Lloydminster exempted from federal interprovincial food rules

Summary#

These final rules, SOR/2024-216, change the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations so that food moved across the provincial line inside the City of Lloydminster is not treated as interprovincial trade for federal licensing and trade rules. The change came into force on November 8, 2024 and means many local food businesses can sell across the city without a federal licence for interprovincial trade.

What it does#

• Exempts food sent or conveyed from one side of Lloydminster to the other from the federal interprovincial trade requirements in the Safe Food for Canadians Act and the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations.
• Specifically, businesses preparing or selling food into or within Lloydminster will not have to meet certain interprovincial rules, including:
  • holding a Safe Food for Canadians licence (SFC licence) for that local trade (the SFC licence fee was $287.22 as of March 31, 2024);
  • federal preventive controls and the requirement to prepare and keep a written preventive control plan (PCP);
  • interprovincial traceability, packaging and commodity-specific interprovincial requirements (for items like dairy, eggs, meat, fish, fruits and vegetables), except where other federal rules still apply at retail.
• What does not change:
  • General food-safety rules that apply to all food in Canada (for example under the Food and Drugs Act) remain in force.
  • Food imported into Canada, exported, or sent interprovincially outside Lloydminster still must meet all federal interprovincial and export/import rules.
  • The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) keeps its inspection and enforcement role. Provincial oversight in Lloydminster continues to be provided under the Lloydminster Charter, mainly by the Saskatchewan Health Authority.

Who's affected#

• Food businesses in the City of Lloydminster on both the Alberta and Saskatchewan sides — especially small local processors, retailers, farmers’ market vendors, and bakeries that previously faced extra federal requirements to sell across the city.
• The CFIA, which will update guidance and continue its risk-based oversight.
• Provincial and municipal authorities that already manage local food inspections; Saskatchewan’s rules continue to apply in Lloydminster under the Lloydminster Charter.
• Other Canadians and businesses outside Lloydminster are not directly affected; interprovincial and international trade rules remain unchanged elsewhere.

Why it matters#

• It removes a practical barrier for businesses that operate in a single city split by a provincial border. Businesses can sell to customers across town without getting a federal interprovincial licence and without the extra paperwork tied to interprovincial trade.
• The change aims to reduce costs and administrative burden for local businesses, support local market access, and encourage more product choice for residents. The government’s pilot and local surveys reported increased sales and variety during the trial.
• Food safety oversight is intended to be maintained: federal requirements that apply to all food, provincial inspections in Lloydminster, and CFIA enforcement for trade beyond the city remain in place.