Elliot Lake city staff has put together a city business directory to help people find local trades and service providers.
At Thursday's virtual meeting of the bylaw and planning committee, several council members said the city needs to do more than just make a list, like regulate businesses.
Committee Chair Coun. Ed Pearce warned, "I feel very strongly that at some point the City of Elliot Lake is going to have to license business, period."
City Clerk Natalie Bray called it a first step.
"If it's something the committee is happy with then we can have it here and maybe look at expanding it further," she said. "We're still working on a licensing bylaw with respect to certain types of businesses that we do want to regulate. I'm still trying to get a meeting set up with our solicitor to further that bylaw."
explained,
"This list does not serve as an endorsement of any businesses within the municipality," Economic Development Manager Steve Antunes said. "I hesitate to call it a registry to validate it that way."
"You know, in order to open a mechanic shop you don't have to have a mechanic. There's a lot of stuff like that that's going on," Coun. Sandy Finamore said. "The only recourse that our citizens in Elliot Lake is go to small claims court. If someone who ripped you off on Tuesday left town on Friday, well good luck."
"We have very many vulnerable people here who take people at their word," Finamore added.
"I would like to see this to go forward to council because I would like the greater population of the city to be able to see this list," she added. "You can rest assured that the first time that (one of) these businesses rips off someone they're going to call us saying they got the name off our website."