In September, Vancouver City Council approved an array of new and increased fees for businesses and residents. Individuals adopting an exotic bird would now pay a $300 fee; standard business licences increased 46 percent, to $250. The motivation behind the fees was simple: to offset the proposed increases in property tax—which had risen by 10.7 percent in 2023, a hike obviously unpopular with homeowners—for the coming year. “I know increases like this are hard,” said Vancouver mayor Ken Sim when the raise was announced. “Frankly, they suck.”
Everyone loves to complain about taxes, but in Vancouver, this familiar tune strikes an off-key note. The city’s property tax rate is the lowest of any major city in Canada, less than half that of Calgary or Toronto, and for the owner of a $2 million home, that 10.7 percent increase amounted to just $326. As a millennial, I could return the advice my generation has so often received: just skip a couple of lattes each month and you won’t even miss it.
