Governments of Canada, of British Columbia and of the Village of Burns Lake Release BizPaL Services

BURNS LAKE, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - May 1, 2014) - Industry Canada

Starting and running a business in Burns Lake just became easier thanks to BizPaL, an online business permit and licence service that saves time spent on paperwork and helps entrepreneurs start up faster.

Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture), Naomi Yamamoto, British Columbia's Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business, and Luke Strimbold, Mayor of the Village of Burns Lake today highlighted the launch of BizPaL in Burns Lake.

Quick facts

• BizPaL is an innovative service that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to information on the permits and licences they need to establish and run their businesses.
• BizPaL-a unique partnership among federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments-is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter.
• Small businesses represent 98 percent of all businesses in Canada, account for nearly 7 in 10 jobs in the private sector and contribute about 30 percent to our gross domestic product.

Quotes

"Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, our government has demonstrated a commitment to helping our entrepreneurs succeed. BizPaL is an essential and accessible tool that reduces the administrative burden on small business owners, saving them time and money so that they can continue creating jobs and economic growth."

- Maxime Bernier, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism) (Agriculture)

"Creating a business-friendly environment is a key part of the BC Jobs Plan. BizPaL does just that. It's an important partnership between our government, the federal government and municipalities across B.C., making it easier for people to start businesses in B.C."

- Naomi Yamamoto, B.C. Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business

"We are very pleased to be able to offer the BizPaL service to local residents and the surrounding community. Consolidating the required applications in one convenient location will greatly help new businesses."

- Luke Strimbold, Mayor of the Village of Burns Lake

Associated links

- BizPaL website

- BizPaL British Columbia

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BACKGROUNDER

BizPaL Simplifies Permits and Licences for Canadian Businesses

BizPaL is an online service that benefits Canadian businesses by helping them identify which permits and licences they require and how to obtain them. Entrepreneurs simply select the business activities they plan to undertake. BizPaL then automatically generates a list of all required permits and licences from all levels of government along with basic information and links to government sites where the entrepreneur can learn more and, in some cases, apply online.

BizPaL also benefits governments by making it easier for them to provide businesses with accurate information on permits and licences. To date, 9 provinces and 3 territories are participating in BizPaL, with more than 700 municipalities offering the service. Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for a complete list of participating jurisdictions.

Industry Canada is the lead federal department for the BizPaL service, supporting the centralized functions of the project. The Government of Canada is fully committed to creating a competitive business environment that supports innovation and reduces red tape. BizPaL has contributed to the government's success in reducing the paperwork burden on small businesses.

The success of BizPaL is due in part to the multi-jurisdictional partnership among federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments. The partnership operates under a shared governance and costing model with collaborative decision making. Each jurisdiction is responsible for adding and maintaining its own information in BizPaL.

This interactive, smart permit and licensing tool is available on the provincial BizPaL website (www.bcbizpal.ca). Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for additional information.