How to Open a Business Bank Account in Canada
What a sole proprietor actually needs: the documents banks ask for, when a business account is required, verified 2026 fees (BMO $5/mo, Scotia $6/mo), and how to open one online or in-branch.
Starting out in Nunavut
How to Start Things in Nunavut
Everything on this page genuinely applies in Nunavut. Ontario/Toronto-specific guides and the Alberta and BC licensing guides are left out, so what remains is directly useful. Start with the four territory-specific rules that trip up new businesses, then browse the guides and tools.
Starting out in the territory: four rules worth knowing
Minimum wage is $20.17 - the highest in Canada
Nunavut's minimum wage rose from $19.75 to $20.17 an hour on September 1, 2026, making it the first jurisdiction in Canada to cross the $20 mark - well above the federal rate of $18.15. Since 2025 the rate is set by an annual formula based on the previous year's Iqaluit Consumer Price Index and Nunavut's average hourly wage. The Minister must publish the new rate by July 31 each year, and the formula can never lower the rate: if the math came out negative, the existing rate would simply stay put.
Source: Nunavut Wages Regulations amendment (official copy)
Registering a business runs through Nunavut's Legal Registries
Business filings in Nunavut go through the Legal Registries Division of the Department of Justice in Iqaluit. A sole proprietorship needs a Certificate of Status of Business Name from the Legal Registries Office, and incorporating starts with a name search and reservation under the Business Corporations Act (the office works by email and phone at 867-975-6590). On top of that, every business needs a business licence from the hamlet or municipality where it operates - there is no territory-wide licence that replaces it.
Source: Gov. of Nunavut: NNI business registry requirements
Inuit-owned businesses get a real bidding edge on government contracts
Nunavut has something no other province or territory offers. An Inuk-owned business can register on the Inuit Firm Registry maintained by Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., and the Government of Nunavut's NNI (Nunavummi Nangminiqaqtunik Ikajuuti) policy then applies a preferential bid adjustment on tendered government contracts: 5% for level-1 Inuit ownership, 10% for level 2, and 15% for level 3. The federal government also consults the registry when issuing contracts that touch Nunavut. For an Inuk starting a business, registering is one of the highest-value paperwork moves available.
Source: NTI Inuit Firm Registry: benefits of registration
No territorial sales tax - 5% GST only
Nunavut levies no territorial sales tax, so the only sales tax on taxable supplies is the 5% federal GST administered by the CRA. That puts the territory in the same GST-only group as Alberta, Yukon, and the Northwest Territories, and makes invoicing simpler than in PST provinces: one rate, one agency, no separate territorial registration.
Free tools
Free toolSole Proprietor or Incorporated: Which Fits You? (Quiz)
Five questions, no signup: find out whether to start as a sole proprietor or talk to an accountant about incorporating in Canada.
Try it → Free toolPlumbing Startup Cost Estimator (Canada)
Add up your startup costs for a plumbing business in Canada: registration, insurance, van, tools, and more. Free, no signup.
Try it → Free toolPlumbing Business Startup Checklist (Canada)
Thirteen steps from apprentice to first paid job: licensing, registration, insurance, and pricing. Printable and tick-offable. Free, no signup.
Try it → Free toolPlumbing Business First-Year Cash-Flow Planner (Canada)
Month-by-month cash in and out for your first year: one-time startup costs, monthly expenses, and when paying work starts. Free, no signup.
Try it →Guides that apply in Nunavut
Everything below is genuinely applicable in Nunavut — province-specific guides from elsewhere are left out.
How to Start Job Hunting in Canada
Canada-specific job hunting guide: Job Bank, Indeed and LinkedIn, settlement employment services, resume conventions, and how to avoid the usual traps.
How to Start a Cleaning Business in Canada
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How to Start Getting a Cheap Heat Pump in Canada
Heat pumps cost $10,000-$25,000 installed, but rebates can cut that in half. Federal and provincial programs running in 2026, and how to stack them.
How to Register a Sole Proprietorship and Get a GST/HST Number in Canada
Start a one-person business the simple way: provincial business-name registration, CRA business number, and exactly when the $30,000 GST/HST rule kicks in.
How to Start Building Credit in Canada
New to Canada or starting from zero? How Canada's credit system works: Equifax, TransUnion, secured cards, and the habits that move your score.