Recently, RDC Fine Homes, an award-winning local construction company, found itself blindsided by the Resort Municipality of Whistler (RMOW) after obtaining additional space across from its offices in Function Junction. Shortly after a fire inspection on the auxiliary unit it acquired, the municipality demanded the company pay for the fire inspection and an additional business licence for the extra space.
Bob Deeks, owner of RDC Fine Homes, accepts the additional fire inspection fee, but believes charging for multiple business licences for the same business is not logical.
“It doesn't make any sense to me at all,” Deeks said. “Why would they require multiple business licences for the same business to operate in the same community?”
According to Whistler Chamber of Commerce (WCC) executive director Louise Walker, Deeks is not alone in experiencing licensing issues, as a few local businesses have reported experiencing a similar problem.
“We have heard some reports of unexpected changes to business licences and associated fees, including the need for multiple licences,” Walker said in an email. “If policies and fees have changed, it would be useful to better understand the changes and how the increased revenue will be used to support the business community.”
The average cost of a business licence in Whistler is between $190 and $200, although this ranges depending on the type of commercial enterprise. The licence price is meant to cover RMOW staff processing time, and hasn’t changed since 2019.
Is this a new policy?
According to an RMOW spokesperson, the municipality always required businesses with multiple units to pay for business licences on every commercial unit they occupy.
The licensing requirement includes if a business rents space in a building which can be used for storage, but isn’t a dedicated storage business. It requires a separate business licence from the main business and a separate fire inspection and fee.
The RMOW did note that a new fire inspection fee was adopted in 2019, but not charged to businesses until 2023 due to the pandemic. On average, an annual fire inspection costs $125 per unit.
“What has changed is that starting this year, there’s now an annual fire inspection fee added to the annual business licence fee invoice,” the spokesperson said in an email. “Fire inspections are important for life safety, and the fee applies to all commercial locations and home-based businesses that invite customers into their space.”
Business community concerned about ease of doing business
With rising costs for municipal permits, licensing fees, and ongoing staffing challenges brought on by the housing crisis, the Whistler business community is increasingly concerned about the ease and cost of operating in the resort.
“Businesses are facing increasing costs across many areas, including labour, rent, supplier costs, and various taxes/fees, including an increase in property tax and business licence fees,” Walker said.
“With the cost of business increasing across a number of areas, the combined impact is a concern, especially at a time when we should be focusing on recovery for our business community.”
According to a recently conducted survey by the WCC, 67 per cent of Whistler businesses believe that the ease and costs of doing business in Whistler will worsen over the next four years. While nearly all surveyed (83 per cent) were concerned about local businesses closing due to rising costs.
Whistler Mayor Jack Crompton noted the business community's concerns regarding the rising costs of doing business in the resort.
“We're always looking for ways to work with business,” Crompton said. “I look forward to hearing from the business community on the ways that we can do that even better.”
