Starting your home based business in Canada

Ajax, London & Woodstock all have the same Regulations still checking on other towns and cities in Ontario, Canada.

You do not require a licence from the Towns of Ajax, London or Woodstock to operate.

Home Based Businesses according to the towns listed above is an accessory use within part of a dwelling unit for a lawful occupation or business activity that results in a product or service and which is clearly secondary to the main use of the dwelling unit. Home based businesses are permitted in all residential zones. There are six rules that a home based business must follow.
1. Not more than one employee, in addition to the residents of the dwelling unit, is engaged in the business and working in the dwelling.
2 The use is restricted to the dwelling unit and shall not be conducted in whole or in part in an accessory building.
3. Not more than the lesser of 24% of the gross floor are or 45 sq. meters of floor area of the dwelling unit is used for the purpose of the home based business.
4. There is no outdoor storage or display of material or equipment.
5. Only the sale of goods assembled, crafted or produced on the lot is permitted.
6. The use is clearly secondary to the residential use and does not change the residential character of the dwelling or the lot.

Prior to erecting a sign for your business or making renovations to your premises for your business you must check with the Building Approvals section for any required building permits. The Building Approvals Section is responsible for issuing permits for signs on buildings and grounds

Also as part of the building, zoning and bylaw requirements a business may require a fire safety inspection from the Fire and Emergency Services.

I hope this will help some of our Canadian Cake Central Members however; I do not know where this should be uploaded to. I am still checking into other cities and locations in Canada.

Thank you for your patience.

Kathy Rousseau

If you find anything out for Orangeville can you please PM me? I am still trying to figure it out as I'm 'new' in town and no one wants to give me an answer to any of the questions I pose. I would love to be able to advertise more than word-of-mouth right now.

Even if you can point me in the right direction where to look/ask ... there seems to no easy way of finding the answer!

Thanks for posting the information you have and for your continued efforts in looking up more - we all appreciate it!

Thank-you very much!!! That is wonderful information. I was wondering about our regulations.

Your welcome Jane K. Where are you from"?Kathy

Hi Getfrosted

If you check this site it will give you a number of whom to contact. I do not see anything under Home Business that mentions cake decorating by order only. The web site is:

www.orangeville.org/infra.php

Hope this helps
Kathy

Thanks Kathy, I've emailed them but no one ever responds and I haven't had a chance to call (5 1/2 yr. old and 2 yr. old twins, etc., etc., etc.) - part of me doesn't want to find out the answer if I have get licensed ...

Thank you for helping everyone out - the information will be appreciated by all up here experiencing snow today!! I feel like bypassing Halloween and going straight to Christmas!

Leanne : )

This is awesome information!! I am pretty sure, here in Edmonton, AB, one of the regulations for a baking business is that the kitchen cannot be used for residential use. You must have a separate kitchen area.

I keep thinking I should contact our city council to find out...if anyone is interested, please pm me and I will share any information I come across!

It is great to see other Canucks

Hi Leanne

I think we bypassed fall and went straight to winter. Have a great day and when you get a chance call and let me know what they say.

Kathy

Here in Calgary you don't have to have a business license(Although it is advisable) but you do have to be passed by the Health Dept which requires you to have a seperate kitchen from your home one.It must have hot water and bleach near by.You are also required to have a fridge at proper temperature to store perishables.You only need to have a food safety course if you are doing catering and here catering is not the same as cake decorating.Hope this helps!!!

Hi JackieA

Well I just checked out this website www.edmonton.ca and if you click on Home based business it will bring you to a site that gives all the details of what is required. You are right though you need to apply for a development permit which will catagorize whether you are a Major or Minor Home Based Business. My thoughts are after reading it is that you would be a minor one as you would only be supplying cakes etc on order. Then the next step would be to apply for a business license. This would allow you to operate your business legally. The price is $41.00 for a minor and $88.00 for a major.

There is a number where you can reach them if you wish It is the Customer Information and Advisory Section Planning and Development Department.

Hope this helps.
Kathy

kiddicakes

Calgary Alberta is pretty much the same as Edmonton, Alberta rules and regulations the site is
www.calgary.ca

Kathy

Hi when I looked into home based business it does not include and cooking in the house only proffessional trades ect. They told me when I called that it was covered under a different law in London and you have to get in contact with the health inspectors but the city does not deal with cooking in the home. Hope this helps some.

Thanks Kathy!!!

Hey Kathy
Thanks a bunch for this! I'm in Ajax and I was having a heck of a time finding out the regulations as the people I spoke with were less than knowledgable to put it mildly!

Thanks so much again!

I definitely agree it was excrutiatingly difficult to cut through the BS to find out who was directly in charge and could give info. I live in BC so and of course every province (cities even lol) seem to be different.

I was told that city hall (for smaller communities like ours) provides the business licences and also gives approval to homebased businesses based on city land use/zoning laws.
In BC, the local Health Authorities administer food premises regulation. They licence, inspect, and respond to complaints. (So like in BC we have several health authority regions). They also administer Foodsafe (not sure what it's called elsewhere. That's a provincially based food education program also, which I find quite stupid that it's not nationally standardized.
Also was told Food Protection Services provide policy and scientific advice to the local Health Authorities and in conjunction with them, help develop guidelines and info etc

APPARENTLY some docs /booklets available at BC Centre for Disease control ( I guess other provinces would have same deal) (I DIDnt find those booklets myself lol.
More info that I was given:
All Food business premises are regulated by the Health Act. Food meaning anything intended for human consumption...
Caterers or any persons involved in the prep and or serving of food/drink for public gatherings or functions. Food handlers are any persons wmployed by or working in food presmies who come in contact with food. Food premises being any place, boat or vehicle, where food or drin kis served or dispersed with or withotu charge.
In addition, Health Act outlines requirements pertaining to hygiene of food handlers, ventilation, lighting, maintenance of food prep areas, storage areas and equipment.
In most areas, health permits under the Act are issued by the local health unit or department.

Anyway, lots of this probably redundant or self explanatory, some maybe not so I thought I'd pass along lol

Thanks for the info Kathy! It is always so hard to find info about Canadian laws! Here in Montreal, it depends on what 'arondissement' you are in. The rules for me are different than the rules for ppl a few streets over!

Thank you so much for all the info!

If anyone knows anything about the rules and regulations in Ottawa, Ontario I would love to know! I can't seem to find any information.

first thing I had to do was talk with the health department to see what I needed to do and went from there. I had to find a food safe kitchen then the health dept ok'd it and notifyed i the city licencing and all was a go. Recieved my licience in 2 days. I was given a temporary licience until they were contacted by the health dept to ok it. I live in B.C.

That's great Sharon Good Luck!

Kathy