With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1441359
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2022 BCBUSINESS 37 MASSEY THEATRE RENTAL VACANCY RATE PER 10,000 POPULATION (10%) RESIDENTIAL SALES PER 10,000 POPULATION (10%) HOUSING STARTS PER 10,000 POPULATION (10%) CHANGE IN JOBS PER 10,000 POPULATION (10%) AVERAGE ANNUAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE (10%) ECONOMIC DIVERSITY (15%) 2021 RANK 2.7% 120 19 78 5.2% 828 18 0.0% 216 72 78 5.2% 808 19 0.8% 222 104 498 6.7% 845 20 1.9% 162 64 336 7.6% 750 21 1.0% 237 68 –33 5.6% 775 22 0.0% 317 54 –65 7.4% 1,152 23 1.0% 169 81 339 6.3% 831 24 1.6% 253 77 –65 7.4% 755 25 1.0% 232 33 498 6.7% 837 26 1.8% 150 50 339 6.3% 810 27 1.9% 154 40 498 6.7% 782 28 0.0% 173 110 78 5.2% 845 29 2.2% 143 38 336 7.6% 705 30 1.7% 274 70 336 7.6% 776 31 1.5% 268 121 -65 7.4% 805 32 1.4% 168 89 336 7.6% 736 33 1.2% 152 24 336 7.6% 708 34 Category weights shown in brackets. Full methodology on page 41 surge. Hurdling 35 spots higher, the Royal City reached the top five for the first time in the eight-year history of our ranking. High population growth, low residential GHG emissions, a booming development industry and one of the province's most diverse economies propelled it to the top of the Metro Vancouver heap. New Westminster's relative affordability has been a big part of its success in recent years, maintains Rich Patterson, owner of promotional products company Patterson Brands. "We were always around the Olym- pic Village area in Vancouver," he recalls. "But then things changed, and by the mid- 2010s it was just too expensive." When an affordable commercial space became available in New Westminster RETURN OF THE KING New Westminster, home of the Massey Theatre, made the top five for the first time