Who We Are
The Better Way Alliance is Canada’s Future-Focused Voice for Your Business.
Our members are business leaders who invest in workers as their organization’s greatest asset. Good Jobs employment practices develop resilient and community-focused jobs across Canada. From main streets to small tool & die shops in commercial parks, job quality matters.
Our Commercial Rent project aims to fundamentally improve the leasing process so that business owners don’t need to choose between paying staff and paying rent. Business costs have skyrocketed in less than a decade – we know the best way to help get them under control isn’t by suppressing worker wages and benefits – it’s by stabilizing fixed costs like rent, insurance, and utilities.
Our network of experienced business owners advocate for tools, policies, and action that boost workers, local businesses, and community-oriented initiatives.
Why? It’s simple – businesses depend on workers who can afford to live, raise families, and retire with dignity in Canada. When our workers do well – we can focus on fixing the real issues facing our enterprises.
BWA Beginnings
The BWA was launched in 2017 by a group of business owners that saw the economic and human value of higher minimum wages. Our efforts helped the Ontario government adopt a $15 minimum wage. Subsequent study has shown this was a huge benefit to the province’s economy and full-time job creation.
Since then, the BWA has added Paid Sick Days and Fair Scheduling policy ideas to our Good Jobs platform. These policies benefit businesses by creating higher retention, more productive employees, and help businesses plan their labour long-term – instead of investing too much time and money on hiring because of high turnover.
In 2023-24, our team helped shape the Toronto Action Plan (Sidewalks to Skylines) 2025-2035 in two key areas – job quality and small business affordability. Our fellowship with Social Capital Partners focuses on a critical challenge: businesses can’t create stable Good Jobs when they don’t know if their rent will double next year.
Ready to Join Canada’s Future-Focused Business Leaders?
BWA members are business owners facing the same challenges as you – rising fixed costs, unpredictable supply chains, and trade uncertainty. Our network advocates for solutions AND builds the tools, peer support, and policy influence that help businesses navigate these pressures successfully.
Want in? Join us — membership is free for qualifying businesses.
Our team primarily works in 3 areas:
Policy Development and
Government Relations
We’re constantly developing deeper relationships with all 3 levels of government to create better policies for business owners and their employees.
We’re leading the way to a better and fairer economy for everyone in Canada by engaging with elected officials and key bureaucrats. From time to time, we call on our Members to write letters, speak to media, and join us in meetings with elected officials.
Business Owner and
Workforce Development
Your business may find ideas like Paid Sick Days, Fair Scheduling and Higher Wages commonplace.
You know why they’re better for your business – but not everyone does. It’s why we love telling our Member business stories far and wide. Their success helps other business owners understand the value of good jobs.
We develop tools that help business owners realize the improved resilience and financial viability that decent work jobs bring to an enterprise – creating more resilient businesses and economic communities in Canada.
Sustainable Economy Development
We’re keen believers that people are any organization’s greatest asset. Every step we take toward helping businesses & government’s realize this through action equals a rising tide that lifts all boats.
We believe that businesses should be able to make profit – but not at the expense of people and poverty. And this is possible – our members prove it every day. To build a strong and sustainable future economy, we need to put people first.