Business Licences - Bowen Island Municipality

A photograph of espresso machine, glass blowing workshop and a breakfast table

All businesses operating on Bowen Island need a business licence. This applies to commercial, home-based, non-profit and contractor businesses. This also applies to off-island businesses that are coming into the community to perform work.

Click here to apply for a Business Licence

A business licensing program ensures that the Municipality’s land use regulations, building and fire codes and other community health and safety requirements are followed by local businesses. It also assists in collecting important statistics about local businesses to help understand trends that impact municipal policy decisions. It will help the Municipality better understand the economy of Bowen Island, allowing for better planning, and enabling support for Bowen Island businesses.

Types of businesses that need a licence

Commercial businesses such as grocery stores, restaurants, retail stores and farm stores
Home-based businesses such as hair salons, accountants and craftsperson workshops (note, there are different fees for home-based businesses, depending on whether the business has hours open to the public)
Contractors
Non-profit organizations (no fee required)
Off-island businesses that are performing work on Bowen Island

Rental Accomodations

Bed & Breakfast accommodations – each rental period is less than 30 days, in part of a residence without a kitchen
Residential Guest Accommodation – in use less than 120 days a year and each rental period is less than 30 days occupying an entire residence
Commercial Accommodation – in use more than 120 days a year such as an inn, retreat centre, guest house

Not sure what kind of rental you’re offering?

Types of businesses that do not need a licence

Yard or garage sales
Buskers or street entertainers
Vendors selling goods at a farmer’s market or craft fair that is already licensed
Off-island businesses that are delivering or selling goods to merchants who are reselling the goods on Bowen Island
The long term rental of single family homes that are subject to the Residential Tenancy Act

Please review Business Licence Bylaw No. 465, 2018 for the definitions of businesses that do and do not require a licence.

Not sure if your business requires a licence? Please contact the Business Licence Inspector at 604-947-4255 or businesslicence@bimbc.ca.

The Business Licence Bylaw takes effect on January 1, 2019. There will be a transition period in early 2019 while the business licensing program is being set up. Municipal staff will begin accepting applications in January 2019.

Businesses will have to apply and pay a fee for a business licence, and renew this every year.

Bowen Island Municipality will develop an online business directory for local businesses that can be used as a tool for customers to find these businesses.

With detailed and up-to-date contact information, Bowen Island Municipality will be able to contact business owners in the event of an emergency or other situation that may affect the operation of the business.

When businesses apply for a licence, information about the business will be collected to develop statistical information about our local economy. Once detailed statistics are available, Bowen Island Municipality will be able to use this information in grant applications for community economic development funding from the provincial and federal governments.

An online business directory will draw customers to Bowen Island businesses, encouraging them to seek local services. This will improve the local economy.

The licence fees help fund costs related to administering the program and will become a part of the Municipality’s annual financial plan. The fees are nominal and based on a simple structure to minimize impacts to businesses.

The revenues generated from business licence fees will go towards paying for the administration of the business licensing program.

Home-based artists or craftspeople who produce and sell products at home, but do not provide regular business hours with access to the public, will need a business licence. The annual licence fee is only $25.

If home-based businesses have regular hours where customers access the home to purchase the product or service, they will need a business licence and will pay an annual fee of $100.

Businesses that produce a product at home and bring it to a farmer’s market or craft fair to sell it, do not need a licence. Note, the farmer’s market or craft fair must already be licenced.

Renewing licences every year ensures that Bowen Island Municipality has the most up-to-date information about businesses. The fees collected will fund the business licensing program and will become a part of the Municipality’s annual financial plan.

A fining structure will be in place in the case of non-compliance, however, the intent of the program is to benefit the local economy, not to cause hardship to businesses with heavy regulation.

The business licensing program will be administered similarly to bylaw services – based on a structure of education and outreach before possible fining and enforcement.

For some types of businesses, an inspection may be required as part of the application or renewal process. The Licence Inspector will not arrive at home-based business locations without prior notice.

The application process for non-profit organizations will ensure that Bowen Island Municipality can collect contact information, statistical information about the organization and information for the online directory. The fee of $0 means that non-profits do not incur expenses from their limited resources.

The information on this page is a simplified guide to the business licensing program. Please review Business Licence Bylaw No. 465, 2018 for more detail about the regulations.

A simple and nominal fee structure ensures that businesses of all kinds and income levels are able to comply without hardship.

Category	Fee
Bed & Breakfast	$150
Commercial	$125
Commercial Guest Accommodation	$150
Contractor	$100
Guest House	$150
Home-Based Business with Public Access	$100
Home-Based Business without Public Access	$25
Non-Profit Organization	$0
Non-Resident Business	$100
Residential Guest Accommodation	$300

Not sure what category applies to your business? Please contact the Business Licence Inspector at 604-947-4255 or businesslicence@bimbc.ca.

In most municipalities, business licences are considered a routine part of municipal operations. Of the 162 municipalities in British Columbia, Bowen Island was one of the few that did not require business licences.

In 2016, Council directed the Economic Development Committee (EDC) to conduct a study to determine whether business licensing would be feasible on Bowen Island. The EDC established a task force, which undertook a number of activities including:

Consulting with local businesses at the EDC Business Summit (October 2016)
Conducting an online survey of local contractors
Reviewing business licensing programs of 16 comparator communities
Interviewing and consulting with staff in other municipalities and Metro Vancouver
Consulting with various inspection agencies

In 2017, the task force submitted a report to Council, recommending that implementation of a business licensing program be included as a strategic priority related to economic development in Island Plan 2018.

Read the Business Licensing Feasibility Report, dated November 17, 2017

The EDC hosted another business summit in January 2018 where business licensing was discussed with local businesses.

Council asked staff to review the report and return with an analysis of the recommendations, and identified business licensing as a priority in the Island Plan.

In 2018, staff reported back to Council with a detailed analysis of the recommendations, including a proposed business licensing bylaw and a proposed implementation schedule.

Staff Report: July 13, 2018

Open House Display Boards: September 13, 2018

Communication Plan

Staff Report: September 24, 2018

Staff Report: October 1, 2018

The Business Licence Bylaw No. 465, 2018 was adopted on October 9, 2018, and took effect on January 1, 2019.

There was a transitional period in 2019 while the business licensing program was set up. Municipal staff began accepting applications in January 2019.

Staff have been developing an online business directory that will be available for the public to find businesses on Bowen Island, and an online platform that will make applying and paying for business licences as simple as possible for businesses.