Become Part of the Bylaw Renewal
By signing up for our stakeholder list, you will receive periodic updates on the Business Licence Bylaw Renewal process. Updates may include information about future public engagement opportunities.
Project Now Underway
The Business Licence Bylaw Renewal project began in June 2018 by identifying gaps in the current legislation and areas for improvement. In the fall of 2018, the City completed a review of business licensing in 10 Canadian municipalities. Through this review we identified a number of promising practices to consider for Edmonton’s business licensing program and formed several initial recommendations for a new Business Licence Bylaw.
In November and December 2018, the City met with internal partners from planning, municipal enforcement, safety codes, fire prevention, and police. Partners were asked to provide input to help refine our recommendations.
In January 2019, the City hired a consultant to assist with public engagement. This work is underway, and includes facilitated workshops with the business community, a public survey, and focus groups with local business associations. This feedback will be used to further refine our recommendations before they are presented to the Urban Planning Committee.
In March 2019, public engagement for a new bylaw framework and fee structure was completed. The findings helped the City to refine several of the recommendations. Overall the participants from the business community were supportive of the proposed direction of the new bylaw, as it will reduce or remove barriers for business owners.
Next Steps
Emerging recommendations for a new Business Licence Bylaw, an update on the work done so far, and an overview of work that is still underway will be presented in an information report to the Urban Planning Committee on May 21, 2019. The report, along with a summary of lessons learned from public engagement, will be made publicly available at this time.
What the Review Will Achieve
A robust and modern Business Licence Bylaw will support the City’s vision by helping to ensure all businesses are an integral part of livable, safe, and sustainable communities. It will provide businesses and industry with clear, consistent, and reasonable regulations, and it will allow administration to improve the value of business licensing for stakeholders.
Why a Review is Needed
The Business Licence Bylaw 13138 establishes rules and regulations for granting licences to businesses that meet the basic criteria for doing business in Edmonton. The current bylaw was introduced in 2002. While there have been several amendments to it since then, other related regulations and the needs of businesses have changed, so it is time to review and update the complete bylaw.