Starting a food business in Saanich

Business licence

All businesses operating in Saanich need a Saanich business licence or an Intermunicipal licence, and operating without one can bring fines of up to $200 a day. Licences run January 1 to December 31; new businesses that apply after July 31 pay half.

Fee: Home-based: $100; Home crafts: $50 (handmade articles — food is not named); Mobile Food Vendors: $100

Running it from home

Where the zone allows it, any use the zoning bylaw permits can run as a home occupation, with no food-specific rule — but nothing may be sold or displayed at the home, only residents may work in the business, and no dwelling may have a second kitchen. The RC, RT, RM, Ra and RP zones (and two others) allow only a home office (or child daycare), which rules out home food production there, houses in RM zones included. Planning reviews every home-based application for zoning.

• No commodity sold or displayed on the premises (s. 5.5(i)).
• Only residents of the dwelling may work in the business (s. 5.5(b)).
• All home occupations together: no more than 20% of the combined floor area of all structures on the lot, or 50 m² (538 ft²), whichever is less (s. 5.5(c)).
• Carried on only inside a building; no outside storage of materials or products (s. 5.5(a), (d)).
• No vibration, heat, glare, odour or electrical interference detectable outside, and no noise beyond a normal dwelling (s. 5.5(f)–(g)).
• No second kitchen in a dwelling unit (s. 5.3(i)).
• No more than two clients or patrons on the premises at a time (s. 5.5(j)).
• One business vehicle parked unenclosed, up to 4,200 kg gross (s. 5.5(l)).
• RC, RT, RM, Ra, RP, MFC-CH and MFI-Ch zones: office use only — no clients, customers or employees on the premises, 15 m² (161 ft²) at most, no sign (s. 5.6).

Markets and events

A temporary farm market needs one Saanich licence per market ($50 a year), and the market operator must make sure food vendors have approval for any higher-risk items; Saanich’s pages do not say in so many words that vendors need no licence of their own. Pocket farm markets work the same way but sell lower-risk farm products only (jams and canned goods included) and bar mobile food vendors. Daily licences for trade shows are $25 a day.

Mobile businesses

A Saanich resident with an eligible mobile business can buy an Intermunicipal licence valid in all 13 Greater Victoria municipalities; Saanich’s form names food trucks among the eligible trades. Saanich is not in the Vancouver Island Inter-Community partnership the Province lists.

Fee: Home-based with intermunicipal: $100; with a commercial location under 5,000 sq. ft.: $200; over 5,000 sq. ft.: $300