Government Reduces Red Tape, Eliminates Place of Amusement Licence

Places like arenas, bingo halls, Royal Canadian Legion branches, Kinsmen Clubs, and bowling centres will no longer require a Place of Amusement Licence to operate their facilities and locations.

Effective immediately, government is eliminating the Place of Amusement Licence, including the associated fee.

"We know business owners want to keep government requirements and fees as minimal as possible so they can focus on making their businesses successful," said Service Nova Scotia Minister Mark Furey. "The Place of Amusement Licence is outdated, so we're pleased to eliminate it as part of our commitment to modernize legislation and cut red tape. This change will allow these businesses, non-profit organizations and community groups to make better use of their time and money."

There are currently more than 400 licence holders in Nova Scotia. The fee for a three-year term was $289.95.

"This is paperwork that we no longer have to deal with, which makes things easier for us," said Ronald Whynot, fire chief, Italy Cross Middlewood and District Fire Department. "We're volunteers, and this makes it easier for us to keep fundraising and to stay in business with our events."

These operators are still required to work with the Office of the Fire Marshal to ensure their locations and facilities are safe. Although the Fire Marshal is not involved with the Place of Amusement Licence process, many operators completed both tasks at the same time.

The Place of Amusement Licence amounted to about $40,000 in annual revenue for the province.

Participate in the discussion around Small Business Week 2015 on Twitter using the hashtag #SBW2015. One of the areas for discussion is reducing red tape to improve economic competitiveness.

Earlier this year, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick created the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness. The office's mandate is to identify and eliminate barriers to growth within the province and region, and by doing so, contribute to a stronger economy. To learn more, visit www.novascotia.ca/regulatoryopportunity .