Raise the Hammer

We tried opening a hostel a few years ago and while waiting for the city to get its act together we abandoned the idea.

There is no bylaw on the books that mentions hostels at all. The closest one is "rooming house" but unfortunately we all know that a "rooming house" is not the same thing as a hostel.

Most hostels have rules that require everyone staying there to have a permanent address outside of the city, and there are length of stay restrictions. This ensures that the facility is used by tourists and not as a flop house for locals.

It quickly became clear that "rooming house" was not going to fly in the area we were considering opening - due to the negative stigma associated with them, neighbours would likely reject any applications on the grounds of not wanting a flop house next door. This is completely understandable.

To overcome that road block, we decided to register as a bed and breakfast and simply not provide breakfast. We'd advertise as a bed and breakfast but do so on hostel websites - basically running a hostel-like bed and breakfast marketed explicitly to hostel travellers. This would mean a smaller guest capacity and a more difficult business plan, but we were willing to give it a go because we believed that was a huge pent up need for quality, inexpensive accommodations downtown for international backpackers and young regional travellers.

When we approached the city for an application for B&B, we were told that "the B&B bylaws are being rewritten and we are not taking new applications at this time". Over the phone, I spoke with at least two city staffers who outright told me to "just open without a license, it's really your only option". Of course no one in city hall would ever put their job security on the line by stating that publicly, nor have their name attached to that piece of advice.

All of that was four years ago. After two years of waiting we gave up on the idea permanently as they were STILL not accepting B&B applications. For all I know, they're not accepting applications to this very day.

Everyone who takes a high and mighty attitude that people "should have followed the proper process" and are "lying in the beds they make" (pun intended), please wake up to the fact that the proper process is simply NOT POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW for most would-be entrepreneurs.

Unless you are willing to pay a lobbyist big bucks to use their connections -- and your money -- to pay their way through the system, most every-day-citizen's applications and bylaw process get stuck in the mud and go nowhere.

This city needs to wake up to the fact that it will NEVER be rebuilt on the backs of big-bucks developers. City hall seems only to be willing to work with the big guys, but none of the big guys are interested in anything other than tear-downs and speculation.

We need to pave a smooth path for the little guy if we ever want to turn this city around, make it attractive to more residents and businesses, and build our tax base.

Until city hall gets this figured out, each and every one of us will pay higher and higher taxes for an ever crumbling city.

Wake up council and wake up staff - before it's too late.