Media
The Better Way Alliance is a trusted voice on Good Jobs business practices, commercial rent, and sustainable economic policy. Our work has been featured in leading media outlets, from in-depth articles to TV interviews and podcasts.
Explore how our members and team are influencing the future of better business one conversation at a time. Dive into expert insights, real-world stories, and media coverage that highlight the power of fair business practices.
Media Inquiries: aaron@betterwayalliance.ca
2024
As Ottawa's inadequate commercial rent aid ends, small businesses need a better plan – now, The Globe and Mail
Author: Anita Agrawal | Date: June 30, 2024
Summary: Discusses the end of federal rent subsidies and the urgent need for a permanent framework to protect small businesses from predatory commercial rent practices.
Toronto cafe closes after building sale leads to rent spike, The Toronto Star
Author: Victoria Gibson | Date: March 12, 2024
Summary: A case study on how real estate speculation and lack of rent control are hollowing out local neighborhoods by forcing successful independent cafes to close.
Why Small Businesses Need Commercial Rent Control, Canadian Business Magazine
Author: Aaron Binder & Liliana Locke | Date: January 22, 2024
Summary: An op-ed detailing how skyrocketing fixed costs—specifically rent—prevent businesses from investing in better wages and growth.
2023
Paid Sick Days, Rabble
Author: Gabriela Calugay-Casuga | Date: November 19, 2023
Summary: Highlights the advocacy for 10 permanent paid sick days as a cornerstone of a healthy, productive economy.
Minimum wage falls short, CityNews
Author: Beverly Andrews | Date: October 1, 2023
Summary: A broadcast segment featuring BWA members discussing why incremental wage increases must be paired with cost-of-living stabilization.
‘Race for space’ squeezes retailers amid rising rents, The Globe and Mail
Author: Wallace Immen | Date: June 20, 2023
Summary: Reports on the hyper-competitive commercial real estate market that favors corporate chains over independent main street retailers.
Small businesses closing due to massive rent hikes say the future is bleak, inSauga
Author: Ashley Newport | Date: June 15, 2023
Summary: Explores the "bleak" outlook for Ontario’s hospitality sector if commercial lease protections are not introduced.
Beloved Annex bookstore Presse Internationale closing due to huge rent hike, CityNews
Author: Dilshad Burman | Date: May 24, 2023
Summary: Coverage of the loss of a multi-decade community bookstore due to an unsustainable rent increase.
Better Wages, Better Business: How Minimum Wage Increases Boost Local Economies, Better Way Alliance
Author: Liliana Locke | Date: May 10, 2023
Summary: A study summary demonstrating that higher wages lead to increased local spending and lower staff turnover.
2022
The high cost of low wages: Why some businesses are raising their pay, The Toronto Star
Author: Sara Mojtehedzadeh | Date: October 1, 2022
Summary: Features BWA employers who found that paying above-market wages actually improved their bottom line through efficiency and retention.
Small business owners call for permanent paid sick days, CBC News
Author: Talia Ricci | Date: January 18, 2022
Summary: Coverage of a press conference where business owners debunked the myth that they cannot afford to provide sick leave.
2021
The business case for a $15 minimum wage, The Toronto Star
Author: Anita Agrawal | Date: November 12, 2021
Summary: Argues that a higher wage floor creates a more level playing field for ethical businesses.
Small businesses call for a better way forward on wages and sick days, Rabble
Author: Saba Eitizaz | Date: May 18, 2021
Summary: An overview of the BWA's founding principles and its mission to shift the narrative on "business-friendly" policy.
Small business owners are leading the push for paid sick leave, TVO Today
Author: Nathaniel Basen | Date: April 22, 2021
Summary: Discusses why SME owners are surprisingly the strongest advocates for worker protections during the pandemic.
Businesses for Paid Sick Days, Multiple Outlets
Author: Multiple | Date: January - March 2021
Summary: A collection of earlier 2021 segments and letters to the editor regarding the initial push for provincial sick day legislation.