Sidewalk to nowhere: Paperweight Awards highlight worst examples of government red tape

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – As it pokes a little fun at red tape — including some examples in B.C. — the Canadian Federation of Independent Business is out with its annual Paperweight Awards.

The awards, which are marking their 10th year, are meant to highlight the worst examples of government regulation.

“Areas of regulation that are most egregious and to draw attention to how regulation actually impacts small business,” CFIB Vice President-Atlantic Jordi Morgan explains.

For example, the Town of Smithers is on this list for the third straight year with what the federation likes to call its “sidewalk to nowhere” bylaw.

“The business was actually required to build a sidewalk, which actually was attached to nothing at the beginning and went nowhere,” Morgan explains. “But it was just to satisfy the needs of this bylaw. So this has gone on for three years now.”

This year, Morgan points out, the bylaw is actually impacting the Bulkley Valley Child Development Centre.

“The CT Scanner project there has been put on hold because the budget didn’t commit to building some sidewalk or storm drain or curb somewhere else in the community.”

According to the CFIB, the Smithers bylaw requires businesses who do renovations valued over $100,000 — up from $75,000 previously — to complete offside work, “such as building a sidewalk that leads to nowhere.”

B.C.’s legislation requiring construction firms to join unions when they’re working on provincial infrastructure projects also made the list.

“Whether it be a highway restoration or bridge or building, it’s the Community Benefits Agreement,” Morgan says. “What it means, essentially, is that a lot of independent businesses are being put on the sidelines because there’s just so much regulation to put into account when you’re trying to apply for one of these things.”

However, overall, Morgan says B.C. has done “quite well” when it comes to red tape.

“B.C. is really a leader nationally, it has been a leader nationally, on cutting red tape for the last number of years. It’s actually served as an example for other provinces.”

The Government of Canada also made the list for its “user-un-friendly websites”, and so did Health Canada’s “lack of clarity on the cannabis rules.”

The CFIB’s full list of provincial rankings comes out on Tuesday.

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