This presentation is lead by the City’s Business Information Officer (BIO), Joanne Cléroux. The BIO’s role is to support entrepreneurs starting up a food establishment and help navigate through the City’s licence and permits process.

This presentation has been crafted to reach a little beyond that scope. This session will provide insight into the City’s budding entrepreneur-centric services by speaking directly to business licence categories, home based business regulations and most significantly about the interdepartmental permit and legislation requirements for all types of food premises. If you are thinking about opening a bakery, café, restaurant, wholesale, catering business or think your idea might have some overlap with the requirements, this is the session for you.

Speaker Bio: Joanne Cléroux, Business Information Officer, City of Ottawa Joanne has 29 years of experience working within various departments at the City of Ottawa. Joanne’s experience began in the mid 80’s in the City Clerk’s Office, she then accepted positions within Public Works, RPAM, ITS and currently is working in the Service Ottawa Department. The Business Ambassador Program started in May 2013, as part of a Service Ottawa Service Excellence pilot project. A decision was made to continue the program after the project was completed in early 2015. Joanne accepted the role as Business Ambassador at that time and has been responsible for guiding restaurateurs through the City’s application processes and requirements applicable to food premise businesses in relation to various legislations such as the Ontario Building Code and the Health Protection and Promotion Act.

Restaurateurs can contact Joanne for assistance concerning any matters dealing with the City of Ottawa’s regulations by emailing her at bio1stop@ottawa.ca.