Local Craft Breweries pay the highest craft beer taxes in Canada.
Today the Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB), the voice of craft brewing in Ontario, launched its Keep Craft Beer Local campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness that high taxes are the biggest threat facing our local craft breweries and to call for tax fairness so local craft breweries can stay locally-owned in our communities and keep brewing the amazing beer we all love.
“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 Scott Simmons, President, Ontario Craft Brewers. “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 are excited to launch the Keep Craft Beer Local campaign because 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.”
Ontario has some of the best craft beer in the world, but the current beer tax system is putting the future of the industry at risk. For example, the craft beer tax rate for Ontario brewers is eight times higher than breweries in Alberta where a fairer tax regime has allowed the craft beer industry to grow at a much faster rate.
Lowering the tax burden on our local craft breweries is absolutely critical and will help them create more jobs, drive more economic opportunity, and build stronger communities. In fact, a recent study by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis (CANCEA) found that with the right tax and regulatory changes, Ontario’s craft beer sector could grow by an additional 40 percent, and in turn create over a thousand new jobs in communities across our province.
The new campaign, which will run over the coming months, will be anchored by the informative website, www.keepcraftbeerlocal.ca which encourages craft beer lovers to use their collective voice to support our local breweries and call on the government to make craft beer taxes fair. It will focus on mobilizing local breweries and craft beer lovers from across Ontario to visit the website through a variety of outreach tools, including:
- Digital Advertising;
- Media Outreach;
- Presence at Craft Beer Festivals and other Community Events; and,
- Direct mail postcards to breweries across the province
“This is our chance to support our craft breweries that do so much to support our communities,” concluded 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. We encourage everyone to visit www.keepcraftbeerlocal.ca and let the government know that local Ontario craft beer matters and that we need to make sure they can keep brewing outstanding beer, creating good local jobs and supporting our communities.”
About Us:
Ontario Craft Brewers: Real People. Real Craft Beer. https://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com
Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB) is a trade association of more than 110 small, independent bricks and mortar brewers dedicated to making great-tasting, high-quality beer across the province. Ontario Craft Brewers brew their beers locally using fresh, all-natural ingredients in communities throughout Ontario – from the Ottawa Valley to Windsor, Niagara, Muskoka, and as far north as Kenora. Handcrafting premium beers, Ontario Craft Brewers employ over 4,600 people (FTEs) in Ontario, accounting for 80 per cent of the direct brewing industry jobs in the province. The OCB’s vision is to be the unified voice for the Ontario craft beer industry, where craft beer is sustainably produced, readily available, clearly understood, and consistently chosen. Please enjoy our Ontario Craft Beer responsibly.
For more information about the Ontario Craft Brewers, visit www.ontariocraftbrewers.com or follow us on Twitter @OntCraftBrewers, or on LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Jonathan Rose
416-494-2766