Barrie restaurants, bars brace for most significant alcohol tax jump in 40 years
Barrie restaurants, bars brace for most significant alcohol tax jump in 40 years
Canada's restaurant industry is bracing for the biggest jump in the country's alcohol excise duty in more than 40 years, spurring warnings the tax hike could force some bars and restaurants out of business.
As of April 1, a 6.3 per cent tax increase on wine, beer and spirits comes into effect.
"I was hoping that the government would take a little pity on us after all we've been through over the last two or three years. We've had supply chain issues, rising costs all the way from beer to liquor, and now we have labour shortages, so it just kind of piles on," said Yvette Wicksted, owner of Bull & Barrel Pub.
Donaleigh's Irish Public House manager Colin Johnson called the situation less than ideal.
"I mean, when you break it down, it's a few pennies per bottle per ounce but any little bit after the last few years that we've had is kind of a hindrance to the ability to do business," he said.
Johnson added that at Donaleigh's, prices would not be raised immediately, but "Prices will eventually have to go up, I mean, you have to, but right away, we're going to sit back and see how everything unfolds, and then we will have to react accordingly."
The tax increase is a big hike for wineries, especially after another recent increase in June.
"It's absolutely huge, and it's coming off some tough years when business hasn't had a chance to recoup. Ontario lost a trade complaint to Australia regarding our wine industry, and all VQA wineries in Ontario are being subject to a new tax on the back end as well," said Walter Vaz, Heritage Estates Winery and Cidery. "So, it's kind of a huge double whammy at a time when we can't afford any increases."
Regional Vice President of Ontario with Restaurants Canada Tracy Macgregor said the increase is a big concern for its operators.
"We're seeing a lot of different compounding costs for our operators, and they're coming frankly out of a period of mounted debt, numerous increases," said Macgregor.
She noted the 6.3 per cent tax increase would cost an average full-service restaurant around $30,000.
Restaurants Canada officials hope the tax hike is deferred or reduced to a lower percentage.
At the moment, wildfires are burning across six provinces and one territory in Canada — and they’re still spreading in what’s being called an unprecedented fire season. While firefighters work tirelessly to battle the merciless flames and prevent further destruction, scientists say the wildfires are linked to climate change and that this will be the new normal.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he raised concerns about reports that LGBTQ2S+ rights and democracy are under threat in Poland during a Friday visit with its prime minister, Mateusz Morawiecki, in Toronto.
Air Canada says travellers should be prepared for further flight disruptions as it works to return service to normal following a technical malfunction Thursday.
As more Canadians pass their family cottages down to the next generation, 'major shifts' in the ownership of recreational homes will occur, according to Re/Max. But amid concerns around the cost of housing, some may be wondering whether they can afford to keep that family cottage. Here's what younger generations need to know about inheriting a recreational property and the market today.
A 38-year-old sergeant in the Canadian Army was fined $3,000 and issued a severe reprimand after he made what a military judge described as 'utterly disgusting' anti-Jewish comments while conducting an infantry training course in 2021.
Pierre Poilievre is off to Manitoba to rally Conservative supporters ahead of a byelection that Maxime Bernier is hoping will send him back to Parliament. The far-right People's Party of Canada leader lost his Quebec seat in the 2019 federal vote and lost again in the 2021 election.
The number of people in Canada with inflammatory bowel disease is increasing rapidly and is expected to grow to 470,000 by 2035, according to a new report from Crohn's and Colitis Canada.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says he is committed to keeping David Johnston in place as Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference, despite a majority of MPs voting in favour of his stepping down from the gig.
Planning to pass time in Montreal's many parks this summer? Check yourself for ticks, warns one woman who recently contracted Lyme disease. Jasmine Rochereul, 23, says she spent much of last summer sprawled in city parks, where she believes she picked up the tick-borne illness.
Gatineau police arrested an 18-year-old man in connection to the investigation into a hidden camera discovered in the washroom at an elementary school.
Residents turning up the air conditioners on the hottest June 1 in Ottawa history likely caused hydro systems to overload, knocking out power to customers in the west end, Hydro Ottawa says.
Three Toronto men have been charged with attempted murder after they allegedly shot an innocent dog walker in Schomberg, Ont. in a case of mistaken identity.
A local addiction treatment facility is expanding and moving operations to the Mission Services building on York Street. Quintin Warner House staff say the move will mean improved programs for more clients.
There will be a lot of music, revelry and fun in downtown Sudbury on Friday evening as the Downtown Sudbury Business Improvement Association launches its 'Ultimate Summer Kick-Off' Party. For many, it also marks the unofficial start to patio season.
A popular beach in Bracebridge is open to the public two days after sewing needles were found in the water, but a second beach has since closed over safety concerns.
The defence has completed its closing summations in an ongoing Windsor murder trial involving the shooting death of 20-year-old Madisen Gingras in April of 2020.
A dozen sheriffs and Calgary Police officers roamed Calgary's core for three months, but the provincial pilot program is officially over as of this week.
A Calgary father and son face a lengthy list of criminal charges after being arrested in connection with the sexual exploitation, assault and extortion of multiple teen girls.
