pastor, Bethany Baptist Church
• David Podmore, Chairman & Co-Founder, Concert Properties
• Sally Powell, General Manager, PAI Health
• Pino Pucci, Vice President, Sales & Marketing Logistics, Tolko Industries
• Chohre Rassekh, Representative, Bahá’í community to the Multi Faith Summit Council
• Derek Ratchford, Vice President, US Operations, Tolko Industries
• Mark Reder, Senior Vice President, General Manager & Senior Partner, Fleishman Hillard HighRoad Canada
• Salima Remtulla, Member-at-Large, BCBC Board of Governors
• Bob Rennie, Founder, The Rennie Group
• Craig Richmond, former President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority
• Ian Ricketts, President, Ocean Brands
• Craig Robinson, CEO, Earnscliffe Strategy Group
• Rabbi Andrew Rosenblatt, Congregation Schara Tzedeck
• Sara J. Roth, President & CEO, B.C. Cancer Foundation
• Chris Rousch, President & CEO, Veresen Midstream Limited Partnership
• Mike Rusch, President, Jim Pattison Lease
• Asifa Samji, Senior Vice President, Environmental Services, Stantec
• Deborah Saucier, President & Vice-Chancellor, Vancouver Island University
• Paul Save, President, ProductBC
• Dave Schick, Vice President, Western Division, Canadian Fuels
• Jim Schroeder, President, Peterbilt Pacific
• Rod Schween, President, Jim Pattison Broadcast Group
• Brad Scott, CEO, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver
• Kelly Scott, President, B.C. Road Builders & Heavy Construction Association
• Mike Scott, Chief Financial Officer, Terramera Inc.
• Chief Willie Sellars, Williams Lake First Nation
• Ezra S. Shanken, CEO, Jewish Federation of Greater Vancouver
• Jeff Shewfelt, Co-CEO, G&F Financial Group
• The Venerable Yin Kit Sik, Po Lam Buddhist Association
• Robin Silvester, President & CEO, Vancouver Fraser Port Authority
• Dr. Kala Singh, Member of the Board, Akali Singh Sikh Society
• Pritam Aulakh Singh, Member of the Board, Akali Singh Sikh Society
• Steven C. Slater Ph.D., Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, Terramera Inc.
• Nico Slobinsky, Centre for Israel & Jewish Affairs (CIJA), Pacific Region
• Lisa Sparrow, President & CEO, Corix Infrastructure, Inc
• James Speakman J.D., ICD.D, Managing Partner, Clark Wilson
• Pascal Spothelfer PhD, President & CEO, Genome British Columbia
• Dr. Philip Steenkamp, President & Vice Chancellor, Royal Roads University
• Ron Stern, President, Stern Partners Inc.
• Shaun Stevenson, President & CEO, Prince Rupert Port Authority
• Hamish Stewart, Executive Secretary Treasurer, British Columbia Regional Council of Carpenters
• Don Stickney, Vancouver Managing Partner, Earnscliffe Strategy Group
• Mark Stock, Senior Vice President, Human Resources & IT, Interfor Corporation
• Sandra J. Stuart, President & CEO, HSBC Canada
• David Sung, President, Nicola Wealth Management
• Bill Tam, Co-founder & Chief Operating Officer, Digital Technology Supercluster
• Carole Taylor, Canada Chair, Trilateral Commission
• Scott Tebbutt PhD, CEO & Chief Scientific Officer, PROOF Centre of Excellence
• Kathryn Teneese, Chair, Ktunaxa Nation Council
• Martin Thibodeau, Regional President, RBC Royal Bank
• Scott Thomson, CEO, Finning International Inc.
• Brad Thorlakson, President & CEO, Tolko Industries
• John Tognotti, Chair, Haywood Securities
• Lane Trotter EdD, President & CEO, Langara College
• Darren Turchansky, Executive Vice President, British Columbia & Regional Managing Partner, MNP
• Jesse Unke P.Eng., PE, PMP, RMP, CCA, President, British Columbia Construction Roundtable
• Roger van der Marel, Senior Project Manager & Business Development, Jacobs
• Reverend Katrina Vigen, Redeemer Lutheran Church
• Dick Vollet, President & CEO, St. Paul's Hospital Foundation
• Tamara Vrooman, President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority
• Daniel J. Weeks CFRM, B.A.(Hon), M.Sc., PhD, International Fellow NAK, Professor & Senior Advisor, University of Northern British Columbia
• Will Westeringh Q.C., Regional Managing Partner, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin, LLP
• Scott Weston M.Sc., P.Geo., Vice President, Business Development, Hemmera, an Ausenco Company
• Tanya Wick, Vice President, People & Services, Tolko Industries
• Sonny Wong, President & Creative Director, Hamazaki Wong Marketing Group
• Emma Xing CPA, CGA, Controller, Poly Culture North America Investment Corporation Limited
• Ben Yeung, President, Peterson
• Susan Yurkovich, President & CEO, Council of Forest Industries
• Peter Zebedee, CEO, LNG Canada
• Guoxing Zhang, Head, Agricultural Bank of China
• Ivy Can Zhang, CEO, Noah Canada Wealth Management Ltd.
• Sherry Zhao PhD, Senior Account Manager, Acting B.C. Team Lead, Business Development, MITACS

If you would like to add your name on behalf of your organization in support of this statement, please contact: info@bcbc.com.