{"id":6897,"date":"2025-12-08T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T12:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/?post_type=ceo-notes&#038;p=6897"},"modified":"2025-12-07T09:48:38","modified_gmt":"2025-12-07T14:48:38","slug":"addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes","status":"publish","type":"ceo-notes","link":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/","title":{"rendered":"Addressing rising food costs and navigating immigration changes"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entries-filter button-tabs\">\n    <div class=\"filters\">\n        <ul>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/#federal\">Federal<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/#sustainability\">Sustainability<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/#quebec\">Quebec<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/#atlantic\">Atlantic<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/#central\">Central<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/#western\">Western<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As we near the end of the year, the Restaurants Canada team has been&nbsp;fully engaged&nbsp;in Ottawa and across the country to ensure your voice is heard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Food&nbsp;inflation and&nbsp;internal trade&nbsp;barriers<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Food inflation continues to outpace the rate of general inflation. Restaurants Canada has been actively advocating for more action from governments on this issue, including the removal of interprovincial trade barriers on food and alcohol, two items that were left out of the most recent&nbsp;Canadian Mutual Recognition Agreement&nbsp;by Canada\u2019s Trade Ministers. Read&nbsp;our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/food-continues-to-be-excluded-from-internal-trade-agreements-despite-chronic-rising-costs\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">statement<\/a>&nbsp;for more details.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are particularly concerned about the cost of beef&nbsp;and overall food inflation.&nbsp;Following the rapid rise in beef prices, we met with Sylvain Charlebois to gather information&nbsp;and explore collaborative policy solutions.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Updated immigration toolkit&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As we are all too aware the federal government announced some significant changes to the immigration system in its recent federal budget. To help you navigate the new rules and caps, we have updated our immigration toolkit. You can find the latest version&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/toolkit\/recruiting-international-workers-toolkit\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Hiring announcements<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I am&nbsp;very pleased&nbsp;to announce three&nbsp;new hires to the Restaurants Canada team joining us&nbsp;in the coming weeks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Cheryl Muir&nbsp;<\/strong>will be joining Restaurants Canada<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>on&nbsp;<strong>Monday, December 15<\/strong><strong><sup>th<\/sup><\/strong>&nbsp;as&nbsp;our new&nbsp;<strong>Vice President, Western Canada<\/strong>. Cheryl brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in public affairs, government relations, and strategic communications, with a proven&nbsp;track record&nbsp;of building high-impact partnerships across industry and government.&nbsp;Our outgoing VP&nbsp;of&nbsp;Western Canada, Mark von Schellwitz,&nbsp;who is&nbsp;retiring January 2026, will work closely with Cheryl over the next month to ensure a smooth transition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Nicole Cork<\/strong>&nbsp;will&nbsp;also&nbsp;be joining Restaurants Canada&nbsp;on&nbsp;<strong>Monday, December 15<\/strong><strong><sup>th<\/sup><\/strong>&nbsp;as our new&nbsp;<strong>Director of Member &amp; Stakeholder Engagement.<\/strong>&nbsp;Nicole&nbsp;has&nbsp;more than a decade of leadership experience in the non-profit and association management sector, where&nbsp;she led initiatives in membership growth and retention, CRM implementation and optimization, stakeholder engagement, marketing, and business development. Nicole will work closely with the membership team to&nbsp;enhance member engagement and retention, expand our membership base, and strengthen partnerships with key stakeholders.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And on&nbsp;<strong>Monday, January 5<\/strong><strong><sup>th<\/sup><\/strong><strong>, 2026, Anthony&nbsp;Polci<\/strong>&nbsp;will join us as&nbsp;<strong>Executive Vice President of Government Relations and Public Affairs<\/strong>.&nbsp;Anthony spent&nbsp;nearly 20&nbsp;years at the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA), serving as Chief Strategy Officer<strong>,&nbsp;<\/strong>Head of Government Relations,<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>and Vice President of Government Relations.&nbsp;Earlier in his career, he also&nbsp;served in several senior roles within the Office of the Minister of Transport.&nbsp;We are thrilled to have Anthony join the&nbsp;organization&nbsp;leading our high-level Government&nbsp;Relations&nbsp;team. He will be based out of our Ottawa, Ontario office.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please join me in welcoming&nbsp;Anthony,&nbsp;Nicole&nbsp;and Cheryl to the team!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Culinary and hospitality program cuts<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Over the past year, post-secondary institutions nationwide have announced cuts or closures to tourism, culinary, and hospitality programs; an alarming trend for our industry. In response, Restaurants Canada convened a roundtable with stakeholders from both the industry and education sectors to address these closures and develop policy recommendations to secure the talent our industry needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The discussion highlighted the urgency of the situation: programs are closing, enrolments are declining, and our talent pipeline is shrinking just as labour demand rises. This also affects our ability to position culinary and hospitality careers as viable options to students, parents, and educators.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The roundtable aimed to align on the scope of the problem, identify immediate and coordinated actions\u2014whether educational, policy, or public relations\u2014and explore next steps. This includes potential provincial outreach, public messaging on the crisis, and the development of a sustainable, national domestic talent strategy that ensures long-term industry growth.&nbsp; We will continue the discussions and keep the sector informed of developments.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-9364fd01dfe8325c358a01e66af0eb28\">Out and about<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I was honoured to attend a dinner hosted by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.centuryinitiative.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Century Initiative<\/a>\u00a0in recognition of founder Dominic Barton. The evening provided an important opportunity to discuss Canada\u2019s current landscape, including the need for strategic immigration, economic resilience, and the opportunities ahead for our country. I also had the chance to highlight the work Restaurants Canada and the broader foodservice sector do to positively impact communities nationwide. Engaging policymakers and influencers, and building champions for the foodservice industry, remains a key part of our strategy to ensure the sector is recognized and consulted in shaping Canada\u2019s future.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-3877367ee7d80b562ca5b9cd3fe2305a\"><strong>Champions for Change: Allyship in Action for a More Inclusive Workplac<\/strong>e &#8211; <strong>OTEC Webinar<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sign up for the latest webinar in the Ontario Tourism Education Corporation\u2019s Women in Leadership series on December 10, 2025, at 1:00 pm ET.&nbsp;This&nbsp;webinar&nbsp;defines allyship for gender equity, emphasizing the vital role of male allies. Participants will explore challenges faced by female leaders, learn concrete actions male allies can take to support them, and discover how to build a more inclusive workplace through effective communication and genuine partnership.&nbsp;Register <a href=\"https:\/\/us02web.zoom.us\/meeting\/register\/rIzoNpyZSky282rhgxRguw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"federal\">FEDERAL UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>From Matt Triemstra | Vice-President, Federal Affairs<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Canadian Chamber of Commerce Hill Day&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>It was a pleasure to&nbsp;participate&nbsp;in the&nbsp;Canadian Chamber of Commerce Hill&nbsp;Day this past week in Ottawa.&nbsp;We&nbsp;know how important labour challenges are to our members,&nbsp;which is why&nbsp;we joined the&nbsp;\u201cTalent and&nbsp;Immigration\u201d&nbsp;stream of meetings.&nbsp;We heard directly from key&nbsp;government&nbsp;officials like the Deputy&nbsp;Minister&nbsp;of Immigration,&nbsp;MP&nbsp;Leslie&nbsp;Church, Parliamentary&nbsp;Secretary to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities),&nbsp;and Nancy Healy,&nbsp;Commissioner for Employers.&nbsp;In every meeting we highlighted the pressures restaurants are feeling, the economic impact of our industry and the need to&nbsp;maintain&nbsp;labour&nbsp;streams for our operators.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Standing&nbsp;up for&nbsp;foodservice&nbsp;ahead of the CUSMA&nbsp;review<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Restaurants Canada team has&nbsp;also been active&nbsp;on&nbsp;Canada\u2019s consultations&nbsp;ahead of&nbsp;the CUSMA&nbsp;review,&nbsp;focusing&nbsp;on&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;the rules of origin framework and amending the supply management system (while respecting its rationale) to make it fit for purpose.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As part of this work, we met on December 3<sup>rd<\/sup>\u202fwith Canada\u2019s Chief Agriculture Negotiator, along with several other senior officials from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as well as Global Affairs Canada.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The events of the past few months have reinforced the need for our sector to protect free and fair trade for the&nbsp;foodservice&nbsp;industry. Our members suffered&nbsp;greatly not&nbsp;only during the Trump tariffs, but also&nbsp;as a result of&nbsp;retaliatory tariffs and the decision to exclude foodservice from automatic relief.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We thank members of the Tariff Working Group who joined the call. Follow-up meetings are now&nbsp;being scheduled&nbsp;to continue to press our case.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please see our&nbsp;CUSMA&nbsp;submission&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Restaurants-Canada-CUSMA-Submission-November-2025.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>GST Campaign \u2013 1 Year Anniversary&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>December 14<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;will&nbsp;mark&nbsp;the 1-year anniversary of the Government of Canada introducing the two-month GST\/HST&nbsp;holiday. As we approach the&nbsp;anniversary, Restaurants Canada will <a href=\"https:\/\/foodisfood.ca\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">continue our&nbsp;advocacy&nbsp;campaign<\/a>&nbsp;calling on the federal government to permanently exempt all food&nbsp;from GST, including prepared food.&nbsp;This would ease the financial burden on families and provide direct and immediate cost relief, something Canadians&nbsp;haven\u2019t&nbsp;seen this year.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Parliamentary&nbsp;and&nbsp;Government&nbsp;Updates<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Standing Committee on Human Resources, Skills and Social Development has launched a study on the \u201cImpacts of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program on the Labour Market.\u201d&nbsp;Rest assured that Restaurants Canada will&nbsp;participate&nbsp;so we can continue to&nbsp;demonstrate&nbsp;that any&nbsp;changes&nbsp;should not be made without consulting the businesses they will&nbsp;impact&nbsp;and considering the real gaps that exist in Canada\u2019s labour market, such as&nbsp;rural and remote areas.&nbsp;Additionally, the Government of Canada has launched a&nbsp;consultation on&nbsp;Youth Employment,&nbsp;and we&nbsp;will be taking the&nbsp;opportunity to remind Government that&nbsp;the&nbsp;foodservice industry&nbsp;employs&nbsp;over&nbsp;500,000 youth!&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"sustainability\">SUSTAINABILITY UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>From Jillian Rodak | Vice-President, Sustainability<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Federal cabinet shuffle<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Last week, Prime Minister Mark Carney\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pm.gc.ca%2Fen%2Fnews%2Fnews-releases%2F2025%2F12%2F01%2Fprime-minister-carney-announces-changes-ministry&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792944649%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Asd4Tnz9L2T3PiSFXBZ%2B0cG9qi34ZOsykvuDA7laDRQ%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced changes<\/a>\u202fto the federal cabinet.\u202f Julie Dabrusin\u202fwill take on the additional&nbsp;Ministry&nbsp;of\u202fNature\u202fin&nbsp;addition to her existing role&nbsp;as&nbsp;Minister&nbsp;for\u202fEnvironment and Climate Change. While we do not expect this change to have&nbsp;implications on our sector, we are&nbsp;monitoring&nbsp;for any updates.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Federal Plastics Registry<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Environment and Climate Change Canada has confirmed with RC that they will be\u202f<strong>delaying the reporting requirements for Phases 2 and 3\u202f<\/strong>of the Federal Plastics Registry (FPR) to provide more time to refine reporting requirements.\u202f<strong>Phase 1 reporting will remain in effect<\/strong>\u202fand ECCC is planning to engage further with stakeholders in 2026.&nbsp;We are working to get clarity on when this engagement will occur in 2026, and on what aspects of the Registry ECCC plans to consult us on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>British Columbia Clean BC Report<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>British Columbia released its final report of the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fengage.gov.bc.ca%2Fapp%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F121%2F2025%2F11%2FCleanBC-Independent-Review-Final-Report-November-2025.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792779793%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ZJClEk1FJOTfm%2BxheFyzllYR4OnAndtlpC52qpGRs5g%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CleanBC Independent Review Panel<\/a>. The Report supports continuing to allow municipalities to impose early adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, which would limit renewable natural gas and ban natural gas in construction of new buildings, creating a patchwork of regulations across British Columbia. RC has taken several actions to&nbsp;represent the foodservice industry leading up to this report, including an appearance at a public hearing on the City of Vancouver&rsquo;s proposed natural gas future construction ban last November and a submission to the Clean BC Review Panel this past summer. We will continue to monitor municipalities&rsquo; actions on the Zero Carbon Step Code to ensure our voice is heard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Edmonton ICI waste roadmap<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The\u202fCity of Edmonton&rsquo;s\u202fphase 2 of its engagement process\u202fis underway to garner feedback for the development of&nbsp;its&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fengaged.edmonton.ca%2FICI-Waste-Roadmap&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792802857%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=9NpkPAA8T4mLKfWlKPel%2FuzS9OsWSUpuWB%2F%2F2MtMR9U%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ICI&nbsp;Waste Roadmap<\/a>, a four-year plan which outlines actions to reduce commercial waste across the city. RC has had two meetings with the City on the roadmap to&nbsp;date, and we are holding a consultation session with the&nbsp;City&nbsp;specifically for RC members, tentatively set for Monday, January 19th from 1:00-3:00pm MT. We will confirm the details for this session in the coming weeks.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ontario Auditor General report &#8211; EPR<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Last Week Ontario\u2019s Auditor General released a report on the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA). Its key findings included:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>RPRA is not effectively enforcing registration of smaller producers, allowing some to avoid their obligations to collect and recover waste&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RPRA has delayed requiring the auditing of performance data for most materials, increasing the risk of incorrect data&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RPRA rarely escalates enforcement action against producers that have not&nbsp;complied with&nbsp;data-reporting requirements&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RPRA does not have formal processes to proactively analyze and bring forward systemic compliance challenges to MECP&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We anticipate RPRA will be responsive to the auditor\u2019s findings, including going after unregistered producers, to ensure producers are paying fees reflective of their actual outputs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Auditor\u2019s report, which includes both its recommendations and RPRAs responses, can be found here:\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.auditor.on.ca%2Fen%2Fcontent%2Fannualreports%2Farreports%2Fen25%2Fpa_RPRA_en25.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7Cb481575abd984ee4665808de340d2082%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639005428197053785%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=xfarG21CLJNuV%2FOQjAtxGF8ibek5uqAAJVtmeRhF0Os%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Performance Audit: Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Quebec Beverage Deposit program<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since November 1, 2023, \u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca%2Fen%2Fdocument%2Fcr%2FQ-2%2C%2520r.%252016.1%2520&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792820964%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=9TIBDrSsfGevvvt8ZFyaeiAvImqs91dqmxhd1Vpbszk%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">all on-site consumption establishments<\/a>\u202fhave been obligated to comply with Quebec&rsquo;s deposit system. This means that all beverage containers served within an establishment must be recovered. As of March 1, 2025, there are two&nbsp;new changes to be aware of:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The beverage containers subject to deposit will now include all ready-to-drink beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 L made of plastic that are not already part of the deposit system, such as&nbsp;water&nbsp;bottles, sparkling water, juices, and other beverages.\u202fRead&nbsp;the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fen%2Fdeposit-system%2Fwhat-to-return%2Fintended-containers-not-intended%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792845505%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RgGjx90nShLgN2Xq488Z%2B5qpKoWFGu2Apfw7RlbCGGg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complete list of beverage<\/a>\u202fcontainers subject to deposit.\u202f&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your establishment has a capacity of more than 20 people, or if your service includes providing meals or light meals to more than 20 people at once, you must register on the <a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fportails.consignaction.ca%2Fregister&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792870194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=CMsd1SFOyg0%2FHz4T6%2BvhFLh%2Bc6z8%2FJaBLCEUV8AZtac%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AQRCB portal.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, please see the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fen%2Fpartners%2Frestaurants-bars-hotels-and-institutions-csp%2Fpick-up-form%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792896644%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6l9Z4uAsGZmZ9GtxRPdpSoAAdrRlKEBOjjCVgsgNzrA%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Collection Request Form<\/a>\u202favailable on&nbsp;the\u202fConsignaction\u202fwebsite.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-451aea1add6ec888a9f92eab2435745e\">New Brunswick<strong>&lsquo;s proposed organic waste diversion program<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>RC is currently drafting a submission to the Province of New Brunswick on the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gnb.ca%2Fen%2Fgov%2Fengagement-consultation%2Fprovince-wide-organics-program.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792918954%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=bMvTxmaPJBox8P%2BkRU2LQmhnJAvR0vzgeSwB2t4BH9I%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">proposed Organic Waste Diversion program<\/a>.\u202fWe will be sharing the draft with RC&rsquo;s Sustainability Committee&nbsp;this&nbsp;week&nbsp;for&nbsp;feedback. If you are not on the committee and would like to share your feedback on the document, please reach out to <a href=\"mailto:jrodak@restaurantscanada.org\">jrodak@restaurantscanada.org<\/a> &#8211; your input is very valuable to provide an authentic voice for our industry.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"quebec\">QU\u00c9BEC UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>From Marie-Pier Richard | Vice-President, Qu\u00e9bec<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-30ad846ee141ea4021a4b390fec60782\"><strong><em>English follows<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ville de Qu\u00e9bec&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Le 3 d\u00e9cembre la ville de Qu\u00e9bec a pr\u00e9sent\u00e9 son budget 2026. Une bonne nouvelle pour les restaurateurs du territoire, l\u2019administration marchand respecte sa promesse d\u2019abolir les frais de terrasse, repr\u00e9sentant une \u00e9conomie de 300\u202f000$ pour l\u2019ensemble des restaurateurs. La ville a \u00e9galement maintenu sa taxe commerciale sous l\u2019inflation avec une augmentation de 1,4&nbsp;%.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Mise \u00e0 jour \u00e9conomique&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>La mise&nbsp;\u00e0&nbsp;jour \u00e9conomique du gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec a \u00e9t\u00e9 pr\u00e9sent\u00e9e&nbsp;le 25 novembre. Nous avons salu\u00e9 les mesures mise en place par le gouvernement Legault pour remettre un peu plus d\u2019argent dans le portefeuille des citoyens et des entreprises.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Pour consulter notre r\u00e9action\u202f:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/mise-a-jour-economique-du-quebec-restaurants-canada-salue-les-mesures-soulageant-le-portefeuille-des-quebecois-et-soutenant-les-entreprises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Mise \u00e0 jour \u00e9conomique du Qu\u00e9bec\u202f: Restaurants Canada salue les mesures soulageant le portefeuille des Qu\u00e9b\u00e9cois et soutenant les entreprises.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Rappel r\u00e9glementation sur la consigne<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Depuis le 1er novembre 2023, en tant\u202fqu\u2019\u00e9tablissement de consommation sur place, vous avez de nouvelles obligations \u00e0 remplir dans le cadre de la modernisation du syst\u00e8me de consigne au Qu\u00e9bec. La plus importante, c\u2019est que TOUS les \u00e9tablissements de consommation sur place doivent participer au syst\u00e8me de consigne (article 62 du\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca%2Ffr%2Fdocument%2Frc%2FQ-2%2C%2520r.%252016.1%2520%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463940777312%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=V6h50TmNy4z0P6ak2XAcWBXOO9RR8mw7uw6A%2Bgh2S8A%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">R\u00e8glement visant l\u2019\u00e9laboration, la mise en \u0153uvre et le soutien financier d\u2019un syst\u00e8me de consigne de certains contenants<\/a>), c\u2019est-\u00e0-dire que vous devez r\u00e9cup\u00e9rer tous les contenants de boisson servis dans votre \u00e9tablissement.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>1. Nouvelles mati\u00e8res vis\u00e9es par la consigne<\/strong><strong>\u202f<\/strong><strong>\u202f<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depuis le 1er\u202fmars\u202f2025, les contenants de boisson consign\u00e9s seront\u202f:\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Les nouveaux contenants\u202f: tous les contenants de boisson pr\u00eate-\u00e0-boire de 100\u202fml \u00e0\u202f2\u202fl\u202fen plastique\u202fqui ne sont pas d\u00e9j\u00e0 consign\u00e9s, telles les bouteilles d\u2019eau, d\u2019eau p\u00e9tillante et de jus ainsi que d\u2019autres boissons.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Les contenants d\u00e9j\u00e0 consign\u00e9s demeurent\u202f:\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>La majorit\u00e9 des contenants de boisson, de bi\u00e8re et de boisson gazeuse en plastique et en verre.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tous les contenants de boisson pr\u00eate-\u00e0-boire en aluminium de 100\u202fml \u00e0\u202f2\u202fl.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Veuillez noter que le montant de la consigne sur les contenants de boisson en plastique s\u2019\u00e9l\u00e8ve \u00e0 10\u202fcents, comme la plupart des autres contenants.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vous trouvez ici la liste de tous les\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fconsigne%2Fquoi-consigner%2Fcontenants-vises-non-vises%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463940791236%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=yDJV5nNXsYu%2FLtN3ZYGvU0rfKfI%2B5t8WB3pnRUQZqiI%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">contenants de boissons consign\u00e9s<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-medium-font-size\"><strong>2.<\/strong><strong>\u202f<\/strong><strong>Obligations pour les \u00c9CSP ayant une capacit\u00e9 d\u2019accueil de plus de 20 personnes \u00e0 la fois.&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00c0 partir du 1er mars 2025, si la capacit\u00e9 d\u2019accueil de votre \u00e9tablissement est de plus de 20\u202fpersonnes \u00e0\u202fla fois ou dont la prestation de services comporte la fourniture de repas ou de repas l\u00e9gers \u00e0\u202fplus de 20\u202fpersonnes \u00e0\u202fla fois, vous devez vous inscrire sur le\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fportails.consignaction.ca%2Fregister&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463940804966%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=bmCSBrx1x1C06Shuq2AqFSqoYnfyq3aK3hrNKuSXq6k%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">portail de l\u2019AQRCB<\/a>. Pour ce faire, rendez-vous dans la section Partenaires, puis s\u00e9lectionnez&nbsp;l\u2019onglet \u00c9CSP.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Cette inscription sur le portail de l\u2019AQRCB n\u2019est pas seulement une obligation r\u00e9glementaire, elle vous permettra d\u2019obtenir, si vous le souhaitez, un service de collecte gratuite. Certaines conditions s\u2019appliquent. Pour plus de renseignements,&nbsp;consultez le\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fpartenaires%2Frestaurants-bars-hotels-et-institutions-csp%2Fformulaire-de-cueillette%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463940818743%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RQxXiCE%2FZ1kxKUMdmqKCKMbYj1%2Bhlg%2FBe8xF4pqEUF0%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Formulaire de cueillette<\/a>\u202fsur le site Internet de&nbsp;Consignaction.\u202f\u202f\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Vous trouverez sur&nbsp;leur&nbsp;site internet des ressources pour vous aider\u202f:\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fpartenaires%2Frestaurants-bars-hotels-et-institutions-csp%2Ffoire-aux-questions-des-restaurants-bars-hotels-institutions-partenaires%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463940832705%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Vbtposwm%2FKOAOvZyvTOv1D%2B7yQWblyO3q7kndMk52to%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Foire aux questions &#8211; Consignaction<\/a>,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fpartenaires%2Frestaurants-bars-hotels-et-institutions-csp%2Fformulaire-demande-de-materiel-ecsp-et-lieux-publics%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463941103950%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=GMcYmdtszn7jM4jdo15VVHciJu2EG92C3RZzUWpnVoY%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Formulaire demande de mat\u00e9riel&nbsp;<\/a>ainsi que&nbsp;la&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fpartenaires%2Frestaurants-bars-hotels-et-institutions-csp%2Fboite-a-outils-des-restaurants-bars-hotels-institutions-partenaires%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C3bc6efd4dc5a48d9b8c408de2db779f4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638998463941118139%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Nl8V8oeFS54Lkx4TrN7Y%2FKykwIx9rAbKLRN4vSaFUAo%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Bo\u00eete \u00e0 outils &#8211; Consignaction<\/a>.&nbsp;Si vous avez des questions, \u00e9crivez \u00e0\u202f<a href=\"mailto:ecsp@consignaction.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ecsp@consignaction.ca<\/a>\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>City of Qu\u00e9bec<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On December 3, the City of Qu\u00e9bec presented its 2026 budget.&nbsp;Good news for&nbsp;operators&nbsp;in the area: the Marchand administration is keeping its promise to abolish patio fees, representing savings of $300,000 for all restaurants. The city has also kept its commercial tax increase below inflation, with a rise of 1.4%.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Economic Update<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government of Qu\u00e9bec presented its economic update on November 25. We welcomed the measures introduced by the Legault government to put a bit more money back into the pockets of citizens and businesses.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read our reaction&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/mise-a-jour-economique-du-quebec-restaurants-canada-salue-les-mesures-soulageant-le-portefeuille-des-quebecois-et-soutenant-les-entreprises\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>&nbsp;(French only)<em>.<\/em>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reminder: Deposit System Regulations<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Since November 1, 2023,\u202f <a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.legisquebec.gouv.qc.ca%2Fen%2Fdocument%2Fcr%2FQ-2%2C%2520r.%252016.1%2520&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792820964%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=9TIBDrSsfGevvvt8ZFyaeiAvImqs91dqmxhd1Vpbszk%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">all on-site consumption establishments<\/a>\u202fhave been&nbsp;obligated&nbsp;to&nbsp;comply with&nbsp;Quebec&rsquo;s deposit system. This means that all beverage containers served within an establishment must be recovered. As of March 1, 2025, there are two&nbsp;new changes&nbsp;to be aware of:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The beverage containers subject to deposit will now include all ready-to-drink beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 L made of plastic that are not already part of the deposit system, such as&nbsp;water&nbsp;bottles, sparkling water, juices, and other beverages.\u202fRead&nbsp;the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fen%2Fdeposit-system%2Fwhat-to-return%2Fintended-containers-not-intended%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792845505%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=RgGjx90nShLgN2Xq488Z%2B5qpKoWFGu2Apfw7RlbCGGg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">complete list of beverage<\/a>\u202fcontainers subject to deposit.\u202f&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If your establishment has a capacity of more than 20 people, or if your service includes providing meals or light meals to more than 20 people at once, you must register on the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fportails.consignaction.ca%2Fregister&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792870194%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=CMsd1SFOyg0%2FHz4T6%2BvhFLh%2Bc6z8%2FJaBLCEUV8AZtac%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AQRCB portal.<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>For more information, please see the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fconsignaction.ca%2Fen%2Fpartners%2Frestaurants-bars-hotels-and-institutions-csp%2Fpick-up-form%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792896644%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=6l9Z4uAsGZmZ9GtxRPdpSoAAdrRlKEBOjjCVgsgNzrA%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Collection Request Form<\/a>\u202favailable on the\u202fConsignaction\u202fwebsite.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" id=\"Atlantic\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"atlantic\">ATLANTIC CANADA UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em><strong><em>From Janick Cormier | Vice-President, Atlantic Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Nova Scotia<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I had the pleasure of attending the Tourism Industry Association of Nova Scotia\u2019s (TIANS) tourism summit in Halifax. It was fantastic to connect with those who are working so hard to grow Nova Scotia\u2019s tourism sector. The&nbsp;restaurant&nbsp;industry is the biggest contributor to tourism dollars in the province with 33% of revenues coming from our industry.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I also took the opportunity while in Halifax to meet with some operators along with RANS where we discussed&nbsp;labour,&nbsp;the minimum&nbsp;wage&nbsp;hike, insurance&nbsp;costs and&nbsp;credit&nbsp;card&nbsp;fees. For those of you who I have&nbsp;not had the chance to meet yet, don\u2019t hesitate to reach out to me to discuss any of these things, or whatever else is on your mind.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A reminder that the&nbsp;government of Nova Scotia has&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.novascotia.ca\/en\/2025\/12\/02\/minimum-wage-increase-twice-2026-reaching-17-october#:~:text=As%20a%20result%2C%20Nova%20Scotia%27s,per%20hour%20on%20October%201.\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announced<\/a>&nbsp;they will&nbsp;increase&nbsp;minimum wage by $0.50 per hour in 2026. More details were included in my member\u2019s update last week. This increase in labour costs comes at a time where operating costs are already high. We will be (again) asking government to help offset this increase in labour costs.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While in Ottawa, I also had the chance to meet with the new MP from Halifax, Shannon Miedema, where we covered our GST ask as well as the challenges with finding labour due to the federal government\u2019s massive cuts to immigration. As a former&nbsp;server, Ms. Miedema knows our industry quite well.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Newfoundland and Labrador<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The recount in Topsail-Paradise has concluded and the results are unchanged. This means that Premier Wakeham held on to his very small majority government. I\u2019m looking forward to&nbsp;meeting with the new government in the new year as I intend to head to St John\u2019s for HNL\u2019s annual conference in February.\u202f\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New Brunswick<\/strong>\u202f&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>I brought our new VP&nbsp;of&nbsp;Federal Affairs, Matt Triemstra, with me to meet with Richard Bragdon, MP for Tobique-Mactaquac while in Ottawa. The majority of the conversation revolved around inflation and&nbsp;increased operating costs. We also brought up the need for foreign labour, especially in the rural parts of the province. Mr. Bragdon shared that he was proud to represent the&nbsp;French&nbsp;Fry&nbsp;Capital of the world with&nbsp;most potatoes from his riding being harvested for McDonald\u2019s famous fries.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ve also had a preliminary conversation with Tourism Minister Isabelle Th\u00e9riault about the tourism strategy and how we can work together to increase culinary experiences in the province. I look forward to continuing this conversation as food is very much at the centre of the tourism product of New Brunswick.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"central\">CENTRAL CANADA UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>From Kris Barnier | Vice-President, Central Canada and the North<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manitoba:<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>PCs introduce bill on Workers Compensation Board (WCB) Surplus Funds Distribution&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada is pleased to see that the Opposition&nbsp;has&nbsp;introduced a&nbsp;bill that&nbsp;would require the Workers Compensation Board to distribute funds back to employers when its funding ratio exceeds 125%.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are&nbsp;very supportive of this bill, which&nbsp;calls on the Government of&nbsp;Manitoba&nbsp;to implement&nbsp;changes that closely align with Restaurants Canada\u2019s and MRFA\u2019s recommendations. We\u2019ve welcomed recent rebates of approximately 50% of your annual premiums,&nbsp;but&nbsp;we&nbsp;believe WCB\u2019s current funding ratio of 165.3%, the highest in Canada,&nbsp;allows&nbsp;it&nbsp;to refund a full year\u2019s premium while remaining at a strong sufficiency ratio.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please find the PC release&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/pcmbcaucus.com\/2025\/12\/manitoba-pcs-introduce-legislation-to-ensure-wcb-surplus-funds-distributed-fairly\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pre-Budget Submission&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada, working with MRFA, has finished building out its pre-budget submission. The document includes asks on alcohol pricing relief, WCB relief (similar to what the PCs have proposed above), tax relief for consumers on restaurant purchases, funding for technology to&nbsp;help restaurants grow and increase productivity, funding to help restaurants recruit and train new staff, and for the establishment of a working group on workforce sustainability.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ontario:<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Alcohol&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada is continuing its aggressive advocacy on alcohol pricing relief for Ontario\u2019s restaurants and bars,&nbsp;including&nbsp;direct outreach to Premier&nbsp;Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy. Minister Bethlenfalvy, who is responsible for the LCBO, has agreed to meet with us in the coming days. Our position is that given LCBO\u2019s tremendous purchasing power and leverage, Ontario should offer its licensees the best pricing in Canada.&nbsp;We are calling on the Government of Ontario to ensure that restaurants and bars get fair pricing on beer, with our position being that it is unacceptable that&nbsp;they&nbsp;should have to pay more for the same beer products&nbsp;than&nbsp;consumers, let alone grocers and convenience stores.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Pre-Budget Submission&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Our work on crafting our Ontario pre-budget submission is near complete. We will be putting forward recommendations targeting public safety, PST relief on restaurant meals, funding to help restaurants implement technology to improve productivity, and calls for the government to work with the hospitality sector on a workforce sustainability plan.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Auditor General Performance Audit Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Last Week Ontario\u2019s Auditor General released a report on the Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority (RPRA). Its key findings included:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>RPRA is not effectively enforcing registration of smaller producers, allowing some to avoid their obligations to collect and recover waste&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RPRA has delayed requiring the auditing of performance data for most materials, increasing the risk of incorrect data&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RPRA rarely escalates enforcement action against producers that have not complied with data-reporting requirements&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>RPRA does not have formal processes to proactively analyze and bring forward systemic compliance challenges to MECP&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We anticipate RPRA will be responsive to the auditor\u2019s findings, including going after unregistered producers, to ensure producers are paying fees reflective of their actual outputs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Auditor\u2019s report, which includes both its recommendations and RPRAs responses, can be found here:\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.auditor.on.ca%2Fen%2Fcontent%2Fannualreports%2Farreports%2Fen25%2Fpa_RPRA_en25.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7Cb481575abd984ee4665808de340d2082%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639005428197053785%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=xfarG21CLJNuV%2FOQjAtxGF8ibek5uqAAJVtmeRhF0Os%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Performance Audit: Resource Productivity and Recovery Authority<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Server Appreciation&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On behalf&nbsp;of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/company\/restaurants-canada\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Restaurants Canada<\/a>, it&rsquo;s my pleasure to thank and acknowledge&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/ernie-hardeman-37a18a2b\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Ernie Hardeman<\/a>, MPP for Oxford, for introducing Bill 67, the Hospitality Workers Appreciation Act, 2025. It aims to proclaim February 23rd as Hospitality Workers Appreciation Day across Ontario. I was honoured to be among Mr. Hardeman&rsquo;s guests&nbsp;last&nbsp;week&nbsp;when the bill was debated. I thank Mr. Hardeman for his hard work to help bring recognition to the many Ontarians who work in Ontario&rsquo;s hospitality sector.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"western\">WESTERN CANADA UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>From Mark von Schellwitz | Vice-President, Western Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>New BC Bill 30 Employment Standards Legislation Passed<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Last month, BC\u2019s Minister of Labour&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/news.gov.bc.ca\/releases\/2025LBR0041-001106\" target=\"_blank\">announced<\/a>&nbsp;that, effective immediately, under new employment standards, employers can no longer ask for sick notes for a worker\u2019s first two health-related, short-term absences of five consecutive days or fewer in a calendar year.<\/span>&nbsp;<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">On November 28th,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.leg.bc.ca\/parliamentary-business\/overview\/43rd-parliament\/1st-session\/bills\/1st_read\/gov30-1.htm\" target=\"_blank\">Bill 30 &#8211; Employment Standards (Serious Illness or Injury Leave) Amendment Act<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong><\/a>received Royal Assent.<\/span> Employees covered by the Employment Standards Act are now entitled to up to 27 weeks of unpaid leave within any 52-week period, for serious illness or injury.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada received the following Bill 30&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/restcan-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/mark_restaurantscanada_org\/EbTEgY-2TUhOiaoTM4nCZlwB8aDt3YmMPwZ0nMZMEiEo8w?e=SgHacf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Information bulletin<\/a>&nbsp;summarizing the legislation.&nbsp;Interpretation and guidance materials for employees and employers are available from the&nbsp;Employment Standards Branch website at:&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww2.gov.bc.ca%2Fgov%2Fcontent%2Femployment-business%2Femployment-standards-advice%2Femployment-standards%2Ftime-off%2Fleaves-of-absence%23serious-personal-illness-or-injury&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmark%40restaurantscanada.org%7Cc033f824c1bb413d0cf408de30ff6eb4%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639002070807004096%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=qigWcorHXa%2BaOILObS4LQIsLPfO04P2%2BSIAYb5KHQSU%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Leaves of absence &#8211; Province of British Columbia<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Clean BC Review Report Released<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>British Columbia released its final report&nbsp;of the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fengage.gov.bc.ca%2Fapp%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F121%2F2025%2F11%2FCleanBC-Independent-Review-Final-Report-November-2025.pdf&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C599e0c12c4554f26477908de31e574e9%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639003058792779793%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=ZJClEk1FJOTfm%2BxheFyzllYR4OnAndtlpC52qpGRs5g%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">CleanBC Independent Review Panel<\/a>. The Report supports continuing to allow municipalities to impose early adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, which would limit renewable natural gas and ban natural gas in the construction of new buildings, creating a patchwork of regulations across British Columbia. RC has taken several actions to represent the foodservice industry leading up to this report, including an appearance at a public hearing on the City of Vancouver&rsquo;s proposed natural gas future construction ban last November and a submission to the Clean BC Review Panel this past summer. We will continue to monitor municipalities&rsquo; actions on the Zero Carbon Step Code to ensure our voice is heard.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Post BCGEU Strike BC Liquor Distribution Update \u2013 Single Bottle Pick Resumes&nbsp;<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada continues to receive regular Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) restart plan updates. LDB has now returned to regular service levels and customer deliveries. On November 24<sup>th,<\/sup>&nbsp;it&nbsp;issued the following&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/wholesale.bcldb.com\/news\/single-bottle-pick-service-update-6\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Single Bottle Pick Service Memo<\/a>&nbsp;informing wholesale customers that LDB Wholesale Operations will be resuming single bottle pick service that includes spirits, champagnes, wines, and liqueurs in 750 ml and 1.4 litre volume format.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The list of all single-bottle pick products&nbsp;is posted on the LDB Wholesale Operations website\u202fhere.\u202fThe 10 per cent bottle pick rule applicable to specific customer types, and outlined in the\u202fWCC Order Handbook,\u202fwill continue to apply.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Also included was an update informing wholesale customers that U.S.-made liquor products will continue to be available through LDB wholesale distribution channels until existing warehoused inventory in B.C. sells&nbsp;out.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Tourism Industry Roundtable with Minister&nbsp;Kang<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1280\" height=\"903\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tourim-Minister-Kang-Roundtable-November-28-2025.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6900\" style=\"width:750px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tourim-Minister-Kang-Roundtable-November-28-2025.png 1280w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tourim-Minister-Kang-Roundtable-November-28-2025-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tourim-Minister-Kang-Roundtable-November-28-2025-1024x722.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tourim-Minister-Kang-Roundtable-November-28-2025-768x542.png 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/Tourim-Minister-Kang-Roundtable-November-28-2025-600x423.png 600w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1280px) 100vw, 1280px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>On November 28<sup>th,<\/sup>&nbsp;Restaurants Canada was invited to participate in a TIABC tourism and hospitality industry roundtable with BC Tourism Minister Kang. At the meeting Restaurants Canada&nbsp;informed the Minister of&nbsp;our industry\u2019s&nbsp;continuing&nbsp;post-COVID challenges, including operating cost increases, weak&nbsp;per capita&nbsp;sales,&nbsp;and labour shortages. Restaurants Canada&nbsp;asked&nbsp;the Minister for her support for a dedicated BC PNP tourism and hospitality stream to address critical staff shortages for key industry occupations.&nbsp;We&nbsp;also expressed our optimism for the opportunities the upcoming FIFA World Cup and other major events will present to boost hospitality sales across the province.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Alberta&nbsp;Food Safety and Licensed\/Facility-Based Child Care Review&nbsp;Proposals<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Thank you to those who provided feedback on the Government of Alberta seeking Restaurants Canada\u2019s input to inform decisions related to the implementation of the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.alberta.ca%2Ffood-safety-and-licensed-facility-based-child-care-review-panel&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmark%40restaurantscanada.org%7Cdb173c5e88424c052d1408de239b53c2%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C638987347239008108%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=W%2FU0xhugoEk52yhTecwdlnWrYKHmUareMfGpW8LFn%2FA%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Food Safety and Licensed Facility-Based Child Care Review Panel\u2019s<\/a>&nbsp;recommendations.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The two proposals for feedback were to implement a grading inspection system like Toronto\u2019s red, yellow, green&nbsp;grading&nbsp;signage system and implement a food safety excellence program for restaurants. Restaurants Canada&nbsp;and&nbsp;our Alberta Hospitality and Hotel Association colleagues voiced&nbsp;our&nbsp;strong opposition to both proposals. All three associations highlighted the numerous challenges restaurants have with an oversimplified grading system and questioned the need for the proposed food safety excellence program, as all restaurants should already have excellent food safety programs and training in place. Here are Restaurants Canada\u2019s questionnaire&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/restcan-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/mark_restaurantscanada_org\/Eb0OC69m2kdNr4E2R4c886MBTN-PM3f8usRWYhFAcYdZLw?e=EjdBlh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">responses<\/a>&nbsp;on the two proposals.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada has also been invited to participate in a small group follow-up meeting with a couple of members, intended to build on the feedback, tentatively scheduled for late January or early February. Please let us know if you are interested in participating.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Alberta Ad Valorem Wine Markup Update<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada continues to advocate for changes to the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/acrobat.adobe.com\/id\/urn:aaid:sc:VA6C2:1eb566d4-150c-4995-8c73-48672a7d2ea3\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ad valorem liquor markups&nbsp;<\/a>announced in Alberta\u2019s 2025 budget which add an additional 5% markup on wines from $15\/litre to $20\/litre, 10% on wines between $20\/litre and $25\/litre, and 15% to wines costing over $25\/litre.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada met with the Small Business Parliamentary Secretary, MLA Tany Yao, on November 21st, reiterating our arguments and the negative impact the policy is having on small licensed restaurants\u2019 wine costs and sales. We followed up with examples of the cost impact of the markup on popular restaurant wines, pointing out that almost all wines on member wine lists have been impacted, as very few restaurants serve unimpacted wines below $11.25\/bottle. Members are encouraged to continue to provide examples of before and after wine cost differentials on various priced wines on their wine lists.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On November 26th, Restaurants Canada had the opportunity to once again raise the issue with Minister Nally at an AGLC Whiskey Act consultation, where we informed him that the wine markup issue was not going away and that his messaging needs to change. Our members are frustrated with the Minister saying the&nbsp;markup&nbsp;will only increase costs by $.20-$.40\/bottle, which does not reflect the reality licensed restaurants are experiencing with costs rising by several dollars a bottle in some cases.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada and our Ad Valorem liquor stakeholder partners will continue to advocate for the Ad Valorem Wine Markup to&nbsp;be&nbsp;eliminated or amended.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Saskatchewan OHS&nbsp;Regulatory Review&nbsp;Submission<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">After receiving member input,<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>on November 28th, Restaurants Canada provided the Labour Ministry<\/span> with the following&nbsp;submission&nbsp;in response to the&nbsp;Occupational Health and Safety Regulatory Review,&nbsp;which could impact restaurant operations.&nbsp;The submission&nbsp;largely&nbsp;advocates&nbsp;for no changes to OHS regulations that could increase red tape and costs for Saskatchewan restaurateurs.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Saskatchewan&nbsp;Labour Relations Employment Standards Review&nbsp;Submission<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Further to the passage of the&nbsp;Saskatchewan Employment Standards Amendment Act&nbsp;last May, Restaurants Canada was also invited to participate in a review of the Labour Relations provisions (Parts VI, VII, VIII) of the Employment Standards Act. After receiving member input, Restaurants Canada provided the following&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/restcan-my.sharepoint.com\/:b:\/g\/personal\/mark_restaurantscanada_org\/EafAL1c1XLtLsjC64rStOH4Bezoaya8Hxj99wlDkBJeKtA?e=ORuoIN\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Saskatchewan Labour Relations Review Submission<\/a>&nbsp;focusing on three priority areas for employers: certification vote thresholds, scope of the employee definition, and decertification and employer interference provisions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>With gratitude,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As we near the end of the year, the Restaurants Canada team has been&nbsp;fully engaged&nbsp;in Ottawa and across the country to ensure your voice is heard.&nbsp; Food&nbsp;inflation and&nbsp;internal trade&nbsp;barriers&nbsp;&nbsp; Food inflation continues to outpace the rate of general inflation. Restaurants&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":6902,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"advocacy-issue":[],"class_list":["post-6897","ceo-notes","type-ceo-notes","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Addressing rising food costs and navigating immigration changes - Restaurants Canada<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/addressing-rising-food-costs-and-navigating-immigration-changes\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Addressing rising food costs and navigating immigration changes - Restaurants Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"As we near the end of the year, the Restaurants Canada team has been&nbsp;fully engaged&nbsp;in Ottawa and across the country to ensure your voice is heard.&nbsp; Food&nbsp;inflation and&nbsp;internal trade&nbsp;barriers&nbsp;&nbsp; Food inflation continues to outpace the rate of general inflation. 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