For the first time in its decade-long history, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is not awarding any government the Golden Scissors Award, the top prize for cutting red tape.
While no government earned the award this year, CFIB said it is recognizing promising efforts with an honourable mention and two “Ones to Watch” Awards this year.
“We saw some promising initiatives in 2024, but not enough to warrant a Golden Scissors Award,” said Brianna Solberg, CFIB director for the Prairies and the North. “With Canada’s weak productivity and low capital investment, we need tangible results that would make a real difference on the ground. Small businesses are tired of hearing about ideas – now is the time for bold moves. We need more action, less talking.
“This year’s lack of a Golden Scissors winner sends a clear message: governments need to do more. Red tape hurts small businesses, slows the economy, and hinders growth. In 2025, we hope to see more action from all governments across Canada.”
As part of the 16th annual Red Tape Awareness Week, CFIB said it is recognizing the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) with an honourable mention for amending the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) for the city of Lloydminster. This amendment allows Alberta and Saskatchewan businesses to sell food into or within the city of Lloydminster as if it were within one province. This regulatory update would make it easier for businesses to operate, encourage local trade, and strengthen Lloydminster’s economy, it said.
“This is something CFIB has long been asking for and is the first step in trying to get this type of progress across Canada,” said SeoRhin Yoo, CFIB senior policy analyst for interprovincial affairs. “Business shouldn’t face extra hurdles to trade within one city. It’s a small step, and one that should have been in place long ago, but this is a great win for Lloydminster businesses on both sides of the provincial border and should be replicated across Canada.
“Eliminating internal trade barriers through mutual recognition could boost the economy by $200 billion annually. We’re pleased to see nearly all governments take a big step forward with the trucking pilot, and we’ll be watching closely for updates on this initiative. We also commend the Alberta government for taking significant steps to streamline regulatory processes and reduce red tape.”
There are also two “One to Watch” Award winners this year, noted the CFIB.
- The Government of Alberta for its proposed “Automatic Yes” Framework. The first of its kind in Canada, the framework aims to speed up permit decisions by reducing the review time on low- and medium-risk applications. This allows the government to reallocate resources on more complex applications and those with relatively higher risk activities.
- The federal government, Newfoundland and Labrador, and coalition members, for the mutual recognition pilot project for the trucking industry. This pilot project marks Canada’s first tangible mutual recognition policy breakthrough since the Canadian Free Trade Agreement (CFTA) was signed in 2017. The project would reduce internal trade barriers by committing participating provinces and territories to recognize each other’s trucking regulations, such as driver medical requirements, training requirements, and oversized vehicle signage requirements, without compromising safety standards.
Some of the previous Golden Scissors Award winners include: the Atlantic provinces and the government of Ontario for boosting healthcare labour mobility (2024); the Government of Northwest Territories (GNWT) for its Red Rape Reduction Working group and red tape submission portal (2023); the Government of Nova Scotia for Reducing Physician Administrative Burden Initiative (2022); and, the government of Quebec for eliminating excess license requirements for bowling alleys and arcades (2020).
The CFIB is Canada’s largest association of small and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members across every industry and region.
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