Today, Mayor Olivia Chow was joined by Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), the Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion, and Angela Drennan, Vice-President of Legislative Affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, at Red Tape Brewery to highlight the new Red Tape Hotline survey that aims to help local business owners by making it easier to navigate City processes and potential barriers, address common pain points and modernize City of Toronto services.
Toronto’s businesses are the backbone of the local economy and neighbourhoods. Operators need the ability to be nimble and respond quickly to changing market trends, but red tape can slow them down. The Red Tape Hotline, launched earlier this year as a pilot, provides business owners a direct channel to report permitting delays, outdated bylaws and other unnecessary municipal barriers.
Business operators in Toronto are urged to complete the Red Tape Hotline survey by Sunday, November 30, at toronto.ca/redtape. The input will guide efforts to remove barriers, streamline approvals, and make regulation more modern and responsive.
A staff report on survey findings including recommendations for administrative and bylaw changes will be tabled to the Economic and Community Development Committee in early 2026.
This initiative advances the goals of Sidewalks to Skylines: An Action Plan for Toronto’s Economy (2025–2035) and complements Toronto’s economic response to U.S. tariffs by streamlining regulations, strengthening competitiveness and helping businesses stay resilient and focused on growth.
The Red Tape Hotline is one of many ways the City supports local businesses. Other initiatives include the Small Business Property Tax Subclass that provides tax relief to small businesses; increased financial incentives for Business Improvement Areas to improve and revitalize local commercial areas; TradeTO initiative that help Toronto companies expand into new markets; and the annual Small Business Forum that takes place on Wednesday, October 29 at Meridian Hall.
More information about the City’s wider business supports is available on the City’s website: https://www.toronto.ca/business-economy/business-operation-growth/business-support/.
Quotes:
“Toronto businesses are facing pressures on many fronts, from global tariffs to rising costs. By cutting red tape, we are making it easier for them to succeed, create jobs and keep our neighbourhoods vibrant. This survey is about listening to businesses and making real changes to remove barriers and modernize how the City works with them.”
– Mayor Olivia Chow
“Starting a business should be exciting, not exhausting. The Red Tape Hotline gives entrepreneurs a direct line to City Hall so we can fix what’s slowing them down and make Toronto a place where business can thrive.”
– Councillor Shelley Carroll (Don Valley North), Mayor’s Economic Development & Culture Champion
“Last year, the average small business spent approximately 735 hours, the equivalent to 92 workdays, dealing with red tape. We commend the City of Toronto for giving small business owners a mechanism to share the barriers to their growth. CFIB is optimistic that the Red Tape Hotline pilot will go further and become a permanent portal, a business-friendly transparency tool to drive future business improvement recommendations.”
– Angela Drennan, Vice-President of Legislative Affairs at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business
Toronto is home to more than three million people whose diversity and experiences make this great city Canada’s leading economic engine and one of the world’s most diverse and livable cities. As the fourth largest city in North America, Toronto is a global leader in technology, finance, film, music, culture and innovation and climate action, and consistently places at the top of international rankings due to investments championed by its government, residents and businesses. For more information visit the City's website or follow us on X, Instagram or Facebook.