Jan Westcott, President of Spirits Canada addresses the Kent Federation of Agriculture, December 3, 2015. (Photo by Simon Crouch) Jan Westcott, President of Spirits Canada addresses the Kent Federation of Agriculture, December 3, 2015. (Photo by Simon Crouch)
Windsor

Spirit Industry Wants Equal Treatment

The spirit industry is looking to farmers in the region to get behind its fight for fair treatment by the provincial government.

"We source all of our raw materials here in terms of our grains, we provide jobs and yet we don't get the same consideration as people in the wine business and the beer business," says Jan Westcott, president and CEO of Spirits Canada.

He says spirits are taxed four times as much as wine and twice as much as beer.

Westcott also says the provincial government is discriminating against the spirit business by not allowing sales in grocery stores. He believes this could lead to an exodus of producers like Hiram Walker out of the province or country.

Westcott spoke at the Annual General meeting for the Kent Federation of Agriculture this week.

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