Governments of Canada, Alberta and Red Deer Deliver New BizPaL Service

New Online Business Permit and Licence Service Saves Time, Cuts Paperwork and Helps Entrepreneurs

Red Deer, Alberta, September 24, 2010—Starting and running a business in the City of Red Deer 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.

Today, Earl Dreeshen, Member of Parliament for Red Deer, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism); the Honourable Mary Anne Jablonski, Alberta Minister of Seniors and Community Supports, on behalf of the Honourable Heather Klimchuk, Minister of Service Alberta; and Morris Flewwelling, Mayor of Red Deer, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in Red Deer.

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 Red Deer was developed by the City of Red Deer, the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

"Through Budget 2010, 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 Mr. Dreeshen. "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."

"We are thrilled to be able to offer this tremendous program to our business community. The City of Red Deer is always looking for ways to encourage and support the growth of local business, and this tool definitely makes a difference," said Mayor Flewwelling.

Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the service by visiting the City of Red Deer BizPaL website or the Service Alberta BizPaL website. The Province is looking forward to expanding BizPaL to other areas of Alberta over the next year.

Visit the BizPaL website for additional information and access to the websites of participating partners.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Catherine Godbout
Office of the Honourable Rob Moore
Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism)
613-943-7023
613-668-5406 (cell)

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502

Mike Berezowsky
Communications
Service Alberta
780-415-6051

Carrie Keylock
Communications — Web Services
The City of Red Deer
403-356-8886
Carrie.Keylock@reddeer.ca

---

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 businesses with accurate information on permits and licences. 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 420 municipalities offering the service.

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 a complementary measure within 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 and municipal 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.

This interactive, smart permit and licence tool is featured on the Service Alberta BizPaL website. Visit the BizPaL website for a complete list of participating jurisdictions.