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
Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad?
Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader of the insurgency in Syria, has spent years working to remake his public image, renouncing to ties to al-Qaida.
Trudeau says fall of Assad 'ends decades of brutal oppression' for Syria
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says a new chapter for Syria can begin that's free of terrorism and suffering for its people.
Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a U.S. withdrawal from NATO is possible
Donald Trump on Sunday pushed Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine, describing it as part of his active efforts as U.S. president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office.
Quebec Premier meets with Trump, Zelenskyy and Musk during Paris trip
Quebec Premier François Legault met up with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, U.S. president-elect Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk while visiting Paris this weekend.
Baby found dead in south Edmonton parking lot: police
Police are investigating the death of an infant in south Edmonton.
Do you recognize these men? RCMP seek Metro Vancouver grandparent scam suspects
Mounties in Metro Vancouver have released photos of two men alleged to have been involved in “numerous” so-called grandparent scams earlier this year, hoping the public can help identify them.
Pantone names its colour of the year for 2025
Pantone has named an 'evocative soft brown' its colour of the year for 2025, continuing a tradition that has now run for more than a quarter of a century.
Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say
Ousted Syrian President Bashar Assad fled to Moscow on Sunday, Russian media reported, hours after a stunning rebel advance took over the capital of Damascus and ended the Assad family's 50 years of iron rule.
A man, a bike and a gun: Police search for evidence to solve the killing of UnitedHealthcare's CEO on the streets of New York
As the investigation into the fatal shooting of a health care executive in Manhattan enters its fifth day, police are missing key pieces of evidence and are combing through what they have gathered for more clues, as the suspect remains on the run.