Richard Froese
South Peace News

Business licences are official in Big Lakes County.

At its regular meeting Aug. 11, council adopted a bylaw to create an official program to issue business licences.

“I think you will see this evolve into a very useful tool for the county,” says Pat Olansky, director of planning and development.

She says the program will start in the coming weeks after the details have been finalized.

The proposed bylaw was presented at the July 14 meeting.

To provide additional services to county businesses, a licencing bylaw was suggested by the Big Lakes County Economic Development Authority at its meeting on March 30, Olansky says.

Business licences will be issued free of charge and be voluntary, she says.

“It is hoped that once in place, local businesses will see the benefit of having a business licence and participate,” Olansky says.

“A business licence shows the public that a business meets requirements and is permitted to operate in the county.”

Olansky says the county receives several business licence requests from business operators.

Businesses sometimes require a business licence for reasons such as insurance requirements and other regulatory authorities.

For those requests, Olansky says, the county must send a letter to the business or licensing body to explain that the county does not issue business licences.

Olansky says business licences are standard in many Alberta municipalities.

However, it is less common in rural municipalities.

Reeve Ken Matthews supports the proposal.

“That’s why many municipalities have business licences, so they follow the rules,” Matthews says.

This item is reprinted with permission from the High Prairie, AB, South Peace News. For the complete article, click HERE

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