Business Improvement Areas (BIA)

Prospective Central Lonsdale Business Improvement Area

The 30-day petition against process for the formation of a Central Lonsdale Business Improvement Area (CLBIA ) concluded on Feb. 13, 2026.

The City’s Corporate Officer will present the results of the process to Council on March 9, 2026, before presenting the bylaw to Council for adoption. Learn more about the process and background information by visiting our newsroom webpage.

For details on how the petition against process works, please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions section below.

A Business Improvement Area (BIA) is established by municipal bylaw and is managed by a non-profit society of business and property owners that establishes its own priorities and programs. These initiatives can include marketing and promotional activities, making physical improvements like graffiti removal or street activations; commercial tenant recruitment; and advocacy on behalf of the business community. The Province of BC provides the authority for a municipality to create a business improvement area via bylaw. There are currently more than 70 BIAs in British Columbia.

Lower Lonsdale Business Improvement Area

The Lower Lonsdale Business Association consulted with the City of North Vancouver and area businesses for a number of years regarding the creation of a Business Improvement Area (BIA) in Lower Lonsdale. Following a petition process required by Provincial Legislation, Council adopted Bylaw No. 8494 in 2016 to establish the Lower Lonsdale Business Improvement Area Service.

With the adoption of the bylaw, each property within the Lower Lonsdale BIA that falls within the Class 6 commercial property classification is charged a tax levy based on value of that property (land and improvements). The funding is collected by the City and granted to the Lower Lonsdale BIA Society to fund activities of the Society based on the funding limit identified in the bylaw. Each year the Society is required to submit a proposed budget for the coming year and audited financial statements from the year previous for City approval.

The Lower Lonsdale BIA includes commercial properties; it does not include residential or industrial lands. At the time of the adoption of the bylaw, there were approximately 320 Class 6 (business and other) taxable properties in the area with approximately 496 businesses. The total taxable value in the BIA at the time was $490,813,300. Examples of the annual tax levy are set out below:

Total Assessed Value	Service Area Levy (annual)
$500,000	$510
$2,000,000	$2,040
$5,000,000	$5,100

Map of Lower Lonsdale Business Improvement Area

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the process to create a BIA?

Before a BIA can be created, the property owners in the area must indicate whether they favour or oppose its establishment. This can be accomplished in one of two ways:

Petition for service: Generally initiated by local business owners, the petition must include information about the proposed business improvement area including boundaries and estimated cost. The petition must be signed by the owners of at least 50 percent of the parcels that would be subject to the local area tax and those persons must be the owners of parcels that in total represent at least 50 percent of the assessed value of land and improvements that would be subject to the local service tax.
Council initiative - subject to petition against: A municipal council can also initiate the establishment of a business improvement area by providing an opportunity for a petition against the proposed service. Council must give notice of a petition against in accordance with section 94 of the Community Charter and by mailing notice to all the owners of parcels that would be subject to the local service tax. This is the format approved by the City of North Vancouver Council for the Central Lonsdale BIA bylaw process.

The notice must include information about the proposed business improvement area including boundaries and estimated costs. Unless Council receives a sufficient petition against within 30 days it can proceed. The threshold for sufficient petition against (50 percent of parcels and 50 percent of assessed value as described above) is the same as for a petition for service.

Learn more about the requirements for petitions for service and council initiatives via the Province of BC’s website: Local Area Services

How is a BIA funded?

BIAs are primarily funded through a special tax levy on identified Class 5 (Light Industry) and Class 6 properties (Business and other classification under the BC Assessment Act) within its defined boundaries. The property value tax is calculated per $1,000 of assessed land and improvement values. It is collected by the local government and granted to the BIA to fund its own programs.

If approved, the property value tax appears as a “BIA levy” on the annual tax bill for commercial property owners.

Contact Info

Vito Grammatico
Manager, Economic Development
Tel: 604-982-9675
Email: business@cnv.org

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