B.C. Minister Promotes $3B Broadway Subway Amid Business Struggles and Delays

At a media event inside a tunnel beneath Vancouver’s Broadway corridor on Monday, B.C. Transport Minister Mike Farnworth praised the $2.95 billion Broadway Subway Project — even as local businesses say they’ve been left to suffer through years of disruption with little assistance.

The project will extend the Millennium Line SkyTrain west from VCC-Clark to Arbutus over 5.7 kilometres. Initially scheduled to be completed in 2025, the project has been delayed twice and is now expected to open in 2027, with its budget climbing from $2.83 billion to nearly $3 billion.

Farnworth highlighted the transit benefits, saying the subway will boost SkyTrain capacity by 27 per cent and move three times the passengers of the region’s busiest bus route, the 99 B-Line. That bus alone had over 10 million boardings in 2024.

“The time to get from VCC-Clark to Arbutus will only be 11 minutes,” Farnworth said. “That’s a significant improvement to the commuting experience.”

Tunnel Boring Delays and Daily Disruption

The province cited tunnel boring issues and labour disputes as reasons for the delay. Despite the challenges, Farnworth insisted, “We’re on time to have it open in 2027.”

Still, businesses along Broadway say they’re paying the price.

Allen Ingram, who owned Home on the Range Organics, said ongoing construction forced him to remortgage his home twice and ultimately shut down his store. He now operates online and from a production kitchen on the Sunshine Coast.

“It’s a relief to be away from it all,” Ingram said. “It feels a lot better.”

Calls for Support from Businesses

Neil Wyles, executive director of the Mount Pleasant Business Improvement Association, said commercial vacancies have reached nearly 50 per cent along the construction-heavy stretch between Alberta Street and Kingsway.

“We’ve spoken to all the politicians. They’re sympathetic, but sympathy doesn’t pay the bills,” said Wyles, who is now lobbying for tax breaks for affected businesses.

“People keep saying, ‘Once the subway’s done, it’ll be worth it,’” he added. “But I can’t, in good conscience, walk into a struggling business and say that. I don’t think it’s true.”

While the province says it's been in regular contact with local businesses, many owners say that hasn’t translated into tangible financial support — even as their survival hangs in the balance.