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British Cloumbia
Restaurants hit hard by HST: CRFA survey
According to the Canadian Restaurant and
Foodservices Association (CRFA), restaurants in British
Columbia experienced a 10 per cent sales drop since the
implementation of the harmonized sales tax (HST).
“There’s no question the HST is hurting B.C. restaurants of
all types, from fine dining to take-out,” CRFA president and
CEO Garth Whyte said in a release. “On behalf of our members,
we will continue to press premier Gordon Campbell for action.
With numbers like these, we urgently need government to work
with us to mitigate the negative impact of tax harmonization.”
A province-wide survey by the CRFA found that:
• only three per cent of respondents report the HST is having
a positive impact on their business;
• 72 per cent say the HST is having a negative impact;
• 53 per cent say their customers are spending less;
• 56 per cent have fewer customers;
• 47 per cent have been forced to cut back on staff/staff
hours to adjust to the HST; and
• 26 per cent have had to offer more deals and promotions to
mitigate the HST fallout.
Since HST was first announced over a year ago, the CRFA
has warned government that the new tax would result in
significantly lower sales for B.C.’s fourth-largest private-sector
employer.
The CRFA survey was conducted online between July 26 and
31, 2010. The findings represent 802 B.C. restaurants.
Saskatchewan
Ag council names new directors
The Agriculture Council of Saskatchewan (ACS) announced
three new members to its board of directors at its annual
general meeting in June.
ACS industry members, who represent all facets of
Saskatchewan's agriculture and agri-food sector, welcomed
the following new directors: Joy Smith, representing the
Saskatchewan Egg Producers; Tim Wiens of the Saskatchewan
Canola Development Commission; and Dan Prefontaine of the
Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre. The new
directors will join the newly elected executive which includes
chair Neil Ketilson, of the Saskatchewan Pork Development
Board, vice-chair Allen Kuhlmann of the Saskatchewan Flax
Development Commission and secretary/treasurer Jason Dean
of the Saskatchewan Cattle Feeders Association. Kirk Flaman of
the Saskatchewan Seed Potato Growers Association, and Darrell
Schneider of the Saskatchewan Food Processors Association
remain on the ACS Board.
ACS also paid tribute to three retiring board
members at the AGM: Valerie Pearson of the
Saskatchewan 4-H Council, who served on
the board since 2004; Murray Purcell of the
Saskatchewan Pulse Growers, first elected to
the Board in 2003; and Bob Morgan, who
represented the POS Pilot Plant Corporation
and has served on the board since 2008.
Manitoba
New Manitoba building code
offers increased fire protection to
farms
The Manitoba Government announced it will
strengthen the building code for agriculture
buildings to make them safer and offer increased
fire protection to livestock and property.
This year a number of fires caused millions
of dollars in damages to large animal farming
facilities in the province. On May 3 a blaze at
a dairy farm outside of La Broquerie killed 450
cows, causing $8.5 million in damage; a fire
estimated at about $6 million at a southeastern
Manitoba farm killed up to 7,500 hogs on May
7, also in La Broquerie; on May 19 a chicken
farm just outside of Steinbach was destroyed in
a fire estimated at $1 million; and on June 23 a
hog barn located approximately 100 kilometres
southwest of Winnipeg was destroyed in a fire,
just days after RCMP officers in the area began
investigating the facility for possible animal
cruelty.
The new Farm Building Code includes the
20 Canadian Meat Business September/October 2010 meatbusiness.ca