WINNIPEG, MB – Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries has announced the cancellation of a $5 million loan program that was established last January to support the growth and development of Manitoba’s craft brewing and distilling industries.
As reported by CTV News, MLL Stakeholder Relations representative Pratik Modha said the following in an email sent Tuesday to local craft producers:
We do understand the importance of capital funding to small businesses and to the local craft brewing industry in particular; both to get your businesses off the ground and to ensure their continued growth. However, these types of programs are outside our core mandate and expertise, and therefore we will not be proceeding with this program.
Dave Rudge, CEO of Half Pints Brewing and president of the Manitoba Brewers Association, tells CTV that while the program would have benefited some brewers, the over all effect of the cancellation is “not a big deal as long as we keep conversing. The conversation is the important thing.”
For more details, see the full report at CTV News.