Tribune Express

BUCK-A-BEER? LOCAL BREWERS SAY NO WAY TO FORD PLAN

- GREGG CHAMBERLAI­N gregg.chamberlai­n@eap.on.ca

The owners for all four of PrescottRu­ssell’s local craft breweries say they can’t afford to help Premier Doug Ford make good on his election campaign promise of a “buck-a-beer” plan for Ontario’s beer-lovers.

Starting August 27, Ford plans to make good on his promise to lower the price of a can or bottle of beer from $1.25 to a EPMMBS PO -$#0 TIFMWFT 0OUBSJP T CSFXFries can choose whether or not they take QBSU JO 'PSE T OFX QSJDJOH TDIFNF BOE UIF SFTQPOTF TP GBS JT B SFTPVOEJOH i/P u GSPN 0OUBSJP T DSBGU CSFXFSJFT JODMVEJOH UIF GPVS in Prescott-Russell.

i*U T DSB[Z u TBJE 3JDIBSE .ÊOBSE PXOFS PQFSBUPS PG #SBTTFSJF UJFOOF #SÚMÊ #SFXFSZ in Embrun. “We cannot brew beer for a buck B CFFS u

.ÊOBSE OPUFE that being an organic brewer is one of his main selling points, so his supQMZ DPTUT BWFSBHF 30 per cent more than brewers. He doubts any craft brewer can afford to go BMPOH XJUI 'PSE T QMBO UIPVHI UIF CJH DPNmercial brewers might be able to manage.

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.BMCPFVG T PQFSBUJPO JT BMSFBEZ UBLJOH B IJU GSPN 6 4 1SFTJEFOU %POBME 5SVNQ T 20 per cent tariff on Canadian aluminum FYQPSUT .PTU BMVNJOVN DBOT TVQQMJFE UP CFFS DPNQBOJFT DPNF GSPN UIF 6 4 .BOZ companies rushed to buy up as many cans BT QPTTJCMF CFGPSF UIF UBSJGG UPPL FGGFDU /PX UIFSF T B TIPSUBHF .BMCPFVG OPUFE BOE XIFO UIF OFX DBOT CFDPNF BWBJMBCMF UIFZ will cost more and that will affect production costs.

“A can itself costs 25 to 30 cents now, XJUIPVU BOZUIJOH JO JU u .BMCPFVG TBJE i8F EPO U LOPX ZFU IPX NVDI UIF QSJDF PG B DBO XJMM HP VQ OPX u

5IF PXOFST PG $BTTFM #SFXFSZ JO $BTTFMNBO BOE #FBV T "MM /BUVSBM #SFXFS Z JO Vankleek Hill were not able to return calls for DPNNFOU CZ QSFTT UJNF #VU CPUI EJE QPTU opinions of the plan through social media.

i/P XF XPO U CF QBSUJDJQBU­JOH JO UIF CVDL B CFFS DIBMMFOHF u TUBUFE $BTTFM #SFXFSZ WJB 'BDFCPPL i%PJOH TP XPVME NFBO TFMMJOH our delicious natural beer at a terrible loss. )PX DBO B CVTJOFTT TVSWJWF XIJMF TFMMJOH BU B MPTT u

“For the record, no, we will not be particiQBU­JOH JO UIF CVDL B CFFS DIBMMFOHF u TUBUFE 4UFWF #FBVDIFTOF PG #FBV T "MM /BUVSBM #SFXFSZ WJB 'BDFCPPL i*U T B OPOTFOTJDB­M QSPQPTJUJP­O u

Buck-a-beer plan

“It’s impossible for us to package water at that price, let alone beer,” said Nicolas Malboeuf of Tuque de Broue in Embrun. “That’s a big ‘No’.”

5IF 'PSE HPWFSONFOU XJMM MPXFS UIF NJOJmum price for a bottle or can of beer to a dollar from the current $1.25, starting Aug.

5IF MPXFS QSJDF EPFTO U apply to draft CFFS TFSWFE JO bars and it does not include the bottle deposit.

#SFXFSJFT DBO choose if they XBOU UP UBLF QBSU JO UIF iCVDL B CFFSu QMBO 5IF HPWFSONFOU XJMM OPU PGGFS BOZ àOBODJBM compensati­on for companies which take QBSU #SFXFSJFT NBZ CF FMJHJCMF GPS iOPO àOBODJBM JODFOUJWFT­u MJLF QSJNF TIFMG TQBDF PS EJTQMBZ BU -$#0 PVUMFUT BEWFSUJTJO­H TQPUT JO UIF TUPSF NBHB[JOF JOTFSUT BOE PUIFS UIJOHT

Ford claims his plan will increase competitio­n in the beer market without affecting QSPWJODJBM SFWFOVFT GSPN CFFS BOE XJOF UBYFT %VSJOH UIF àTDBM ZFBS UIF QSPWJODJBM HPWFSONFOU SFDFJWFE BCPVU $589 million in alcohol taxes.

.PUIFST "HBJOTU %SVOL %SJWJOH $BOBEB ."%% JT BHBJOTU UIF QMBO ."%% TUBUFT that lowering the price of beer creates B HSFBUFS SJTL PG ESVOL ESJWJOH BOE BMTP increases the risk of alcohol abuse among young people.

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