This week, Vancouver-based billionaire Jim Pattison and his numerous companies became the focal point of a looming boycott and mass criticism.
These threats to Pattison profits were a direct result of a pending real estate deal between Jim Pattison Developments and the US government, with a Pattison warehouse in Virginia slated to be used by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a human processing facility.
A viral campaign was launched by the BC Green Party and their leader Emily Lowan to call on Jim Pattison to cancel the pending deal, with many in Virginia supporting the cause and trying to block the deal.
Lowan and the BC Greens initially called on British Columbians and Canadians to boycott Pattison and his numerous holdings.
Additionally, they planned a protest outside Jim Pattison headquarters in downtown Vancouver to have their voices heard.
After a week of calling for action from Jim Pattison, Lowan’s efforts seem to have paid off, as Jim Pattison Developments announced on Friday, January 30th that the deal would not go through.
The company kept their statement brief, stating“The transaction to sell our industrial building in Ashland, Virginia will not be proceeding.”
No other details were released.
Lowan credits the cancellation of the deal to the efforts of protesters, advocates and activists.
“Workers and communities can win against the billionaire class when we stand together,” she said in a statement to Victoria Buzz.
“This deal was stopped because people organized, applied pressure, and refused to be silent.”
Furthermore, Lowan says that in addition to today’s announcement, she wants Jim Pattison to commit to avoid making deals with controversial US government agencies going forward.
“Pattison must publicly commit to avoiding any future sales to ICE or the US Department of Homeland Security, and fully disclose any current or pending property sales involving DHS,” added Lowan.
Background on the property’s sale
Prior to the announcement the deal was done, on January 27th, Jim Pattison Developments released a vague statement providing background information on the sale.
The Pattison warehouse was reportedly completed in 2024, but not needed by the company, so it was listed for sale for around $69 million.
An offer was accepted by a “US government contractor” which turned out to be ICE.
“Some time later, we became aware of the ultimate owner and the intended use of the building,” said Jim Pattison Developments in the media release.
The company then stated that the deal had yet to be finalized and that if possible, Jim Pattison Developments would commit to divesting from the asset.
They came through with their promise and now the deal has been cancelled.
Lowan’s idea for publicly-owned grocers
Though this battle has been won, Lowan and the BC Greens still want to see change come to the way people have come to rely on Jim Pattison’s companies, such as Save-On-Foods and Quality Foods.
Jim Pattison owns over 500 grocery stores in Canada, and managed to double his net worth through the COVID-19 pandemic to nearly $12 billion, making him the 10th wealthiest man in the country.
Lowan claims that that between Pattison grocery stores, and other major grocery chains, are price gouging Canadians in the name of profit.
“In many communities, Pattison has an effective monopoly on grocery stores—there are simply no other options,” she said.
“So I think a lot of people are now realizing this broader issue of having one billionaire who owns the food supply.”
Her solution to overpriced groceries is the notion of implementing publically-owned grocery stores in BC.
They would be intended to serve the community not in the name of profits, but to help guide competitive practices which would force Pattison to bring prices down.
