9 replies to this topic

[Ms. B. Havin]

Does Victoria have anything like this? Saanich? Anyone know if any of our municipalities are aware of Bizpal or would join/ use the service to enable entrepreneurship?

Wednesday, October 03, 2007
Quesnel Joins the Bizpal Network
By Ministry of Small Business and Revenue, Industry Canada, City of Quesnel

QUESNEL – Starting and running a business in the City of Quesnel just became easier thanks to BizPaL, a new online business permit and licence service that saves time spent on paperwork and helps entrepreneurs start up faster.

Cariboo-Prince George MP Richard Harris, on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry, together with the Honourable Rick Thorpe, British Columbia's Minister of Small Business and Revenue and Minister responsible for Regulatory Reform, and Quesnel Mayor Nate Bello, welcomed the launch of BizPaL today in Quesnel.

BizPaL is an innovative service that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to the information on permits and licences that they need to establish and run their businesses. This unique partnership among federal, provincial, territorial, regional and local governments is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter.

"Canada's Government is pleased to be working with the Province of British Columbia and the City of Quesnel to provide easy access to essential information and reduce paperwork costs for area businesses," said Harris. "This new service contributes to a more competitive and productive local economy."

"BizPaL is a user-friendly, time-saving tool that helps cut red tape dramatically and reflects our government’s commitment to making British Columbia Canada's most small-business-friendly jurisdiction," said Thorpe. "This partnership with the City of Quesnel and Industry Canada demonstrates how successful we can be when we all work together."

"This will be a great addition to the services we offer our business community," said Bello. "I'd like to thank our council for their support in bringing BizPaL to Quesnel."

The BizPaL service in the City of Quesnel was developed with the support of Industry Canada and in collaboration with the City of Quesnel and the Province of British Columbia.

Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the service by visiting the website at http://www.city.quesnel.bc.ca.

Visit http://www.bizpal.ca for additional project history and information and to access the websites of participating partners.

* View the full text of this press release
http://www.civicinfo...asp?newsid=2374

[Ms. B. Havin]

I know I'm harping on how Nanaimo is beating Victoria on the field of embracing new technologies and being innovative (vs moribund) in terms of city government, but now Saanich is whopping us up the backside, too.

First, on Sunday Oct. 7 CivicInfoBC announces that Nanaimo joined the BizPal network, and today I see that Saanich has joined as well...

Victoria is nowhere to be seen. So far, anyway.

Here's the release for Nanaimo, followed by the one for Saanich:

Sunday, October 07, 2007
Nanaimo Joins the BizPal Network
By Ministry of Small Business and Revenue, Industry Canada

NANAIMO – Starting and running a business in the City of Nanaimo just became easier thanks to BizPaL, a new online business permit and licence service that saves time spent on paperwork and helps entrepreneurs start up faster.

The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry, together with Nanaimo-Parksville MLA Ron Cantelon, on behalf of the Honourable Rick Thorpe, Minister of Small Business and Revenue and Minister responsible for Deregulation for the Province of British Columbia, and Gary Korpan, Mayor of Nanaimo, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in the City of Nanaimo.

BizPaL is an innovative project that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to the information on permits and licences that they need to establish and run their businesses. This unique partnership among federal, provincial, territorial, regional and local governments is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter.

"BizPaL will make it easier for people in Nanaimo to get the licences and permits they need to start up and grow their business," said Secretary of State Ablonczy. "Canada's Government is working hard with provincial and municipal governments to provide the best possible service for small business."

"BizPaL is a user-friendly, time-saving tool that helps cut red tape dramatically and reflects our government's commitment to making British Columbia Canada's most small-business friendly jurisdiction," said Cantelon. "I know small businesses will have great success with BizPaL and it's wonderful that the City of Nanaimo is part of the BizPaL network."

This will be a great addition to the services we offer our business community," said Mayor Korpan. "I'd like to thank our council for their support in bringing BizPaL to Nanaimo."

The BizPaL service in the City of Nanaimo was developed with the support of Industry Canada, in collaboration with the City of Nanaimo and the Province of British Columbia. Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the service by visiting http://www.nanaimo.ca/residents and clicking on "Online Payments". The Province is looking forward to expanding BizPaL to other areas of British Columbia over the next year.
http://www.civicinfo...asp?newsid=2388

and:

Saanich Joins the BizPal Network
By Ministry of Small Business and Revenue, Industry Canada

SAANICH – Starting and running a business in the Municipality of Saanich just became easier thanks to BizPaL, a new online business permit and licence service that saves time spent on paperwork and helps entrepreneurs start up faster.

The Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry, together with the Honourable Murray Coell, British Columbia's Minister of Advanced Education and Minister responsible for Research and Technology and MLA for Saanich North and the Islands, and Leif Wergeland, City Councillor, on behalf of Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in the Municipality of Saanich.

BizPaL is an innovative project that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to the information on permits and licences that they need to establish and run their businesses. This unique partnership among federal, provincial, territorial, regional and local governments is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter.

"Canada's Government is getting things done for businesses and taxpayers by working with cities, provinces and territories to launch the BizPaL service," said Secretary of State Ablonczy. "This service will benefit the Province of British Columbia and the Municipality of Saanich by stimulating economic growth and prosperity for area business."

"BizPaL is a user-friendly, time-saving tool that helps cut red tape dramatically and reflects our government's commitment to making British Columbia Canada's most small-business-friendly jurisdiction," said Minister Coell. "I know small businesses will have great success with BizPaL and it's great to see the Municipality of Saanich support this tool."

"This will be a great addition to the services we offer our business community," said Councillor Wergeland. "As a council member, I am pleased we are bringing BizPaL to Saanich."

The BizPaL service in the Municipality of Saanich was developed with the support of Industry Canada, in collaboration with the Municipality of Saanich and the Province of British Columbia. Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the service by visiting http://www.saanich.c...pal/bizpal.html.

The Province is looking forward to expanding BizPaL to other areas of British Columbia over the next year. Visit http://www.bizpal.ca for additional project history and information and to access the websites of participating partners.
http://www.civicinfo...asp?newsid=2387

[amor de cosmos]

I bet Langford & Colwood both sign up before Victoria does. I'm actually surprised Saanich was first in the CRD to sign up.

edit: UVic has a world-class entrepreneurship program & BizPal would be one way the city could keep the UVic & Royal Roads grads in town! I don't know how Royal Roads' compares to UVic's business school but anyway there are two business schools in the area & there's lots of talent in town here. Municipalities would be crazy to not sign up for this.

[Ms. B. Havin]

^ I bet you're right!

Saanich does it in "stealth mode," I guess. They seem to be more on the ball, at any rate, than Victoria.

For example: I think I posted this item, [url=http://www.civicinfo.bc.ca/302n.asp?newsid=2369:a5ebd]Nanaimo Wins "Spirit of Innovation" Award at MISA Conference[/url:a5ebd], somewhere else on this forum. It mentions an organization I hadn't heard of, [url=http://www.misa.bc.ca/about/:a5ebd]MISA[/url:a5ebd], which stands for Municipal Information Systems Association. If you check their [url=http://www.misa.bc.ca/about/executive.php:a5ebd]Executive[/url:a5ebd] page, you'll see that Saanich is represented (a past president and some other positions); so is the CRD, and of course Nanaimo. But not Victoria...

Their "about" page explains what MISA tries to facilitate/ accomplish:

MISA BC exists to promote greater co-operation among local government staff in the IT field by sharing information and developing common solutions on a broader and cost-effective scale. Joint efforts with other organizations with a national scope such as the Canadian Association of Municipal Adminstration (CAMA) and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM), have also become possible.

It is recognized that municipalities share many, or have the same, IT issues across the province and country and working together on these issues makes for more effective and efficient government. The information highway and electronic services continues to be a prime focus of discussions between municipalities and the senior levels of government. Clearly, members from the provincial chapters and across the nation provide a valuable service for municipalities.

[Ms. B. Havin]

^^ amor, I didn't see your PS edited on while I was responding. Great idea re. Royal Roads & UVic! Maybe this is where the separate municipalities thing comes back to bite us -- both of those universities AREN'T in Victoria... :|

[amor de cosmos]

^^ amor, I didn't see your PS edited on while I was responding. Great idea re. Royal Roads & UVic! Maybe this is where the separate municipalities thing comes back to bite us -- both of those universities AREN'T in Victoria... :|

that might be a factor but I doubt it. I think lots of people (don't know about MOST) live & work in different municipalities. Victoria should sign up asap regardless of what municipalities Royal Roads & UVic are in. UVic is also in Oak Bay & I don''t see a humming commercial district sprouting up in the Uplands just because UVic is right there.

re: BizPal in Saanich see my reply to the VITP expansion thread

edit again: the federal government has a BizPal website with lots of info including all the municipalities that have signed up:
http://www.bizpal.ca/index_e.shtml
& what BizPal does:
http://www.bizpal.ca/about.shtml
edit again: & a Flash presentation:
http://www.bizpal.ca...h/En/popup.html

[LJ]

"UVic is also in Oak Bay "


I believe it is in Sannich if you were referring to its' geographic location.

[amor de cosmos]

you're incorrect. the border starts at the gordon head @ mckenzie intersection, through the intersection at ring/mcgill by the begbie building, bisects the circle made by ring rd & goes through the point where the elliot building meets the petch building & forms the southwestern side of that parking lot next to mystic vale. i can see saanich & oak bay working something out where only one municipality does road maintenance etc. i don't know if they do or not but i can see saanich doing more of that sort of stuff at uvic.

[Mike K.]

Both Saanich and OB police cruise through campus regularly.

[amor de cosmos]

Colwood joins Saanich in the BizPaL network:

Today, the Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Secretary of State (Small Business and Tourism), on behalf of the Honourable Jim Prentice, Minister of Industry, together with the Honourable Ida Chong, Minister of Community Services and Minister Responsible for Seniors' and Women's Issues for British Columbia, and Jody Twa, Mayor of Colwood, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in Colwood.

BizPaL is an innovative project that provides entrepreneurs with simplified access to the information on permits and licences that they need to establish and run their businesses. This unique partnership among federal, provincial, territorial, regional and local governments is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter. The BizPaL service in Colwood was developed with the support of Industry Canada, in collaboration with the City of Colwood and the Province of British Columbia.

http://news.gc.ca/we...rticleid=393669