Good afternoon. I would like to thank the chair and the committee for providing me with the opportunity to speak before you today.
My name is Judith Veresuk. I'm the executive director of the Regina Downtown Business Improvement District, representing over 600 businesses in Regina's downtown core. The Regina downtown BID is also a proud member of the International Downtown Association of Canada. Our mandate is to create the conditions for strong economic activity, entrepreneurship and cultural life in urban centres.
Regina's downtown, like many downtowns and main streets across Canada, is the economic and cultural anchor of our city. The downtown area is a major provider of jobs, while also serving as a gathering place for arts, events and community life. However, today crime and public safety concerns are becoming significant barriers for the residents, workers and small business owners who bring life to our downtown. The effects of repeat offenders cycling through the justice system to disturb the same downtown locations are highly visible in Regina.
These growing concerns have real consequences. Small businesses are being forced to reduce their hours. Investment is declining. New business entry is slowing. Employees don't feel safe commuting to or being at work these days. Canadians—Regina's in particular—are avoiding our downtown. The consequence is devastating for our city's small business landscape and our economy as a whole. What we are seeing mirrors what I hear from my colleagues nationally, underscoring the need for meaningful bail reform legislation from the federal government to address these challenges.
Public opinion polling in western Canada shows that downtowns across the region face this same pressure. The City of Saskatoon found that the vast majority of their residents, or 82%, felt that crime was somewhat or very high in their community. In a 2025 poll done by the Calgary Police Association, more than half of Calgarians said they felt that social disorder has increased since 2024. In Edmonton, a similar survey conducted by the Edmonton Police Service reported that just under half of their residents, or 46%, felt their city was getting less safe. That perception was even more acutely felt by the city's indigenous residents, with 64% of respondents saying they felt Edmonton was less safe.
These figures indicate a stark diagnosis for Canadian downtowns. People are losing faith in the safety of their neighbourhoods and communities. These results also point to this challenge occurring across municipal and provincial jurisdictions, reinforcing the need for effective, federally led bail reform to address the systematic changes being faced by Canadian communities. Bill C-14 represents an opportunity for such a decisive action by strengthening bail provisions for repeat and violent offenders and improving protection for workers and communities most affected by these crimes.
On behalf of the Regina downtown business community and downtown areas across Canada, our organization advocates for Bill C-14 to include strengthened bail provisions for repeat and violent offenders, including reverse onus considerations, and enhanced recognition of the serious offences committed against retail and public-facing workers. By ensuring that these conditions are met, this legislation can simultaneously address challenges with public safety and restore confidence in Canadian downtowns, which need to revitalize themselves and contribute to more vibrant communities. Our community, and many of your communities that you represent, need it. We look forward to your leadership to make this possible.
We urge the committee to advance bail reform that reflects the realities on our streets. We believe Bill C-14 does this. Subsequently, we hope that all parties can support this bill's ratification to ensure better outcomes for downtown business communities across Canada.
Thank you. I'd be happy to answer any questions you may have.