Lincoln pushes hard for tax relief on wineries at provincial conference
Published August 18, 2021 at 5:07 pm
The Town of Lincoln used the ongoing three-day Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) 2021 Virtual Conference to nudge the province towards some tax relief on alcohol prices for its local craft beverage and tourism industry.
In conversations with Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy at the virtual AMO conference running August 16 to 18, Lincoln officials suggested a new alcohol modernization and taxation strategy, further asking the Province to support Ontario’s restaurants through an alcohol price reduction strategy.
“Lincoln is one of the top tourism destinations in Ontario, and our wineries are a large source of economic activity for our local restaurants and agri-tourism related enterprises,” said Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton.
“Craft beverage and tourism is the largest segment of our local economy, employing thousands of our residents. Our wineries and restaurants need taxation relief so that they can reinvest in their business and continue to create more jobs for Lincoln and Niagara residents,” she continued.
Lincoln’s Chair of the Planning and Economic Development Committee Mike Mikolic suggested the push to lower tax on alcohol is hardly a new initiative for the town.
“This is an ongoing conversation between the Town and the Minister of Finance that we are confident will lead to improved outcomes for this important economic sector,” said Mikolic.
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He added the wine and tourism industry are key contributors to Lincoln’s economy and that they’d continue to advocate on their behalf to support overall growth and prosperity.
With a population of under 24,000 residents, Town CAO Michael Kirkopoulos suggested the province needs to know how key the wineries are to the local economy.
“Lincoln is home to more than 50 wineries, with beverage manufacturing jobs in Lincoln accounting for more than 20 times the provincial average,” said Kirkopoulos.
“Further taxation relief is especially needed for the wineries and restaurants who have been hit hard by the pandemic.”
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