Media outlets from across Ontario have recognized how critical the issues facing Ontario’s family-farm wineries are to the communities we serve, and the need for urgent tax fairness.

Recent coverage includes:

• Wines In Niagara: Ontario Craft Wineries’ board chair Carolyn Hurst on why Ontario’s wine industry is ‘at a fork in the road.’
• City News Ottawa: Ontario Craft Wineries’ president Richard Linley is interviewed on The Sam Laprade Show. (Richard’s interview begins at 16:40 in attached link)
• Toronto Star: “COVID-19 has hit hard at an industry already struggling financially….one third of Ontario’s small wineries may not survive the year.”
• St. Catharines Standard: “The months to come may be devastating for craft wineries throughout Niagara and across Ontario…dozens of small- and medium-sized wineries may be forced out of business.”
• Niagara This Week: Modernizing alcohol taxation has also been an ongoing issue, and one municipal and business leaders once again brought up. 
• Niagara This Week: “Ontario is currently the only province that charges wine makers a tax on products sold on-site at the winery. Other provinces, like British Columbia, allow wineries to sell their products on-site at no additional charge.”
• The Niagara Independent: “As if the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t cripple Niagara’s wineries enough but add to that the archaic provincial tax system that punishes Ontario’s craft wineries financially…”
• Wines In Niagara: The Canadian wine industry is under assault. Even before the COVID pandemic hit and tourism all but dried up, Ontario’s family-farm wineries were hurting – big time. All because of unfair taxes.
• Global News on the challenges facing Ontario wineries: “We are one of the most heavily taxed industries in the country.”
• Postmedia: “Stop taxing businesses just to give them the money back…Doing that would allow for lower prices for consumers, higher wages for workers or reinvestment in the business. The Ford government says they are open for business — let’s hope they prove it here (by) doing the right thing.” 
• Toronto Sun: “With close to 100 wineries already in Ontario and more popping up every year, the province’s economic potential could be huge with the right policies.” 
• Niagara Falls Review on other tax challenges facing Ontario wine producers. 

If you are a journalist or blogger who would like to help spread the word about the need for tax fairness, we will arrange for spokespeople and make it easy for you to tell this important story.

Contact Ontario Craft Wineries by email at info@ontariocraftwineries.ca today.

For additional background on this issue, check out these resources:

• Ontario Craft Wineries website
• Grape Growers of Ontario website