{"id":7111,"date":"2026-01-26T15:32:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T20:32:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/?post_type=ceo-notes&#038;p=7111"},"modified":"2026-01-26T16:33:03","modified_gmt":"2026-01-26T21:33:03","slug":"tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours","status":"publish","type":"ceo-notes","link":"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/fr\/ceo-note\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/","title":{"rendered":"Today\u2019s food affordability announcement by the federal government"},"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\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/#federal\">Federal<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/#sustainability\">Sustainability<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/#quebec\">Quebec<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/#atlantic\">Atlantic<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/#central\">Central<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                    <li class=\"filter\">\n                <a class=\"btn btn-secondary \" href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/ceo-note\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/#western\">Western<\/a>\n            <\/li>\n                <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Earlier today,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.pm.gc.ca%2Fen%2Fnews%2Fnews-releases%2F2026%2F01%2F26%2Fprime-minister-carney-announces-new-measures-make-groceries-and-other&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C68ffe2d9cb014bd219d908de5cfbf435%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639050434387173580%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=PX0oF5cZephU%2FJYbH9Rl9Mzaj%2BzW9pq6rFPk081OiBg%3D&amp;reserved=0\">Prime Minister Mark Carney announced<\/a>\u00a0a package of affordability measures to assist low- and middle-income Canadians with the escalating cost of food and other essentials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Central to the announcement is a 25% increase to the GST credit for five years beginning in July 2026, along with a one-time 50% top-up in 2026. The federal government estimates these measures could provide up to $1,890 this year for a family of four and approximately $1,400 annually over the following four years, while single Canadians could receive up to $950 this year and about $700 annually thereafter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The Prime Minister also announced funding related to food security and supply chain stability, including $500 million from the Strategic Response Fund to support businesses facing supply chain disruptions and a new $150 million Food Security Fund focused on small and medium-sized enterprises. The government indicated it will develop a National Food Security Strategy, which would address domestic food supply, access to affordable and nutritious food, unit price labelling to support price transparency, and competition enforcement across food supply chains. These measures still need to be tabled in the House of Commons, which returned today, and adopted into law before they come into effect. The government is targeting June 2026 at the latest to start issuing the one-time top-up payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This announcement is a move in the right direction to address the real challenges that Canadians are facing with escalating food costs, an issue we have been actively discussing with the federal government and parliamentarians over the past year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The enhanced GST credit may provide some support to a segment of our industry by helping the hardest-hit Canadians afford daily essentials, including meals purchased from restaurants. &nbsp;But we also recognize that today\u2019s announcement does not address the fundamental challenges our industry is facing. We will continue to work with the government on broader affordability measures, including seeking an exempting all food from GST.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Read our full reaction <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/restaurants-canada-encouraged-by-federal-governments-announcement-of-new-food-affordability-measures\/\">here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Engaging government and the media on affordability<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Restaurants Canada team has had an impactful start to the year, with more than 50 media interviews in the first three weeks of 2026. The big topic of discussion has been affordability and how the pull-back in consumer dining is impacting the foodservice sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We continue to actively engage with government on policy solutions, including ongoing efforts to remove GST from all food through our <a href=\"https:\/\/foodisfood.ca\/\">foodisfood.ca<\/a> campaign.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As reflected in our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/react\/\">December REACT Survey<\/a>, Canadians\u2019 restaurant visits fell to their lowest level of the year, with the Consumer Dining Index dropping to 85.1, down from 92.1 in December 2024. Affordability pressures were the main barrier, cited by 42% of Canadians, while winter weather also limited visits. Weaker demand combined with rising food, labour, and operating costs is creating significant financial strain for restaurants entering 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We closely monitor this data to ensure we provide government with the most up-to-date insights on how these issues affect operators, consumers and the broader economy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We understand that the past few months have been challenging, and the road ahead remains uncertain for our industry. That is why the Government Relations team is focused on identifying opportunities to reduce operating costs, address affordability concerns, and stabilize the workforce.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Mark von Schellwitz and our new VP for Western Canada, Cheryl&nbsp;Maitland&nbsp;Muir,&nbsp;held a successful press conference in Calgary&nbsp;on January 14&nbsp;with a group of industry stakeholder partners on Alberta\u2019s unfair Ad Valorem tax on wine.&nbsp;The press conference received significant media&nbsp;coverage and&nbsp;has advanced the issue&nbsp;in conversations with government.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We are also laying the groundwork for our workforce&nbsp;and immigration&nbsp;campaign&nbsp;starting with&nbsp;geo-targeted&nbsp;ads&nbsp;in Quebec&nbsp;City&nbsp;for the Cabinet retreat,&nbsp;Calgary&nbsp;for the Conservative Convention and Ottawa for the return of the House of Commons&nbsp;this&nbsp;week.&nbsp;This strategy ensures that Ministers and MPs are already primed to receive our message when we launch the full campaign next month, and when we sit down in meetings with them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"7114\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7114\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-2.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"7112\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7112\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-3.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"7116\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-1024x1024.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7116\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-1024x1024.png 1024w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-768x768.png 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-500x500.png 500w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-600x600.png 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads-100x100.png 100w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/Workforce-ads.png 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Please read&nbsp;the VP updates below for more details on these and other initiatives.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Women in hospitality to take center stage at RC Show 2026<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada is proud to announce that women in hospitality will take centre stage as a key focus of RC Show 2026, taking place Sunday, March 8 to Tuesday, March 10 at The International Centre in Mississauga. Building on the momentum of International Women\u2019s Day (Sunday, March 8), RC Show\u2019s Women in Hospitality Day (Monday, March 9) will highlight the achievements, creativity and leadership of women shaping the future of foodservice and hospitality.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Presented by\u202f<strong><em>PepsiCo<\/em><\/strong><strong>, Women in Hospitality Day<\/strong>\u202fwill feature a compelling programming lineup and an exclusive\u202f<strong>Networking Reception<\/strong>\u202f\u2014 an in-Show extension of Restaurants Canada\u2019s\u202f<strong><em>dish.<\/em><\/strong>\u202f<strong>event and content series<\/strong>\u202fcreated to help connect,&nbsp;elevate&nbsp;and empower women leaders and rising stars in hospitality and foodservice. The reception leads directly into a fireside keynote with\u202f<strong>Janet Zuccarini<\/strong>, Founder and CEO of Gusto 54 Restaurant Group. As one of Canada\u2019s most influential hospitality leaders, Zuccarini will share the philosophies and leadership insights that have shaped her career and personal journey, offering a rare and candid look at what it takes to build enduring restaurant brands and resilient teams.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additionally,&nbsp;I\u2019m&nbsp;absolutely thrilled to see the partnership between Restaurants Canada and&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.worthassociation.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>WORTH Association<\/strong><\/a>&nbsp;come to life! As part of RC Show\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>Women in Hospitality<\/strong>&nbsp;programming, the&nbsp;WORTH Association&nbsp;will host&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.yesshef.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Yes&nbsp;Shef<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s&nbsp;<strong>first-ever Greater Toronto Area event<\/strong>\u2014a one-night tasting experience celebrating the creativity and talent of women in foodservice.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/rcshow.restaurantscanada.org\/#\/yesshef\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Join us<\/a>&nbsp;on&nbsp;<strong>Monday, March 9 at 5:00 p.m.<\/strong>&nbsp;in the&nbsp;<strong>Conference Centre Ballroom at The International Centre<\/strong>&nbsp;for an unforgettable evening featuring&nbsp;<strong>15 tasting stations<\/strong>&nbsp;led by some of Canada\u2019s most respected women chefs and restaurateurs. This special event brings together top chefs, trailblazing bartenders, and rising talent for a night of bold flavors, mentorship, and leadership.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/rcshow.restaurantscanada.org\/#\/tickets\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>REGISTER FOR RC SHOW 2026<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Modernizing the Guest Experience: Digital Menu Boards for Today&rsquo;s Restaurant Operator<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We invite you to join us for our upcoming&nbsp;webinar, presented in partnership with\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.globalpayments.com%2Fen-ca&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C48dc53dccf6e4030a22708de551f290a%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639041789564707495%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=JNsJLqbsnU7kHLLUHQwZn3t16LFAJZhoBqtsDZdSSpg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Global Payments<\/a>&nbsp;on\u202f<strong>Wednesday, January 28th.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>With margins under pressure and teams stretched, many operators are making daily decisions without the chance to step back and reassess the tools supporting their business.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This&nbsp;webinar&nbsp;takes an in-depth look at how digital menu boards are being used in real restaurant settings to improve clarity at the point of order, support upselling, and reduce operational friction. Designed for both single- and multi-unit operators, the session focuses on where digital menu boards are delivering value today and how they can fit naturally into a modern guest experience \u2014 without adding unnecessary complexity.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/events.restaurantscanada.org\/ModernizingtheGuestExperienceDigitalMenuBoardsforTodaysRestaurantOperator\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>REGISTER NOW<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manitoba Business Security Rebate Program: Apply for $2,500 per restaurant location<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Manitoba Security Rebate Program is now open and is accepting and processing applications. The Government has reached out to us to encourage our members to&nbsp;submit&nbsp;claims for up to $2,500 per restaurant location. A total of $10 million is available, with funding distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.manitoba.ca\/justice\/securityrebate.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>APPLY TODAY<\/strong><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\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>House of&nbsp;Commons&nbsp;Resumes<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The House of Commons resumes today&nbsp;after a 6-week holiday break.&nbsp;The Prime Minister&nbsp;has been busy\u2014his first official visit to China, a speech at the World Economic Forum and a&nbsp;cabinet retreat in Qu\u00e9bec City.&nbsp;Towards the end of the week, Conservatives will gather in Calgary for their bi-annual convention,&nbsp;which will include debate on policy&nbsp;(including&nbsp;the&nbsp;party\u2019s&nbsp;stance on&nbsp;ending the&nbsp;Temporary&nbsp;Foreign&nbsp;Worker&nbsp;Program)&nbsp;and a vote on&nbsp;Pierre Poilievre&rsquo;s continued leadership.&nbsp;Against this backdrop, there have also been news&nbsp;articles about&nbsp;the&nbsp;volume of restaurant closures&nbsp;predicted this year&nbsp;and&nbsp;reactions by politicians&nbsp;on social&nbsp;media.&nbsp;Your&nbsp;federal government relations team in Ottawa&nbsp;will be&nbsp;busy in the weeks to come as we continue to meet with MPs to discuss the&nbsp;challenges&nbsp;faced by&nbsp;our&nbsp;industry&nbsp;and the&nbsp;support&nbsp;we need&nbsp;from government.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>CUSMA&nbsp;Review<\/strong>&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We have&nbsp;been working hard to advocate for our industry amid Canada\u2019s preparations for the CUSMA Review. As part of this work, we met on January 19 with Martin Moen,&nbsp;Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Trade&nbsp;Policy&nbsp;and Negotiations at Global Affairs. During the meeting, Martin and Kelly discussed the importance of&nbsp;maintaining&nbsp;open access&nbsp;to the U.S. market and advocating for a reliable trading environment. Restaurants Canada also raised the&nbsp;significant&nbsp;and harmful impact&nbsp;of retaliatory tariffs and the decision to exclude foodservice from automatic relief. As the&nbsp;federal government\u2019s work towards&nbsp;negotiations&nbsp;continues, Restaurants Canada will serve as a meaningful partner&nbsp;to advocate&nbsp;for Canada\u2019s interests.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Clearance for the Children\u2019s Food and Beverage Advertising&nbsp;Code<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants&nbsp;Canada is a&nbsp;signatory&nbsp;to&nbsp;the&nbsp;<em>Code<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Guide&nbsp;<\/em>for the&nbsp;<em>Restriction of Food and Beverage Product Advertising to Children<\/em>.&nbsp;Recent&nbsp;revisions were made to strengthen the language and clarify the mandatory application of the Code to all advertisers and all media, with no opt-out mechanism. You can find the updated material&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/adstandards.ca\/preclearance\/advertising-preclearance\/responsible-advertising-food-beverage-children\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">here<\/a>.&nbsp;&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>Greenwashing Amendments: Increased Risk for Businesses?<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>As we wait for the greenwashing amendments to Bill C-59 to be&nbsp;finalized, some experts suggest that the amendments will not provide more flexibility to companies but rather will further constrain them when it comes to substantiating environmental claims.\u202f<strong>Join our next RC Sustainability Committee meeting on Feb. 5 at 3pm EST to hear from KPMG Law and learn more.<\/strong>\u202fEmail <a href=\"mailto:jrodak@restaurantscanada.org\">jrodak@restaurantscanada.org<\/a> for the meeting link.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Toronto Single-Use and Takeaway Item bylaw<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The staff report for\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.toronto.ca%2Fservices-payments%2Frecycling-organics-garbage%2Fwaste-management%2Freducing-single-use-takeaway-items%2Fsingle-use-takeaway-items-reduction-strategy-bylaw%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055788999%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XSDeWKVHDUc%2B4PuOFPLT0K6eLHM6JGrJQNnPmJKWlmE%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Toronto\u2019s\u202fSingle-Use\u202fand Takeaway Item Strategy<\/a>, which was intended to be presented to city council in Q1 this year, has been pushed back to Q2. This strategy includes expanding the current&nbsp;single use&nbsp;bylaw to include accepting guests&rsquo; reusable food containers and cups, requiring reusable dishware for dine-in operations, and adding large venues to the bylaw. We are meeting with the city to understand more about this delay and will share updates as we have them.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>EPR Update: Circular Materials<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Circular Materials has introduced a new membership model that opens voting rights to any obligated producer. This means any producer signing a Producer Services Agreement with Circular Materials can now apply for membership and&nbsp;participate&nbsp;in decisions on bylaws and Board composition.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2026\u20132029 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (draft)<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)&nbsp;is&nbsp;consulting on the\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canada.ca%2Fen%2Fenvironment-climate-change%2Fcorporate%2Ftransparency%2Fconsultations%2Fshare-your-throughts-draft-2026-2029-federal-sustainable-development-strategy%2Fdraft-strategy.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055828477%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=HsDZqZ1JDA3nIo0oAhArne2riCDlNqQbXiWchDX8Wa8%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">draft 2026\u20132029 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy<\/a>, which outlines 17 government-wide environmental goals. A key target is reducing solid, non-hazardous waste sent to disposal by 30% by 2030. ECCC plans to prioritize reuse, repair, and recycling; advance innovation in waste reduction; and strengthen secondary markets for reclaimed and recycled materials.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canada.ca%2Fen%2Fenvironment-climate-change%2Fcorporate%2Ftransparency%2Fconsultations%2Fshare-your-throughts-draft-2026-2029-federal-sustainable-development-strategy%2Fdraft-strategy.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055865727%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=v%2FJHeOuiVROaJdTW17PvMQJ5qztk18yn20DN%2Fd1b2ow%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Click here<\/a>\u202fto register for a consultation&nbsp;webinar. Comments are due to ECCC by May 12,&nbsp;2026&nbsp;at&nbsp;<a href=\"mailto:SDO-BDD@ec.gc.ca\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SDO-BDD@ec.gc.ca<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The federal government is replacing the 2012 toxic substances regulation with the forthcoming\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpollution-waste.canada.ca%2Fenvironmental-protection-registry%2Fregulations%2Fview%3FId%3D2175&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055900309%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=XYSOTQm5k1SCiAlh5qjdNUABTSniIpe6xSupWzX3awM%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Prohibition of Certain Toxic Substances Regulations, 2025<\/em><\/a>, expected to take effect on\u202f<strong>June 30, 2026<\/strong>. The update adds controls on two&nbsp;additional&nbsp;flame-retardant substances and introduces stricter limits on several PFAS compounds\u2014materials historically used in packaging and non-stick cookware. Most permanent exemptions will be removed, with remaining allowances subject to sunset dates. RC will continue to&nbsp;monitor&nbsp;this new regulation for potential impacts to the foodservice sector.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Reusable Packaging Systems<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcirculr.ca%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055933968%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=4N04Nc%2FvzWNnfBdT1C7Ng37DO3N44OsU5UwfHFs7B5M%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Circulr<\/a>\u202fand\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcirculr.ca%2F&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055965882%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=2l5fPZy9DNmHhRb%2FAmIF6Y3KsRMJsfPGfmEakn6BR80%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Reposit<\/a>\u202fare hosting&nbsp;a webinar&nbsp;on\u202f<strong>February 4 from 12\u201312:45 pm<\/strong>,\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2F2Ij9aIgmTjuBdreB_f0ZiQ%23%2Fregistration&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019055997258%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=rLHKoOh43bZUWUj3W8z4NqCilMUAaRPFBwjBd2OByEg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Expanding Collaborative<\/em><\/a>\u202f<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Fmeeting%2Fregister%2F2Ij9aIgmTjuBdreB_f0ZiQ%23%2Fregistration&amp;data=05%7C02%7CMStanoeva%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6e347a90a6634dfbb6b708de59e0c291%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639047019056027420%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=Wb32asQvOMEW658Jh5CaLzN2KZRSJ5RwgxrsW%2FOOlPk%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Reuse Systems: Grocery Food Packaging Phase<\/em><\/a>,&nbsp;showcasing&nbsp;reusable packaging initiatives underway in Ottawa.&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\">QUEBEC UPDATE<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><em>From Marie-Pier Richard | Vice-President, Quebec<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-red-color has-text-color has-link-color wp-elements-98d89e8b00071a068668665b8feb4df9\"><em>English follows <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Une&nbsp;p\u00e9riode&nbsp;plut\u00f4t&nbsp;instable&nbsp;politiquement&nbsp;au&nbsp;Qu\u00e9bec, le&nbsp;Premier&nbsp;ministre&nbsp;Fran\u00e7ois&nbsp;Legault&nbsp;a&nbsp;annonc\u00e9 son d\u00e9part&nbsp;de la&nbsp;politique&nbsp;qu\u00e9b\u00e9coise&nbsp;au&nbsp;terne&nbsp;d\u2019une course&nbsp;\u00e0 la chefferie&nbsp;qui&nbsp;permettra&nbsp;d\u2019\u00e9lire&nbsp;un nouveau chef de la&nbsp;Coalition&nbsp;Avenir Qu\u00e9bec&nbsp;et de surcroit, un nouveau premier ministre&nbsp;pour les prochains&nbsp;mois.&nbsp;Le nouveau chef sera&nbsp;connu&nbsp;le 12 avril&nbsp;prochain et plusieurs&nbsp;ministres ont&nbsp;d\u00e9j\u00e0&nbsp;annonc\u00e9&nbsp;leurs couleurs&nbsp;quant&nbsp;\u00e0 la&nbsp;succession&nbsp;de&nbsp;Fran\u00e7ois&nbsp;Legault.&nbsp;Par le fait&nbsp;m\u00eame,&nbsp;c\u2019est&nbsp;aussi le moment&nbsp;pour d\u2019important&nbsp;membres de&nbsp;l\u2019\u00e9quipe&nbsp;du Premier&nbsp;Ministre&nbsp;d\u2019annoncer&nbsp;leurs&nbsp;intentions&nbsp;de ne pas&nbsp;briguer les&nbsp;suffrages&nbsp;lors de l\u2019\u00e9lection de&nbsp;l&rsquo;automne,&nbsp;et&nbsp;c\u2019est le cas&nbsp;notamment&nbsp;des ministres&nbsp;Genevi\u00e8ve&nbsp;Guilbault et&nbsp;Sonia&nbsp;Lebel.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sur le dossier des travailleurs&nbsp;\u00e9trangers&nbsp;temporaires,&nbsp;veuillez noter&nbsp;que le&nbsp;gouvernement&nbsp;a&nbsp;annonc\u00e9&nbsp;un prolongement du&nbsp;moratoire&nbsp;sur les postes&nbsp;\u00e0&nbsp;bas&nbsp;salaires&nbsp;dans&nbsp;les&nbsp;r\u00e9gions&nbsp;de&nbsp;Montr\u00e9al et de&nbsp;Laval.&nbsp;Vous pouvez consulter&nbsp;tous les d\u00e9tails de cette&nbsp;annonce&nbsp;ci-bas.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Refus de traiter les demandes d\u2019EIMT pour les postes \u00e0 bas salaire dans les RMR ayant un taux de ch\u00f4mage de 6 % ou plus<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Les donn\u00e9es sur le taux de ch\u00f4mage par RMR (non d\u00e9saisonnalis\u00e9es) sont utilis\u00e9es dans le cadre d\u2019une mesure mise en place en septembre 2024 pour le traitement des demandes d\u2019EIMT du Programme des TET.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Le 9 janvier 2026, le&nbsp;<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canada.ca%2Ffr%2Femploi-developpement-social%2Fservices%2Ftravailleurs-etrangers%2Frefus.html%23%3A~%3Atext%3DTableau%25C2%25A0%253A%2520Taux%2520de%2520ch%25C3%25B4mage%2520selon%2520la%2520RMR%2520et%2520la%2520p%25C3%25A9riode&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6af3b9fe9fb746d5d0cc08de52e89d6a%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639039356190874348%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=j5CgQjAQ53KJUHy1utm7rKdTXLaJhjjjzP3pklH30W4%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>tableau : Taux de ch\u00f4mage selon la RMR et la p\u00e9riode<\/strong><\/a><strong>&nbsp;a \u00e9t\u00e9 mis \u00e0 jour sur le site internet du Programme des TET.<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Moratoire pour les postes \u00e0 bas salaire \u00e0 Montr\u00e9al et \u00e0 Laval<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Cette mesure demand\u00e9e par le gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec dans les r\u00e9gions \u00e9conomiques de Montr\u00e9al et de Laval a \u00e9t\u00e9 prolong\u00e9e jusqu\u2019au 31 d\u00e9cembre 2026.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Le moratoire s\u2019applique aux demandes d\u2019EIMT, y compris celles admissibles au traitement simplifi\u00e9, pour les postes dont :&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>le&nbsp;salaire offert est inf\u00e9rieur au&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.canada.ca%2Ffr%2Femploi-developpement-social%2Fservices%2Ftravailleurs-etrangers%2Fsalaire-moyen.html&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6af3b9fe9fb746d5d0cc08de52e89d6a%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639039356190994184%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=F0%2FoTIPNwF0PeDtmkHBQykXCBZvdG5%2BOQINL6aO81t0%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">seuil salarial&nbsp;au Qu\u00e9bec<\/a>, actuellement de 34,62$\/h; et&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>le&nbsp;lieu de travail se situe dans les r\u00e9gions \u00e9conomiques de Montr\u00e9al (l&rsquo;\u00eele de Montr\u00e9al) ou de Laval.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00c0 la suite de la r\u00e9cente mise \u00e0 jour des RMR vis\u00e9es par le refus de traiter, publi\u00e9e le 9 janvier 2026, le taux de ch\u00f4mage de la RMR de Montr\u00e9al est descendu sous la barre des 6 %. Par cons\u00e9quent, \u00e0 partir de cette date, ce sont d\u00e9sormais les exigences et les exemptions du moratoire demand\u00e9 par le gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec qui d\u00e9termineront si la demande d\u2019EIMT sera trait\u00e9e.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Il est important de pr\u00e9ciser que les demandes vis\u00e9es par cette mesure ne seront pas trait\u00e9es et les frais li\u00e9s \u00e0 ces demandes ne seront pas per\u00e7us (s\u2019il y a lieu).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u00c0 titre de rappel, les demandes d\u2019EIMT au Qu\u00e9bec doivent \u00eatre d\u00e9pos\u00e9es en m\u00eame temps \u00e0 Service Canada et au minist\u00e8re de l\u2019Immigration, la Francisation et de l\u2019Int\u00e9gration (MIFI).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Des renseignements suppl\u00e9mentaires concernant les demandes re\u00e7ues dans les r\u00e9gions \u00e9conomiques de Montr\u00e9al et de Laval sont aussi disponibles sur&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/can01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.quebec.ca%2Fentreprises-et-travailleurs-autonomes%2Fadministrer-gerer%2Fembauche-gestion-personnel%2Frecruter%2Fembaucher-immigrant%2Fembaucher-travailleur-etranger-temporaire%2Fcomprendre-autorisations&amp;data=05%7C02%7Cmprichard%40restaurantscanada.org%7C6af3b9fe9fb746d5d0cc08de52e89d6a%7C61cb36f37b9748749f545d6df95ce6d4%7C0%7C0%7C639039356191125104%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&amp;sdata=GMXKUbZxLzfxcofRmDVTnsA68fQWGdtvcqlqXXVSlbg%3D&amp;reserved=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">le site du gouvernement du Qu\u00e9bec<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-dots\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p>Quebec is currently experiencing&nbsp;a rather unstable&nbsp;political period. Premier Fran\u00e7ois Legault has announced his departure from Quebec politics&nbsp;once&nbsp;the Coalition Avenir Qu\u00e9bec&nbsp;has elected a new leader&nbsp;and,&nbsp;consequently, a new premier for the coming months. The new leader will be known on April 12, and several ministers have already declared their intentions&nbsp;to run.&nbsp;At the same time, this is also a moment for several key members of the Premier\u2019s team to announce that they will not seek re-election in the fall election, notably Ministers Genevi\u00e8ve Guilbault and Sonia Lebel.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Temporary Foreign Workers File<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>With respect to temporary foreign workers, please note that the government has announced an extension of the moratorium on low-wage positions in the Montreal and Laval regions. You will find all the details of this announcement below.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Refusal to Process LMIA Applications for Low-Wage Positions in CMAs with an Unemployment Rate of 6% or Higher<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unadjusted unemployment rate data by Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) are used as part of a measure implemented in September 2024 for the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA) applications under the Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) Program.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>On January 9, 2026, the&nbsp;<strong>\u201c<\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/services\/foreign-workers\/refusal.html#tbl1\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Unemployment Rate by CMA and Period<\/strong><\/a><strong>\u201d<\/strong>&nbsp;table&nbsp;was updated on the TFW Program website.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Moratorium on Low-Wage Positions in Montreal and Laval<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This measure, requested by the Government of Quebec for the economic regions of Montreal and Laval, has been extended until December 31, 2026.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The moratorium applies to LMIA applications, including those eligible for simplified processing, for positions where:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The wage offered is below the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/services\/foreign-workers\/median-wage.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">wage threshold in Quebec<\/a>, currently&nbsp;<strong>$34.62\/hour<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The work location is in the economic regions of Montreal (the Island of Montreal) or Laval.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the recent update to the CMAs subject to the refusal-to-process measure, published on January 9, 2026, the unemployment rate in the Montreal CMA fell below the 6% threshold. As a result, as of that date, it is now the requirements and exemptions of the moratorium requested by the Government of Quebec that&nbsp;determine&nbsp;whether an LMIA application will be processed.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is important to note that applications affected by this measure will not be processed, and the fees associated with these applications will not be collected, where applicable.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As a reminder, LMIA applications in Quebec must be&nbsp;submitted&nbsp;simultaneously to Service Canada and to the Ministry of Immigration,&nbsp;Francization&nbsp;and Integration (MIFI).&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional&nbsp;information&nbsp;regarding&nbsp;applications received in the economic regions of Montreal and Laval is also available on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.quebec.ca\/entreprises-et-travailleurs-autonomes\/administrer-gerer\/embauche-gestion-personnel\/recruter\/embaucher-immigrant\/embaucher-travailleur-etranger-temporaire\/comprendre-autorisations\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>Government of Quebec website<\/strong><\/a>.&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<p>Work has been underway on pre-budget submissions for New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador, and&nbsp;we have had significant media engagement&nbsp;about the state of the industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>PEI<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants&nbsp;Canada met with&nbsp;Finance&nbsp;Minister Jill Burridge and PEI Liquor Control Commission CEO Dan MacDonald to discuss the modernization of the Liquor Control Act. The meeting was very productive.&nbsp;The Minister&nbsp;signalled that&nbsp;our industry&nbsp;should see positive changes and&nbsp;that&nbsp;she&nbsp;is&nbsp;keen to remove roadblocks where possible.&nbsp;The Minister clearly&nbsp;understands&nbsp;the&nbsp;challenges&nbsp;facing the foodservice industry&nbsp;and&nbsp;there is a willingness to&nbsp;work with us&nbsp;given the importance of the sector to the provincial economy.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our&nbsp;thanks&nbsp;to&nbsp;Kent Scales and Steve Murphy for joining&nbsp;this important conversation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7118\" style=\"width:750px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746-600x450.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1000000746.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\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<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ontario:&nbsp;Alcohol Pricing and LCBO Modernization<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Government of Ontario is expected to bring forward a new pricing model for alcohol this April, which&nbsp;will&nbsp;likely&nbsp;impact&nbsp;tax and LCBO markups on alcohol, including for licensees. We&nbsp;remain&nbsp;very engaged&nbsp;with the Government of Ontario, LCBO, and other stakeholders advocating that the new model reduce pricing for&nbsp;licensees.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In sync&nbsp;with the new pricing model, the LCBO is moving forward with its modernization plans.\u202fThis will include transitioning to a new online ordering platform.\u202fThe LCBO will&nbsp;share its plans and transition strategy&nbsp;with&nbsp;licensees in the coming weeks, including training and information sessions and its plans to ensure restaurants and bars can continue to place, pick up, and\/or receive orders as LCBO migrates to its new platform.\u202fWe will share updates with you as they&nbsp;become available and will remain engaged with LCBO throughout the process.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ontario:&nbsp;Red Tape \u2013 Calorie Counts<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The requirement for restaurants with more than 20 locations to post calorie counts on menus and menu boards is a uniquely Ontario policy put in place by the&nbsp;previous&nbsp;government.\u202fAt the time, the policy was intended to help lower obesity rates. As evidence does not suggest the policy has had a positive impact on health outcomes, we have&nbsp;asked&nbsp;the Government to repeal the&nbsp;legislation or&nbsp;at least amend the legislation so that&nbsp;businesses can remain in compliance by simply making calorie counts available online. If successful, this initiative will help Ontario restaurants save money on printing, staff, and other costs.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Ontario:&nbsp;Pre-Budget Submission<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We&nbsp;recently participated&nbsp;in a Pre-Budget consultation&nbsp;with&nbsp;Finance Minister Peter&nbsp;Bethlenfalvy,&nbsp;highlighting&nbsp;our industry\u2019s positive impact on jobs, consumers, and the broader economy. We&nbsp;spoke about our industry\u2019s most pressing needs, including:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>More competitive alcohol pricing for licensees&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>PST relief on restaurant meals&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support to help businesses invest in technology that drives efficiency and improves the customer experience&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support to help protect businesses from crime and other public safety threats&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Measures to ensure the long-term sustainability of our industry\u2019s workforce&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manitoba:&nbsp;Business Security Rebate Program Open \u2013 Apply today for $2,500 per Restaurant Location<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The Manitoba Security Rebate Program is now open and is accepting and processing applications.\u202fThe Government has reached out to us to encourage our members to&nbsp;submit&nbsp;claims for up to $2,500 per restaurant location.\u202fThis means that owners of multiple restaurant locations can apply for $2,500 for each location, i.e. a business owner with eight locations could receive up to $20,000.\u202f&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Funding can be used to address property damage caused by crime or to invest in eligible security measures that help keep businesses, patrons, and employees safe. A total of<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">&nbsp;<strong>$10 million&nbsp;<\/strong><\/span>is available, with funding distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To learn more and apply,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.manitoba.ca\/justice\/securityrebate.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">click here<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Manitoba Pre-Budget Submission<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>On the heels of the success with last year\u2019s&nbsp;Manitoba Budget&nbsp;in delivering&nbsp;the Business Security Rebate&nbsp;outlined above,&nbsp;MRFA and Restaurants Canada are once again working hard to secure&nbsp;additional&nbsp;wins in the upcoming budget.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Our priorities include:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Relief on alcohol procurement costs&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support to help businesses invest in technology that improves efficiency and customer experience&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Additional WSIB relief and the return of surplus premiums&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support to offset the cost of training new employees&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\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 Cheryl Maitland Muir | Vice-President, Western Canada<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Alberta Ad Valorem&nbsp;Wine&nbsp;Markup Press Conference<\/strong>&nbsp;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Restaurants Canada and our Ad Valorem Wine&nbsp;Markup&nbsp;association coalition hosted a very successful press conference in Calgary on January 14<sup>th<\/sup>&nbsp;highlighting the negative impact the new&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>are having on Alberta consumers, restaurants, Canadian wine producers and small businesses. We once again asked the Alberta government to replace the unfair wine markup with an across-the-board liquor flat tax instead.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The coalition,&nbsp;which&nbsp;is comprised of&nbsp;Restaurants Canada, the Alberta Hospitality Association, the Alberta Liquor Store Association, the Import Vintners and Spirits Association, along with both Wines BC and Wine Growers Canada,&nbsp;demonstrated&nbsp;the significant cost increases on the most popular wines sold in Alberta and their&nbsp;negative impacts&nbsp;on&nbsp;the hospitality and liquor retail industry. The press conference resulted in several positive media stories on the issue.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The day after the press conference, Restaurants Canada met with senior members of the Premier\u2019s Office to discuss the issue. We believe they understood our concerns and&nbsp;recommendations,&nbsp;and&nbsp;they&nbsp;promised to discuss the issue with&nbsp;Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, Dale&nbsp;Nally. We have also spoken with the Small Business Parliamentary Secretary MLA Tany Yao who continues to be a champion for our position within Caucus. We are cautiously optimistic the Ad Valorem wine tax will be rescinded and will be continuing these conversations ahead of the 2026 Budget, expected in late February.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"7124\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579423513-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7124\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579423513-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579423513-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579423513-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579423513-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579423513.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"7122\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579416789-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7122\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579416789-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579416789-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579416789-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579416789-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579416789.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"819\" height=\"1024\" data-id=\"7120\" src=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579420103-819x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-7120\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579420103-819x1024.jpg 819w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579420103-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579420103-768x960.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579420103-600x750.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.restaurantscanada.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/1768579420103.jpg 1080w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 819px) 100vw, 819px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\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>Earlier today,\u00a0Prime Minister Mark Carney announced\u00a0a package of affordability measures to assist low- and middle-income Canadians with the escalating cost of food and other essentials. Central to the announcement is a 25% increase to the GST credit for five years&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":7126,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"advocacy-issue":[],"class_list":["post-7111","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>Today\u2019s food affordability announcement by the federal government - 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\/tackling-affordability-challenges-and-shifting-consumer-dining-behaviours\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"fr_FR\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Today\u2019s food affordability announcement by the federal government - Restaurants Canada\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Earlier today,\u00a0Prime Minister Mark Carney announced\u00a0a package of affordability measures to assist low- and middle-income Canadians with the escalating cost of food and other essentials. 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