Quebec plans to put an end to stamps for microbrewery beers
The Quebec government wants to put an end to the stamping of microbrewery beers. This is a measure that small hop producers have long been calling for.
According to the microbreweries, the obligation to affix stamps to their cans and glass bottles is both unnecessary and time-consuming.
Quebec microbreweries association managing director Marie-Eve Myrand was jubilant after the minister presented his bill.
“We're really pleased with this abolition, which we've been calling for for several years. You can't minimise the impact on SMEs of having to manage a marking system like this,” she told The Canadian Press in an interview at the National Assembly on Wednesday.
Archaic
Since 1971, the law has required a duty stamp to be affixed to all beer sold in restaurants and bars. The original aim was to prevent smuggling and tax evasion.
“There have been a lot of changes in pricing, and the harmonization of prices meant that the stamp was becoming a bit archaic. Imagine an entrepreneur with three or four employees who has to devote a full-time job to affixing stickers to a container that, basically, no longer makes any sense in terms of taxation,” said Economy Minister Christopher Skeete, who is behind the bill to put an end to this measure.
Some microbreweries have recently been visited by police officers who have come to check that the labelling on the stamps complies with the law. Microbreweries that contravene the current law face fines of between $500 and $7,500. The minister was at pains to reassure, saying that a fined business could be forgiven.
“The police will have to analyze the appropriateness of proceeding, given the legislative changes,” he said.
Only microbreweries will be exempt from stamping under the government's new legislation. Big producers like Labatt and Molson will have to continue putting stamps on their cans and bottles.
Subcontracted delivery
The government also wants to allow small beer producers to subcontract their alcohol deliveries.
At the moment, it is necessary for each microbrewery to have its own delivery driver. The legislative change will allow several companies in the same region, for example, to use a single subcontractor to deliver all their products.
In addition to the measures for microbreweries, Minister Skeete's bill proposes a whole raft of measures to remove red tape from the shoulders of Quebec businesses.
“There are around thirty measures. The impact is estimated at $20 million (...) So it's really positive,” said François Vincent, Canadian Federation of Independent Business Quebec vice-president.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Dec. 4, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Hunt for the gunman who killed UnitedHealthcare's CEO heads into third day as new clues emerge
As the investigation into a masked gunman who stalked and killed the head of one of the largest U.S. health insurers moved into its third day Friday, possible leads emerged about his travel before the shooting and a message scrawled on ammunition found at the crime scene.
Purolator, UPS pause shipments from couriers amid Canada Post strike
Purolator and UPS have paused shipments from some courier companies as they try to work through a deluge of deliveries brought on by the Canada Post strike.
BREAKING Canada's jobless rate jumps to near 8-year high of 6.8% in November
Canada's unemployment rate rose more than expected to 6.8 per cent in November, a near-eight-year high excluding the pandemic years, even as the economy added a net 50,500 jobs, data showed on Friday, likely boosting chances of a large interest rate cut next week.
Salmonella cucumber recalls include products that may not be labelled: CFIA
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has published an expanded pair of recalls for cucumbers over risks of salmonella contamination.
3 climbers from the U.S. and Canada are believed to have died in a fall on New Zealand's highest peak
Three mountain climbers — two from the U.S. and one from Canada — missing for five days on Aoraki, New Zealand's tallest peak, are believed to have died in a fall, the authorities said Friday.
Canada set to appoint Arctic ambassador, open new consulates as part of new Arctic Foreign Policy
Canada will appoint a new Arctic Ambassador and open two new consulates in the region to help deal with what it calls changing geopolitical dynamics in the Arctic, as part of its newly launched Arctic Foreign Policy.
Jasper family reunites with cat missing 100 days in the wilderness
Nicole Klopfenstein's four-year-old black and white tabby survived in the wilderness for more than 100 days after a ferocious wildfire forced the evacuation of the Rocky Mountain town of Jasper, Alta., this summer.
opinion How will the weak Canadian dollar affect your holiday and travel plans?
As the Canadian dollar loses ground against major global currencies, personal finance contributor Christopher Liew explains how current exchange rates can impact your travel plans, and shares tips to help you plan smarter and protect your wallet.
The world has been warming faster than expected. Scientists now think they know why
Last year was the hottest on record, oceans boiled, glaciers melted at alarming rates, and it left scientists scrambling to understand exactly why.