Market News

C-store Owners Protest Ontario\'s Tough Tobacco Laws

Hundreds of Korean-Canadian convenience store owners rallied outside of the Ontario legislature last week to protest the government\'s tough anti-smoking policies, which they say are causing them severe economic hardship. The Ontario Korean Businessmen\'s Association, organizer of the protest, says tax hikes on tobacco, higher insurance rates—a result of a surge in tobacco-related robberies—and costs associated with a new law requiring the removal of cigarette displays as of 2008, is driving many small operators to the brink of bankruptcy. Organizers of the protest say they want the same consideration from the government that the province\'s tobacco growers received when, last fall, that group was allocated $100M to facilitate a switch to other crops. Canadian Grocer E-Newsletter, April 25, 2006.