Cape Breton Municipalities Now Have Updated, Modernized Bylaws On-line
Businesses across Cape Breton can be assured that municipal bylaws found online are complete and up-to-date, making dealings with local governments easier.
Municipalities completed an extensive review after businesses identified incomplete regulatory information online as a barrier. This is the first step of several for the municipalities in modernizing regulations in the region.
“I applaud our municipal partners for their leadership in making it easier for businesses to start up, operate and expand in Cape Breton,” said Premier Stephen McNeil, minister responsible for the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness. “The business community identified a need and local governments have developed individual plans to make meaningful adjustments to their regulations.”
The Cape Breton Partnership and the office held sessions with businesses across Cape Breton in summer and fall 2019. Businesses identified difficult to find, outdated municipal bylaws on-line as a barrier for them. The office and municipalities worked together to develop plans to modernize the regulations.
The initiative is part of a broader partnership between the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness, Cape Breton Regional Municipality, the counties of Inverness, Richmond and Victoria, and the Town of Port Hawkesbury to make it easier for island businesses to open, operate and expand. Each municipality has a plan to review, update and modernize their bylaws.
Quotes:
“If our businesses can find the information they need faster, interactions with government can be easier and less frequent. Given the current economic climate, this initiative is more relevant than ever.”
– Marie Walsh, chief administrative officer, Cape Breton Regional Municipality
“With this first step, it shows our business community that local governments are listening to their concerns and want to find a better way forward together. We’re encouraged by the provincial government’s commitment to support our business community and by our local governments’ collaborative approach and leadership. We look forward to the implementation of the action plans.”
– Carla Arsenault, president and CEO, Cape Breton Partnership
Quick Facts:
- the Office of Regulatory Affairs and Service Effectiveness has saved businesses $34 million annually since 2017 by helping reduce unnecessary regulatory burden
- it is on track to remove an additional $10 million annually by the end of 2020
Additional Resources:
For more information on the plans to modernize regulations go to, https://capebretonpartnership.com/ren/cb-regulatory-modernization/