The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, offers the following services to the public & business community.

-  Name Approval Request
-  Corporate Search
-  A public computer to access One Stop Business Registration & Corporate Online
-  Resource Library

STARTING A BUSINESS INVOLVES THREE BASIC STEPS:

STEP 1 - Name Approval Request

The first step in incorporation or registration of firms is the approval of the business name. This process combines the name search and approval. The approval of any name is at the discretion of the Registrar of Companies.

 

It is recommended that you submit three business name choices, in order of preference, for each name approval. Your first choice for a name may be approved, if available, and held for a period of 56 calendar days. Once approved, you will be assigned a Name Reservation number to be used in the business registration process.

 

Any renewal of the reservation period requires payment of another reservation fee. Your second and third choices are not examined unless the initial choice of name is not available. Regardless of whether your three choices are all examined or not, the full fee is charged.

Name Approval Requests are processed at the West Vancouver Chamber Office, 1846 Marine Dr., West Vancouver. The cost is $51.20 per application including GST and takes approximately two to three business days to return your results via email, if you submit your Name Approval application in person. We accept Visa, Mastercard and Cash only.

We are open Mon thru Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, except Statutory Holidays.
Click here to Download Name Approval Request Form (pdf)

Research Your Choices - check them out for potenial conflicts through telephone listings, business directories and other publications. Here are some helpfull links to assist your research. www.google.ca ,  www.yellowpages.ca , www.webnames.ca 

STEP 2 - Register the Business

The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce does not register businesses.

For Proprietorships & Partnerships
One Stop Business Registration  www.onestopbc.ca and select option # 4
Help Desk 1-877-822-6727   Frequently Asked Questions

For Corporations
Go to Corporate Online   www.corporateonline.gov.bc.ca and select "File an Incorporation Application"
Online filings can be submitted from 6am to 10pm Monday to Saturday including statutory holidays.
Help Desk 1-800-663-6102

If the company is to be incorporated with a name created by adding "B.C. Ltd." after the incorporation number. (Eg. 873524 B.C. Ltd.) go to the Corporate Online link select "File an Incorporation Application" and select option (b) on the second page.

STEP 3 - Business License

Processed at West Vancouver Municipal Hall, 750 - 17th Street, Second Floor
Click here to Download Business Licence Form (pdf)

For business licence information and current prices call The District of West Vancouver 604-925-7152 or http://www.westvancouver.net/article.asp?a=1772&c=185

District Bylaws including Business Licence Bylaws http://www.westvancouver.ca/article.asp?c=692

The District of West Vancouver entered into an agreement with both the District of North Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver establishing an Intermunicipal Business Licence scheme for the North Shore. The specific business category available is "contractor". The contractor takes out a business licence in the Municipality they reside in, enabling the company to operate in all three participating municipalities. A business licence fee is charged by the resident Municipality plus an Intermunicipal Business Licence fee which is shared amongst the Member Municipalities. This business licence scheme is an option to the contractor and is highly recommended by the District of West Vancouver. For further information, please contact Bylaw and Licencing Services at 604-925-7152.

Government of BC, Ministry of Finance - Corporate Registry Forms
          http://www.fin.gov.bc.ca/registries/forms.htm

From this page you can download and print, to your own printer, most of the common statutory forms filed with the Corporate Registry.

- B.C. COMPANY FORMS - paper filings
- B.C. COMPANY FORMS - paper versions for your use prior to completing an online filing
- EXTRAPROVINCIAL COMPANY FORMS - paper filings
- EXTRAPROVINCIAL COMPANY FORMS - paper version for your use prior to completing an online filing
- SOCIETY ACT FORMS
- COOPERATIVE ASSOCIATION ACT FORMS
- PARTNERSHIP/PROPRIETORSHIP FORMS - including Dissolution or Changes

WELCOME WAGON - Business & Residential:

We wanted to let you know that Welcome Wagon is once again up and operating in West Vancouver. There are now two areas that they focus on - Business and Residential.   New businesses can contact the Business Professional Welcome directly by calling John O’Sullivan at 604-929-4491.

 The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce is pleased to provide links to other sites. These links will automatically open in a new browser window. Some sites have been selected for commonality of subject matter while others have been picked because they contain material we believe our viewers will find useful.

The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce believes these sites to be credible. We hope you find them interesting and informative. Please be aware, however, that The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce has no control over these sites or the information located therein and so makes no guarantees about such sites and such information as to accuracy, currency, content, quality or any other characteristic. As with The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce, you should not assume these sites are error-free. The West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce is not responsible for the results of any defects that may exist in these sites, or any consequential damages that may result from use of such sites or from such defects.

To report a broken link or to suggest a link be added, please contact the West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce at info@westvanchamber.com