The Strathcona Business Improvement Association operates on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam), sḵwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Their cultures and economies have shaped the district since time immemorial and remain integral to the community today. We are one of 22 Business Improvement Associations in the City of Vancouver. We go by the SBIA for short. We represent over 850 commercial business and property owners across 44 city square blocks from Gore Avenue in the west, Clark Drive in the East, Railway Street in the North and Venables Street to the south. The SBIA, like all BIA’s, is funded through a special tax levy applied to each property. If a property is worth 1% of the total value of the area, then that property pays 1% of the BIA levy. How we spend the levy is directed by members and our elected Board of Directors. We listen carefully to the needs of our members and the people who make up our neighbourhood, and invest in initiatives and services that promote the safety, health, and sustainability of our community. We work to make sure businesses have a voice in a wide range of issues that affect them. We enhance, activate, and animate the places across our district in ways that help strengthen the connections between people who share space here. We foster strong working relationships with the many organizations and groups in Strathcona doing amazing work. Partnerships are integral to our success as an organization and as a district. You can think of the SBIA as a bridge-builder. We’re always looking for solutions to tough challenges and opportunities for connection within our diverse community. Finally, we lift up our members through storytelling. We hope you’ll come inside our fold and learn about what makes Strathcona so vibrant and different from anywhere else in Vancouver.