Source: Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Governments of Canada, Ontario and the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury Deliver New BizPaL Service

New online business permit and licence service saves time, cuts paperwork and helps entrepreneurs

BRADFORD WEST GWILLIMBURY, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan. 7, 2011) - Starting and running a business in the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury 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.

Today, the Honourable Peter Van Loan, Minister of International Trade and Member of Parliament for York–Simcoe, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), together with Doug White, Mayor of Bradford West Gwillimbury, and Julia Munro, Member of Provincial Parliament for York–Simcoe, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in Bradford West Gwillimbury.

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. This 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. The BizPaL service in Bradford West Gwillimbury was developed by the Town of Bradford West Gwillimbury, the Province of Ontario and the Government of Canada.

"Through Canada's Economic Action Plan, our government is demonstrating a strong commitment to small and medium-sized businesses by improving access to financing, reducing taxes and cutting the red tape that businesses face every day," said Minister Van Loan. "BizPaL is a great example of our government's hard work to support Canadian businesses as they innovate, create jobs and generate wealth in our communities."

"The right plan for Ontario is to work with our businesses to strengthen our economy and create jobs. BizPaL gives entrepreneurs direction on the permits they need and easy access to the right information to open and grow their business," said the Honourable Harinder S. Takhar, Ontario's Minister of Government Services.

"The development and launch of BizPaL is an important initiative that demonstrates Bradford West Gwillimbury's commitment to nurturing a prosperous, sustainable and broad-based local economy," said Mayor White. "BizPaL provides community businesses and aspiring entrepreneurs with immediate access to permit and licensing information."

Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the service by visiting the Bradford West Gwillimbury BizPaL website (www.gotobwg.ca/Public/Default.aspx?I=195&n=BizPaL) or the Service Ontario BizPaL website (https://www.bizpal.serviceontario.ca/BizPal). The Province is looking forward to expanding BizPaL to other areas of Ontario over the next year.

Visit the BizPaL website (www.bizpal.ca) for additional information and access to the websites of participating partners.

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 answer a series of questions on the type of business they want to start or expand and the 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 on each, 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 accurate information on permits and licences to businesses. Although the service is offered online, it can also be used through other service channels (i.e., telephone and in-person centres) to extend services to more clients.

To date, 11 provinces and territories are participating in BizPaL, with more than 480 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 initiative, 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 is contributing to the government's success in reducing the paperwork burden on small businesses by 20 percent.

The success of BizPaL is due in part to the multi-jurisdictional partnership among federal, provincial, territorial, regional and local 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. Service Ontario, part of Ontario's Ministry of Government Services, is entrusted with engaging local governments to make this important service available across Ontario.

This interactive, smart permit and licence tool is featured on the Bradford West Gwillimbury BizPaL website (www.gotobwg.ca/Public/Default.aspx?I=195&n=BizPaL).

Contact Information: Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
Catherine Godbout
613-943-7023
613-668-5406 (cell)
or
Industry Canada
Media Relations
613-943-2502
or
Province of Ontario
Alan Cairns
Corporate Issues Management Analyst
416-327-2805
or
Bradford West Gwillimbury
Office of Economic Development
Yvette Kramer
905-775-5366 ext. 2235