‘Assaulted, Stabbed, Bitten’: Over 60 Percent of Canadian Small Businesses Report Seeing Surge in Crime

A lone person walks past closed businesses in Kensington Market in Toronto, on April 15, 2020. Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press

The number of small businesses that report being directly affected by crime in Canada nearly doubled over the past 12 months, a trend compounded by rising homelessness and the mental health and opioid crisis, a recent report suggests.

More than 60 percent of small businesses report seeing an increase in crime in their communities, with nearly 30 percent describing it as a significant increase, according to a recent report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB).

Theft, vandalism, and littering are top concerns for the business owners, many of whom say they fear not only for the future of their businesses, but also for their safety and that of their staff and customers.

“We’ve been harassed, assaulted, stabbed, bitten, bear sprayed, and shot at by people suffering from addictions and mental health issues in our neighbourhood,” said a British Columbia retail business owner as cited in the report.

“Being a small business owner is stressful enough; wondering if today’s the day one of us dies or suffers serious bodily harm because no one will step up and do something has us at our wits’ end.”

Small businesses often have to deal with these problems on their own, without adequate training and resources, while governments and law enforcement agencies continue to look for long-term solutions, says the report.

A Nationwide Trend

The western provinces saw above-average levels of crime impacting small businesses, with B.C. and Saskatchewan seeing some of the largest jumps, the report said. B.C.’s proportion of small businesses directly impacted by crime increased from 30 percent in 2023 to 57 percent in 2024 and, in Saskatchewan, the rate rose from just a quarter to more than a half.

Alberta also saw above-average levels of businesses affected by crime at 55 percent, up from 32 percent last year. Manitoba, which led the country in 2023, saw the smallest increase nationwide, just 11 percent, but still has among the highest rates overall with 52 percent.

In provinces such as Quebec and Nova Scotia, the share of affected businesses was lower than the national average of 45 percent, reporting 30 percent and 41 percent respectively, but their year-over-year rise in direct crime reports was still in line with the national average increase.

The authors note that Quebec had one of the lowest rates of direct crime on small businesses last year, at 9 percent, and that its recent sharp increase shows that the upward trend “is not confined to any single region.”

Ontario’s direct impact rate and year-over-year increase were both below the national average, with the proportion of small businesses directly affected by crime increasing from 24 percent in 2023 to 40 percent in 2024.

Top Safety Concerns

Waste and litter, vandalism, breaking and entering, and theft topped the list of concerns, with these issues cited by at least 60 percent of respondents.

The report noted some businesses have suffered theft losses amounting to thousands of dollars but cannot recover it through insurance due to “fear of premium increases or due to lack of coverage.”

Loitering and public intoxication are next in the list of top concerns at 49 percent and 44 percent respectively. Vagrancy or encampments followed, affecting approximately 40 percent of small businesses, while harassment to employees and customers impacted more than 30 percent.

Vandalism and breaking and entering is more common in Western Canada, the report says, affecting 70 percent of small businesses compared to 57 percent on average in the rest of the country. It notes Quebec appears less impacted by most community safety issues aside from theft.

In terms of crime linked to specific industries, hospitality businesses were more likely to be affected by breaking and entering (82 percent) and littering (75 percent). The construction and retail industries were the most vulnerable to theft and shoplifting, with 68 percent and 72 percent of businesses, respectively, reporting such incidents.

Protection Measures

More than 90 percent of small businesses say they have taken steps to deal with the effects of crime, according to the report. Two-thirds said they are investing in security aids such as cameras, window bars, and security guards.

Karla Ahlqvist, owner of Wildlife Thrift Store on Vancouver’s Granville strip, told The Epoch Times earlier this year she has spent $300,000 on security since 2021.

“The majority of the $300,000 is to pay for a security guard so the staff feels safe enough to come to work,” she said in an email. “Often when shoplifters are confronted they become violent and act out.”

Other measures, adopted by about half of small businesses, consist of making changes to the way they operate. This includes leaving lights on overnight, shifting to pre-arranged appointments, and keeping doors locked during business hours.

“One break-in to our clinic last year, some items were stolen totalling under $2000,” said a personal service business owner in Manitoba as cited by the report. “We now have a locked door policy which harms customer experience and potentially deters walk-in business.”

Only 8 percent of small businesses said they have not taken steps to address community safety issues.