Government Services
February 27, 2009
BizPaL Launched in St. John�s, Stephenville
and Happy Valley-Goose Bay
Starting and running a business in the
city of St. John�s and the municipalities of Stephenville and Happy
Valley-Goose Bay 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, the Honourable Diane Ablonczy, Minister of State (Small Business
and Tourism) on behalf of the Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of
Industry, together with the Honourable Kevin O�Brien, Newfoundland and
Labrador Minister of Government Services, Dennis O�Keefe, Mayor of St.
John�s; Leo Abbass, Mayor of Happy Valley-Goose Bay; and, Tom O'Brien,
Mayor of Stephenville, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in St. John�s,
Stephenville, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay.
BizPaL is an innovative service that provides entrepreneurs with
simplified access to the information on permits and licences 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 St. John�s,
Stephenville, and Happy Valley-Goose Bay, was developed by the
municipalities, the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador and the
Government of Canada.
�Our government is working with all levels of government to deliver the
BizPaL service,� said Minister of State Ablonczy. �At a time of global
economic instability, we need to do all we can to help Canadian small
businesses drive our economy. This service makes it easy for businesses
to get the information they need to start up and grow. BizPaL is part of
our government�s economic plan to support innovation and cut red tape.�
�This is an exciting day and one which I know many business owners have
been looking forward to,� said Minister O�Brien. �BizPaL is simple to
use and will help business owners easily identify which permits and
licenses they need from all levels of government through one online
source. This will certainly enhance business development in Newfoundland
and Labrador.�
�St. John�s is pleased to be among the first municipalities in the
province to offer BizPaL. This business-friendly initiative provides
easy access to essential information and allows business to navigate
through multi-jurisdictional processes with ease,� said Mayor O�Keefe.
�Having the Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay included in BizPaL is a
wonderful opportunity for those who seek to establish a business in our
community,� said Mayor Abbass. �It gives a one-stop solution to what is
sometimes a cumbersome and time consuming process in investigating
business set-up or expansion. This tool will benefit both the
entrepreneur and our town. By being associated with BizPaL, the Town of
Happy Valley-Goose Bay is making the process of business development
easier to execute which can only be good for the numerous opportunities
that exist here.�
�BizPaL has been developed in collaboration with federal,
provincial/territorial, and local governments, with shared governance
and collaborative decision-making,� said Mayor O�Brien. �Whether you are
starting a new business in Stephenville, Newfoundland or in a town in
another part of Canada, you will have all of the information you need
from all levels of government.�
Business owners and entrepreneurs in these three municipalities can
access the service by visiting
www.stjohns.ca/business/bizpal/index.jsp,
www.happyvalley-goosebay.com/, or
www.town.stephenville.nf.ca/business-permits.html.
The Province is looking forward to expanding BizPaL to other areas of
Newfoundland and Labrador over the next year.
Visit bizpal.ca for additional information and access to the websites of
participating partners.
- 30 -
Media contacts:
Catherine Godbout
Office of the Honourable Diane Ablonczy
Minister of State
Small Business and Tourism
613-947-5856 |
Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502 |
Vanessa Colman-Sadd
Director of Communications
Government of Newfoundland and Labrador
Department of Government Services
709-729-4860, 682-6593 |
Vicki Button
City of St. John's
709-576-8147 |
Carolyn Lidstone
Town Clerk
Town of Stephenville
709-643-8364 |
Karen Wheeler
Director of Economic Development
Town of Happy Valley-Goose Bay
709-896-5427 |
2009 02 27
10:45 a.m.
|