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12 Island communities cut red tape WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 2014
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John harding Black Press
Business leaders and politicians say they have eliminated some red tape for local entrepreneurs with the launch of the Mid-Island InterCommunity Business Licence. Starting today, businesses can purchase a licence that allows them to legally operate in 12 communities from Duncan to Campbell River. “Up until now, there has been a lot of red tape for businesses,” Parksville-Qualicum MLA Michelle Stilwell said during a news conference at a construction site in her constituency. “This is a helping hand for them.” Contractors and others who find themselves doing work in, say, Parksville one day and Comox or Port Alberni the next, can now purchase a business licence in their home community and add this new licence for a fee. To comply with the current bylaws of most communities, businesses must have a licence to operate in each separate community. The price of this supplementary licence has not been released. “Initiatives like this allow businesses to grow,” said Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto, a small business owner herself for 20 years. “These businesses can now continue to grow our economy and fill jobs instead of filling out paperwork.” Colleen Evans, president and chief executive officer of the Campbell River Chamber of Commerce said, “Mobile licencing will give businesses access to a larger market, across all the participating communities. It will also give consumers a
John harding Black Press
Parksville-Qualicum MLA Michelle Stilwell, front left, and Minister of State for Tourism and Small Business Naomi Yamamoto, front right, lead a group of municipal politicians who ceremoniously tore up old business licences on Thursday in Parksville. Politicians and business leaders gathered to announce the lunch of a Mid-Island Inter-community Business Licence.
greater choice of service providers. All of this means greater opportunity for businesses to grow their
client base, regardless of the client location.” Rob McGorman, the owner of
Bayshore Construction in Parksville, took to the podium to explain what the changes mean for his business.
“We have projects scattered throughout Central Vancouver Continued on Pg. 2
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