EDMONTON – A recent report claims Alberta is the friendliest province in Canada for bar and restaurant owners.
The report was released Nov. 2 by Restaurants Canada.
In the report, Alberta received a grade of B+, good enough to beat all nine other provinces. A news release said the province earned this grade “because of its wide selection of beer, wine and spirits at the best average price relative to other Canadian provinces.”
Scroll down to view the full report.
The roots of the province’s good performance go back many years, according to Restaurants Canada’s Western Canada VP Mark von Schellwitz.
“A large part of this grade is due to changes made two decades ago.”
These policies include wholesale pricing regulations, which allow restaurants to buy liquor at below retail prices.
The report says that, in eight provinces, restaurants and bars either pay retail price or higher for wine, spirits, and beer.
READ MORE: Liquor taxes go up, but Alberta shifts the beer playing field
Von Schellwitz explained Alberta didn’t get an A+ because of a few liquor-related provincial laws. For example, it is still illegal to adulterate spirits in Alberta, meaning that flavour-infused liquors are illegal to sell.
The recent delay on liquor policy review also added to the slight downgrade.
“For Alberta to get an A rating, movement is required on these issues,” said von Schellwitz.
Another factor pulling the grade down is the recent financial changes in provincial laws, including tax increases brought in by both PC and NDP governments.
Since last November, taxes on liquor have gone up 15 per cent, including a five per cent increase introduced in October’s budget.
READ MORE: New taxes and benefits: Alberta budget 2015 highlights
Also contributing to the B+ is the elimination of liquor server pay differentials, which allowed bars and restaurants to pay employees lower wages.
“The grades reflect that, in all liquor jurisdictions across Canada, there’s certainly room for improvement,” said von Schellwitz.
The only other province to receive a B grade was Prince Edward Island, the proud recipients of a B-. The only province to receive an F grade in the report was Newfoundland and Labrador, which received the poor grade due to high liquor prices and tight restrictions around who can sell liquor.
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