Latest news with #DuncanRobertson
Medscape
04-08-2025
- Business
- Medscape
Experts Oppose Expanding Alcohol Access in Nova Scotia
Controversy is brewing over the proposed expansion of alcohol sales outlets in Nova Scotia. The proposal would make alcohol available at retail locations like grocery and corner stores. Its advocates assert that consumers, retailers, and alcohol producers would benefit from the new retail framework, while health experts strongly oppose the move. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) is lobbying for increased retail access points for alcohol purchases, asserting that Ontario, British Columbia (BC), and Quebec have already made the move with successful results. 'The government is looking to modernize how alcohol is sold interprovincially, and they're reviewing direct-to-consumer trade,' Duncan Robertson, director of legislative affairs (Nova Scotia) for the CFIB, told Medscape Medical News , describing what prompted the proposed policy change. 'Nova Scotia is really a laggard compared with many other Canadian provinces.' Convenience stores argue that the proposal would ensure that consumers can choose where they spend their dollar. 'Rather than [supporting] a faceless government monopoly, they can support a small business owned by members of their community,' said Robertson. In a recent survey sent to CFIB members in all Atlantic provinces, out of a sample size of 390, including 130 from Nova Scotia, 78% of respondents either strongly supported or somewhat supported the idea that some private retail sales points, such as convenience stores, grocery stores, and large retailers, should be permitted to sell alcohol. 'For consumers, having greater choice is important, but the possible impact on local producers is important as well,' said Robertson. He noted that the success of craft breweries, cideries, and wineries depends on their ability to get their product on Nova Scotia liquor corporations' shelves. 'When we look at agency stores, if a local brewer wants to sell at an agency store down the street, if their product isn't on the predetermined local product list, they can't sell at that agency store.' With expanded access, private retailers would be able to provide these products directly to the community. The CFIB isn't advocating for hard alcohol because that's not in the works in other provinces. Ontario, for example, caps what can be sold at corner stores based on the amount of alcohol by volume, which is 7.1% in that province. Experts' Opposition Mounting The proposal is facing strong resistance from public health organizations and doctors, who cite a potential increase in disease and mortality rates, along with the overloading of hospital emergency rooms, which already are overtaxed. In Ontario and BC, after alcohol sales were expanded to grocery stores in 2015, an additional 24,000 hospital visits were attributed to alcohol annually, according to Brandon Purcell, advocacy manager for prevention and early detection at the Canadian Cancer Society. 'In BC, a study found that for every 20% increase in privately owned stores selling alcohol, deaths caused by alcohol increased by 3.25%. Nova Scotia is proposing changes that would likely double the number of outlets where alcohol is sold, which likely means even greater public health risks,' Purcell explained. Alcohol is a group 1 carcinogen, on a par with tobacco and asbestos, he added. 'We know from Canadian research that greater availability of alcohol leads to higher consumption and more harm. At a time when provinces, including Nova Scotia, are seeing shutdowns of hospital emergency rooms, expanding access to alcohol is a policy that will predictably result in more emergency visits, hospitalizations, and preventable deaths.' Increased Disease and Death Ian Culbert, executive director of the Canadian Public Health Association, noted that in BC, a 20% increase in private liquor outlets was associated with a 3% rise in per capita consumption. A similar impact was seen in Ontario. 'You're increasing consumption of a product linked to more than 200 health conditions, including multiple cancers and liver disease,' said Culbert. 'We're dealing with emergency rooms across the country that are already overwhelmed, and emergency care is the most expensive hospital care sector. 'The government has an addiction to the revenue from the sale of tobacco and alcohol, both of which kill people,' Culbert continued. 'We've had warning labels on tobacco for decades, and we should have the same for alcohol.' Alcohol's effect on public revenue is negative when one considers its cost to health systems and society, he added. 'The proposed change isn't a good deal for anybody except shareholders of distilleries, breweries, and wineries.' In May, Nova Scotia announced that it was launching a monthlong public survey of 1500 Nova Scotians older than 19 years to assess public opinion on retail options for alcohol sales and the health impact of possible changes. Robertson, Purcell, and Culbert reported having no relevant financial relationships.
CTV News
17-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
CFIB calls for lower property tax rates for small businesses in Atlantic Canada
The Halifax skyline is seen from Dartmouth, N.S., on June 30, 2022. (Andrea Jerrett/CTV Atlantic) The Canadian Federation of Independent Business is calling on local and provincial governments to reduce commercial property tax rates for small businesses in Atlantic Canada, saying they aren't being taxed fairly. According to a recent report from the CFIB, commercial property tax rates are typically more than double the residential rates, which it says has small businesses paying thousands of dollars more in property taxes. 'Small business confidence remains on shaky ground because of Canada-US trade tensions, lower consumer demand, and high costs,' said Duncan Robertson, CFIB's director of legislative affairs for Nova Scotia, in a news release. 'Municipalities need to provide improved fairness in how they set property tax rates. If they are serious about supporting small businesses, its time to show it.' Property tax gap by municipality Tax bill on a $372,500 property Tax Gap $ Multiplier X Residential $ Commercial $ St. John's 2.04 3.52 3,017 10,616 Charlottetown 2.19 2.31 6,221 14,379 HRM* 2.12 4.34 2,364 10,245 CBRM 3.13 2.61 7,240 18,989 Moncton 2.81 3.06 5,071 15,535 Fredericton 2.77 3.12 4,875 15,200 Author's calculations = from municipal tax rates. Municipal property tax rates taken from municipal websites. Note: HRM rates are averages of the area and tiered rates. $372,500 is the average of the Canadian Real Estate Association's National MLS Home Price Index for St. John's, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick in April 2025. Call to lower property tax rates The CFIB says more than 70 per cent of small business owners believe municipalities should make it a priority to limit property tax increases and close the gap between residential and commercial property tax ratees. 'This unfairness has a real impact on small businesses and in turn their customers with six in 10 small businesses having to increase prices to keep up with rising occupancy costs,' added Robertson. 'With municipalities increasing costs on small businesses while providing them with little improvement in services, small businesses have one clear ask, better value for their money.' The CFIB is calling on local and provincial governments to do the following: reduce commercial property tax rates for small businesses close the property tax gap between commercial and residential properties engage in sustainable spending practices that keep spending and tax levies in line with growth in population and inflation The findings of the report are based on 412 responses from a random sample of CFIB members between June 3 and June 9 of this year. The CFIB is Canada's largest association of small- and medium-sized businesses with 100,000 members, including more than 4,200 in Nova Scotia. More to come…
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Overhaul of Halifax street comes at big cost to small businesses, says shop owner
The dust, debris and loud jackhammering that have become the new normal on Dutch Village Road in Halifax is costing small businesses in the neighbourhood, according to one store owner who has seen a dramatic drop in sales. Mohammad Ashiq, co-owner of Hello Pets, said financial support is needed to help businesses like his that are struggling because of the road construction project, which started in the spring and is expected to last until the end of the year. "What we're seeing is since April, our daily sales were starting to go down, and since July, that kind of was a bit more steep," Ashiq said in an interview. "We're seeing almost half of what we would normally see in a day." Ashiq said he's heard from several customers who've been avoiding the area — and his pet supplies shop — because it's too difficult to find parking with the ongoing construction. CBC News spoke with other businesses on the street that said they are also experiencing slumping sales. To encourage continued shopping, Ashiq is offering free delivery in Halifax and expanding his e-commerce platform. While it has helped the store keep afloat, Ashiq said he wishes more could be done from a government perspective. "A challenge like this scale is really difficult for us to navigate with the limited resources that we have," said Ashiq. "So any kind of support from the government would definitely be welcome and very helpful." City support would require legislative change Duncan Robertson, director of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business in Nova Scotia, said some jurisdictions, like Montreal and Calgary, offer construction mitigation funds to businesses. But he said implementing something similar in Nova Scotia would take extra steps. "Here in Nova Scotia, municipalities don't have the authority to provide direct financial support to small businesses. So we would need the province to get on board and make amendments to the Municipal [Government] Act," Robertson said in an interview. CBC News has asked the provincial Department of Municipal Affairs for comment. The federation released a report last year that found almost seven in 10 Canadian small businesses experienced "disruptions" due to construction projects over a five-year period. Among those, 40 per cent reported a decline in sales. The most common disruptions included issues with parking, increased traffic, dust, debris and noise. Robertson said aside from financial support, municipalities in Nova Scotia can help by communicating with businesses before construction projects begin. "The HRM [Halifax Regional Municipality], particularly, they deserve good credit. They have seen major improvements in communication and signage, et cetera. So they've done a good job at the non-financial side of construction mitigation," he said. The municipality told CBC News in a statement that while it does not provide compensation for construction-related impacts, "it remains committed to minimizing disruptions wherever possible and completing these essential projects safely and efficiently." Ashiq said he was given "ample notice" about the construction, but he did not expect it to be this disruptive. Among other things, the project involves adding a sidewalk, creating raised bike lanes and on-street parallel parking spaces, as well as streetscaping. "We knew that we would lose the parking spots on Dutch Village Road, but we weren't aware or sure that we would also lose the parking spot on the side streets," said Ashiq. He said that after sharing the challenges his business is facing on social media, many community members have responded with words of support and have started shopping at his store. Ashiq said it shows the community is doing its best to help small businesses — now he's hopeful governments follow suit. MORE TOP STORIES
CBC
06-06-2025
- Health
- CBC
Groups begin lobbying N.S. government over potential booze sale changes
With the provincial government launching consultation on whether to expand sales points for alcohol in Nova Scotia, interested parties are not waiting for a phone call. Organizations on both sides of the issue have started issuing news releases and open letters to Finance Minister John Lohr, whose department is overseeing the process. Lohr announced last week that Infuse Public Relations and Crestview Strategy will collectively manage the public opinion polling of 1,500 random people and stakeholder engagement with 194 groups. The contract for the work is worth $300,000. A news release this week from the Atlantic division of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said 77 per cent of small businesses in Nova Scotia support allowing convenience stores and grocery stores to sell alcohol. "This moment is the government's chance to support local retailers at a time when over six in 10 are experiencing lower demand, and provide much-needed shelf space to local producers," Duncan Robertson, the federation's director of legislative affairs, said in the release. Small businesses supportive, doctors concerned The CFIB's recommendations include allowing the sale of beverages that do not exceed alcohol by volume of 7.1 per cent in convenience and grocery stores — similar to steps taken in Ontario — and opening those rules to all small businesses, not just large retailers. Nova Scotia already permits alcohol to be sold in some private wine and specialty stores, in on-site stores at breweries and wineries, and farmers' markets. Lohr also received an open letter this week from a group of 14 doctors who specialize in addiction medicine, urging the government not to expand alcohol sales because it would increase consumption and "worsen individual and societal harms." "Every day we care for patients and families suffering from alcohol use disorder and medical complications of alcohol use," the letter said. "Alcohol causes more than 500 deaths, 5,000 hospital admissions, and 35,000 emergency department visits in Nova Scotia each year, and creates more health care and social costs to our province than any other substance." The doctors went on to say that revenue earned through taxation on alcohol sales does not compensate for society-wide costs of health harms, violence and driving accidents attributable to alcohol. They wrote that alcohol is already widely available in Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation retail and agency stores. "It is crucial that the government keeps control of alcohol distribution to minimize further public costs and health harms," they said. Finance Department officials said 194 groups are included in stakeholder engagement so far. That includes 126 craft breweries, wineries and distillers, along with another 11 groups or agencies also in favour of opening things up, such as the Retail Council of Canada. Jim Cormier, the group's Atlantic director of government relations, said members have been looking at this issue particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. "They've been looking at any way to try and get more people to get away from online shopping, using their smartphones to shop, and get them to come out to go into bricks-and-mortar stores," he said in an interview. No winners or losers Cormier said there can be extended benefits for the local economy by getting people into retail stores where it's possible to cross-promote Nova Scotia craft beer, wine and spirits with other products, such as cheese, berries and glassware. "Obviously it would be more than just Nova Scotia products, but that's the pitch we're making," he said. Potential expansion of alcohol sales concerns N.S. doctors 2 days ago Duration 4:59 Council members are looking for things to be as open as possible so there are no winners or losers, said Cormier. "If you're in a rural community and there happens to be a hardware store and they think that they could make a case that they could sell beer and do so in a responsible manner and meet all the rules and regulations, why shouldn't they be allowed to at least apply to do that?" Dr. Kirstin Weerdenburg, a pediatric emergency physician and a trauma team leader at the IWK Health Centre, said it is vital that the government not make any changes without first speaking to the people responsible for caring for those most impacted by alcohol. Talk to caregivers During her 10 years working in Nova Scotia since moving from Ontario where she also practised medicine, Weerdenburg said she's seen an increase in the number of young people presenting to the emergency department with intoxication. Data needs to be reviewed under the current regulatory regime to understand what's happening before access is expanded, she said. "I do start to get more concerned nowadays, if kids have more access, what their futures will look like." Weerdenburg is also a member of the Nova Scotia Alcohol Policy Coalition, which recently wrote to the government outlining its concerns. The group is one of several dozen representing interests related to health care, intimate partner violence prevention, addictions and marginalized communities slated to be consulted. Although the stakeholder list does not include Nova Scotia Health, the IWK Health Centre or Public Health, a Finance Department spokesperson said the three agencies would be consulted as part of an internal engagement process for government departments.
Metro
19-05-2025
- Business
- Metro
Supersize strawberries 'as big as kiwi fruit' set to hit shop shelves
The UK's exceptionally sunny spring is about to make an exciting change to your supermarket shop: strawberries so big, you may struggle to eat them. An unusually bright start to 2025 means they're naturally supersized this year, so you won't even have to pay extra for these chunky strawbs. Growers have said the fruits are ending up 10 to 20% larger than average, and with British strawberry season about to begin, your supermarket shop may soon look a little different. Bartosz Pinkosz, operations director at the Summer Berry Company, said: . 'Last week marked my nineteenth year of working in the berry industry – and during this time I have genuinely never seen a harvest produce such large berries consistently. Some are supersized – up to 30% larger than previous years, growing to the size of plums or even kiwi fruits.' The average is still 30g, he said, so not all the strawberries you see will be monsters – but it's promising if you love a traditional bowl of strawberries and cream while watching Wimbledon. Duncan Robertson, the founder of Dogtooth, a company making robot fruit pickers which are already in action on UK farms picking berries 24/7, told Metro they had seen some very large berries 'on occasion' this year. He said his robots are prepared for any size of strawberry, and could even work more efficiently if berries are bigger. 'The robot has been optimised to work with berries of all sizes – and because the time taken to pick a berry is nearly independent of its size, larger berries mean that the robot can harvest more kilograms per hour,' he said. But he warned that the largest berries might mean the robot has to slow its arms down or risk 'flinging fruit at passers by'. 2025 has seen an exceptionally sunny spring, the Met Office said, and this has been good for growing. Most regions have seen far less rainfall than usual, with bright days and cool nights: April was the sunniest on record for the UK since records began in 1910. Strawberries grow best in mild and sunny conditions, between 15 to 25°C, so the UK's weather so far has fit the bill. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Nick Marston, chairman of British Berry Growers which represents UK strawberry farmers, said: 'This year's early season strawberries are looking exceptional in both flavour and form. The warm weather, high light levels, and active pollination have come together beautifully. We're expecting a strong yield and outstanding taste quality this season.' Peter Judge, group managing director at S&A Produce, added: 'The warmer, sunnier bursts interspersed with cooler snaps earlier in the year allowed the crop to develop slowly. This has supported the creation of strong root systems, which create a really strong engine for the plants to grow fantastic fruit with excellent levels of natural sugars.' While big and sweet strawberries will probably be welcome, it also means that millions of households have already been put on notice for a potential drought, due to the sparse rainfall, however. Chris Weston, the leader of Thames Water, said the company is doing 'all we need to' to prepare for potential water shortages. More Trending Three years ago the firm came 'dangerously close' to running out of water for its 16million customers during record summer heatwaves. Explaining the weather, forecasters said 'large areas of high pressure, often extending from the Azores or mainland Europe, have lingered over or near the UK for extended periods since late February. 'High pressure typically brings settled, dry weather, and while it's not unusual to see such pressure systems in spring, their persistence this year has been more pronounced than usual. 'This spring, the jet stream has taken a more meandering path, often looping north of the UK. This has allowed high pressure to remain in place for longer stretches, effectively blocking the usual progression of weather fronts.' Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page.
