Mayor Andrew Knack admits he was mistaken when he voted earlier this year to freeze a plan introducing patio fees. After learning that licensing fees could burden establishments with up to $7,000 annually, on top of other costs reaching $70,000, he changed his stance.
Revised Patio Program for 2027
On Wednesday, Knack motioned to direct administration to collaborate with businesses on a revised patio program for 2027, exploring alternatives to encroachment fees, permitting costs, and approval timelines. The city will also seek new funding sources after the province eliminated the photo radar revenue that originally supported the program.
Business Community Reacts
Kayode Southwood, senior policy analyst at the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses (CFIB), welcomed the motion. “CFIB is very supportive of Mayor Knack’s motion. The city’s funding stream doesn’t exist anymore for this program, so obviously they’re on the hook for paying for this patio program. This is a step in the right direction, signaling the city is listening to small businesses.”
Holistic Economic Development
Knack emphasized the need for a more holistic approach across city departments. “If you’re on the operations side, you’re rightfully worried about traffic safety, but do we apply a lens of economic development when somebody says they’re looking to do a patio? How are we applying all that together? That’s what I think we’re missing now as a city.”
To improve Edmonton’s business reputation, Southwood highlighted four key areas: property taxes, crime, construction, and red tape. He also suggested expanding an industrial property tax sub-class to small businesses, noting that cities like Calgary and Vancouver have minimal patio fees.
The motion does not change encroachment fee requirements for this year, but administration will examine alternatives to cover program costs.
