Simcoe County businesses brace as federal alcohol tax goes into effect
Local businesses are bracing for the Federal Government's increase in alcohol tax.
"We're not happy that there's an increase in the tax because even in downtown Barrie, we've had the pandemic we've had construction downtown, so we've gone through a litany of upheavals," said Colin Johnson, Manager of Donaleigh's Irish Public House.
Although the tax has now been capped at two percent instead of its initial 6.3 percent, some say that's still not enough.
"I think any increase in this time of day is punishment," said Walter Vaz, Heritage Estates Winery and Cidery Owner. "Certainly, we believe that any increase is going to affect us in a negative way in both our winery property and the hospitality."
Vaz said small businesses and the hospitality industry suffered the most from the pandemic, with many still trying to recover.
"We were one of the first to be locked down, we were one of the last to open up. I took on huge debts just to survive and now we're faced in the marketplace where the playing field is being artificially increased," he said.
However, that's just one increase businesses will deal with this year. The provincial government will raise the minimum wage from $15.50 an hour to $16.55 in the fall, a 6.8 percent increase tied to inflation.
"We recently had to deal with a larger jump than that in the server and bartender wage, which just increases the bottom line in the cost of doing business, any further increase in the minimum wage, it's going to hurt us," said Johnson.
Both Donaleigh's and Heritage Estate Winery say they don't plan to raise their prices right now and will find other ways to supplement the increases.
However, if costs continue to rise, they may be left with no other option.
Ontario's minimum wage is set to rise on Oct. 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.