Newmarket exploring new business licence classifications

Restaurants, salons and more could get new licencing bylaws in this term of council

Newmarkettoday.ca
June 29, 2023
Joseph Quigley

Newmarket is exploring adding more business licence classifications for the likes of salons, tattoo parlours and kennels over the next few years.

The town’s business licensing staff presented to council June 28 as part of a special meeting on the bylaw department. The report included a timeline of future business licensing bylaws the department would like to bring forward through 2026, including new licence classifications for restaurants and tobacco and vape stores.

Supervisor of licensing John Comeau said that licensing businesses can provide several community benefits and indicates other jurisdictions do license some of these.

“It can provide consumer protection for our residents. It can allow us to provide community standards for health and safety,” Comeau said. “Fill in gaps which may be present with federal and provincial regulations.”

The town already requires specific business licensing for a variety of businesses, including pet stores, short-term rental operators, adult video stores, alternative massage parlours, tow truck companies and more. Depending on the type of business, the town can allot specific requirements for that business to operate.

It will take time to implement new licensing bylaws, with the timeline ranging from 2024 to 2026 for them to come forward in department planning.

“A lot of work involved anytime we want to add a new classification of business,” Comeau said. “They are time-consuming. We want to make sure we can meet the goals.”

Any decision to start a new licensing classification for businesses will still have to be made by council, with staff preparing a specific report.

Other areas of focus for the department include a temporary patio program review by the end of this year, a review of hawkers and peddlers by 2025 and a special events review in 2025.

Mayor John Taylor said new business license classifications need to have some public good.

“I don’t want to add cost to businesses or bureaucracy if it’s not a public benefit or an area of need,” Taylor said. “Some of those may or may not.”