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

June 30, 2010

High River, Alberta, June 30, 2010 — Starting and running a business in the Town of High River 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.

Ted Menzies, Member of Parliament for Macleod and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance, on behalf of the Honourable Rob Moore, Minister of State (Small Business and Tourism), together with George Groeneveld, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Highwood, and Les Rempel, Mayor of the Town of High River, welcomed the launch of BizPaL in High River.

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 and municipal governments is designed to cut through the paperwork burden and red tape that small business owners encounter. The BizPaL service in High River was developed by the Town of High River, the Province of Alberta and the Government of Canada.

“Through Budget 2010: Leading the Way on Jobs and Growth, 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 Menzies. “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.”

“BizPaL is a perfect fit for a community that prides itself on being open for opportunity,” said the Honourable Heather Klimchuk, Minister of Service Alberta. “High River has a diverse and progressive business environment, and BizPaL will make it even more attractive for entrepreneurs looking to start or expand.”

“The Town of High River is pleased to offer the BizPaL service to our business community,” said Mr. Rempel. “With the site being easily accessed on the High River website, it is an effective way for entrepreneurs to find out ahead of time what permits and licences they need. The success of our site speaks to the vibrancy of High River, and the link to BizPaL only strengthens our efforts to see High River flourish in the coming year.”

Area business owners and entrepreneurs can access the service by visiting High River’s website for licences, permits and inspections or Service Alberta’s 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.