Home Based Businesses

What is a Home Based Business?

A Home Based Business means using your residence to live in as well as for an office, trade, or other form of business that is intended to be secondary sources of income only. Examples of Home Based Businesses in Jasper include photographers, writers, wedding commissioners, and seamstresses.

Please note that operating a home-based business does not qualify you as an eligible resident (see eligible residency on the Living in the Park webpage).

A Private Home Accommodation is a home based business, subject to a few more additional requirements and a slightly different process, which can be found on the Private Home Accommodation webpage.

Is my Home Based Business appropriate in my neighbourhood?

Home Based Businesses are stated as a general discretionary use in the residential districts, but the specific business types may not be appropriate in a residential district. If your proposed home based business fits closely to the specific Discretionary Uses listed in the Commercial District (C1) or Storage and Services District (S-Block), as stated in the Town of Jasper Land Use Policy, it would not be appropriate in a residential district.

Other factors which help decide if your Home Based Business is appropriate include its impacts on the neighbourhood as it must not:

• prevent neighbours from using and enjoying their own property
• lower the appearance, safety, or value of neighbouring properties
• generate more pedestrian or car traffic than is usual for the neighbourhood
• have client visitation outside of regular business hours (excluding Private Home Accommodation)
• create offensive noise, smoke, or odours
• operate in an accessory building, garage, or the surrounding yard
• store materials and goods outdoors
• employ anyone other than the permittee or those living in the home
• occupy more than 10% of the gross floor area of your home (excluding Private Home Accommodation)
• have retail sales with client visitation
• have any signs (excluding Private Home Accommodation required signs)
• have more than one commercial vehicle associated with the business and that vehicle must be parked on-site

What are the additional requirements for a Home Based Business with client visitation?

• provide a minimum of one on-site parking stall in addition to the homes existing required on-site parking stalls. For homes without rear lane access, the Home Based Business required on-site parking may be located in the front setback (driveway) and allowed to be in tandem with the homes other required on-site parking
• no more than one (1) Home Based Business that involve client visitation is permitted per dwelling unit

What is the permitting process for a Home Based Business?

There are two separate permitting processes for a Home Based Business depending on if there is client visitation:

1. Home Based Business without client visitation:
1. Home Based Business Discretionary Use Permit Application Package submission to jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca.
2. If the Home Based Business meets the requirements a Parks Canada Discretionary Use Permit will be issued.
2. Home Based Business with client visitation:
1. Home Based Business Discretionary Use Permit Application Package submission to jasperdevelopment@pc.gc.ca.
2. A Discretionary Use Permit will be issued once either (a) confirmation that the additional required on-site parking stall exists onsite; or (b) upon completing construction of the additional required on-site parking stall in accordance with the Development Permit.

What do I need to submit for a Discretionary Use Permit for a Home Based Business?

A complete Home Based Business Discretionary Use Application Submission Package consists of:

1. Parks Canada Discretionary Use Application - There is no fee for a discretionary use permit application. To apply for a permit, please sign and submit the Parks Canada Discretionary Use Permit Application (PDF, 181 KB) which will provide the development office: where the location; who the lessee is; who the applicant is, and; basic contact information for the permit.


2. HBB Questionnaire – Submit the filed out Home Based Business Questionnaire (PDF, 155 KB) to ensure you are submitting enough information to complete a review of your proposal.


3. HBB Submission Checklist – Use the Home Based Business Checklist (PDF, 181 KB) to ensure you are submitting everything that is required for a complete discretionary use permit submission package and submit it as part of your submission package.


4. Statutory Declaration Eligible Residency – A Home Based Business does not grant eligible residency; therefore, you are required to submit a Statutory Declaration (see eligible residency on the Living in the Park webpage) as part of the submission.


5. Floor Plan – A dimensioned (in metres) and scaled floor plan of the dwelling including the area (m²) of your Home Based Business and the gross floor area of the dwelling (m²) it is located within (home based businesses, other than private home accommodations, may occupy a maximum of 10% of the homes gross floor area).


6. Site Plan – For Home Based Businesses with client visitation an additional on-site parking stall is required and a dimensioned (in metres) and scaled site plan is required demonstrating the sites required on-site parking stalls as well as the labelling of the additional home based business stall. A parking stall is at a minimum 2.7m wide and 6.0m in length.

Does a Discretionary Use Permit include any construction in my home that is associated with my Home Based Business?

Any physical construction, including adding an on-site parking stall for a Home Based Business with client visitation, will require a separate Development Permit Application Submission. Additional on-site parking stall development will require a Development Permit for Landscaping (including Sidewalks and Parking). Construction within the home would require a separate Development Permit for Interior Renovation.

Once I have my Discretionary Use Permit what other requirements are needed to operate my Home Based Business?

Once your Parks Canada Discretionary Use Permit has been obtained, please follow the Municipality of Jasper guidance on the Doing Business in Jasper website in order to Apply for a Municipality of Jasper Business Licence.