Council Statement: Town Frustrated with Continued Provincial Permitting Delays
Statement from the 14th Council
Date of Release: August 25, 2026
Town Frustrated with Continued Provincial Permitting Delays
The Town of Happy Valley–Goose Bay is again raising serious concerns regarding continued delays in the processing of provincial permits required through Service NL’s Government Services Branch. Contractors, developers, and residents continue to report extensive backlogs that are holding up projects throughout the community. In some cases, applications have been left waiting for several months — an unacceptable delay that is directly hampering timely development in the Town.
Provincial permits are required because certain aspects of construction fall under provincial legislation, not municipal authority. Any project involving public safety systems, environmental protection, water and wastewater infrastructure, food service operations, or regulated building components must receive provincial approval before work can begin. This includes public buildings, commercial developments, housing projects, and renovations to buildings accessible by the public. Municipal permits alone are not sufficient; the Province must sign off on these regulated systems to ensure compliance with provincial laws.
These delays are also affecting the local labour force. Contractors are actively trying to hire workers and labourers, but they cannot keep crews sitting idle while waiting for provincial permits. This uncertainty is creating real challenges for companies trying to retain staff, plan workloads, and keep people employed.
The Mayor and 14th Council have raised these concerns repeatedly with various provincial ministers over the past year. Despite these discussions, the problem remains unresolved. While the Town has been advised that steps are being taken to address the backlog — including the expectation of additional resources this fall — the current delays continue to stall development. These measures, while welcome, do not change the immediate reality facing contractors and developers today.
Compounding the issue is Happy Valley–Goose Bay’s short construction season. In Labrador, the window for completing major projects is limited. When provincial permits are delayed for months, entire seasons can be lost. Developers, contractors, and businesses cannot afford to miss critical timelines because of administrative bottlenecks.
“We cannot continue to hamper development because of provincial bottlenecks or lack of resources,” said Mayor Bert Pomeroy. “Developers, contractors, and businesses are all being held back by a permitting system that is not functioning adequately. Workers cannot sit idle while projects wait for months. This must be fixed.”
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