TORONTO, ON – Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) – a trade association representing more than 110 independent breweries – has announced the launch of Keep Craft Beer Local, a campaign that encourages Ontarians to support their local breweries as well as calling on the provincial government to reduce taxes on the craft brewing industry.
“Local is what makes craft beer craft – and our local breweries are where we gather, where our friends and neighbours work, and are part of the fabric of our communities,” said OCB President Scott Simmons in a statement. “But the local craft breweries we all love are being put at risk by the fact that they currently pay the highest taxes of any craft brewery in Canada. We need to lower the tax burden on local breweries to help them grow and succeed and ensure the craft beer we love keeps being brewed right here in the communities we call home.”
According to the OCB, craft breweries in Ontario currently pay eight times the tax rate of breweries in Alberta, and a recent study by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis found that Ontario’s craft beer sector could grow by 40% and create over 1000 new jobs with targeted tax and regulatory changes.
“This is our chance to support our craft breweries that do so much to support our communities,” added Simmons. “The campaign’s message is simple – local is what defines craft beer, and we need to reduce the taxes our craft breweries pay and build a tax system that is fair and keeps craft beer local.”
For more details, see Keep Craft Beer Local campaign website and Instagram page.
Source & Photo: Ontario Craft Brewers