TannerStewart

I'm a builder and entrepreneur fueled by passion. My goal in life is to make my kids proud.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@TheGuyFromWpg @StratCann We will pull through. Please tell your friends and family about our products. Maybe enjoy an extra bath or two next month? :) That would be a huge help to us while we navigate this.

Thank you for your support!!!

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@FoodProfessor You speak turth no matter the potential back lash. My respect for you is immense.

[The Food Professor @FoodProfessor]

"The amount of interest Canadians are paying on mortgages and debt has nearly doubled in just two years, increasing by almost $100 billion. All that money is going to banks instead of being spent on essentials like shelter or food. That’s significant."

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

Enter to win a $420 spa package or a $700 basket!!

https://t.co/XgrM7zg9vR

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

If you know you know.

[Stephen Punwasi 🏚️📉🐈☃️ @StephenPunwasi]

Folks in the West are finally starting to realize the rest of the world isn’t more corrupt.

… our governments are just so corrupt they refuse to investigate allegations, & know we can’t do shit about it.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

I made a dad joke to a comedy legend at the airport!!!

Best morning ever.

I treat all my trips like fun adventures. Flight canceled? "Nice! Maybe I'll run into someone I can do business with!

What celebrity run-ins have you had on your travels?

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

If you know, you know.

[The Food Professor @FoodProfessor]

"While a tax holiday on food may seem like a gift to consumers, its ripple effects—logistical headaches for grocers, inflationary risks, and regional disparities—could leave consumers paying the price long after the holidays are over."

The Hidden Costs of Ottawa’s Food Tax Holiday

It’s official. Starting December 14, Ottawa’s two-month GST/HST holiday will temporarily reduce the tax to 0%, offering Canadians a reprieve until February 15. While this initiative appears to be a gift for consumers during the holiday season, it comes with unintended consequences that could harm consumers, retailers, and the broader economy.

Under this policy, provinces with standalone provincial sales taxes (PST)—such as British Columbia (7%), Saskatchewan (6%), Manitoba (7%), and Quebec (9.975%)—will continue to apply these rates. Meanwhile, provinces using the harmonized sales tax (HST)—Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario—will see the total tax rate on eligible items drop to 0%. Alberta, which already lacks a PST, will remain tax-free.

At first glance, this may seem like a win for Canadians. Grocery stores will no longer charge taxes on snacks and ready-to-eat items, and restaurant meals will also see a significant tax cut. However, the benefits of this measure are unevenly distributed.

Minimal Savings at the Grocery Store

For the average consumer, grocery savings over the two-month period are estimated at just $5. While this amount is negligible for most households, it creates a significant burden for grocers. Implementing system updates to reflect the tax holiday for more than 4,000 products on average will result in logistical headaches and additional costs. Retailers, already operating on slim margins, will likely feel the strain.

Restaurants Reap the Rewards

The benefits are much more pronounced for restaurants. Since the average Canadian spends roughly $180 per month dining out, families could save between $60 and $90 over two months. For restaurant operators, this measure could provide a much-needed boost, as taxes normally apply to all menu items.

However, regional disparities in tax rates could lead to unintended consequences. Quebecers, for example, may cross the border to dine in Ontario or New Brunswick, where they can save nearly 10% in taxes. This puts Quebec restaurant owners at a disadvantage. While interprovincial shopping migration may be less pronounced in Western Canada, these inconsistencies create unnecessary regional tensions.

Inflationary Risks and Market Instability

While the tax holiday offers temporary relief, it also introduces inflationary risks. Retailers and restaurants, faced with the sudden absence of tax revenue, may adjust prices opportunistically. When Prime Minister Stephen Harper reduced the GST by 1% in both 2006 and 2008, prices initially spiked before stabilizing. This history highlights the potential for short-term price increases following tax changes.

Taxes, particularly those tied to food, leave lasting effects. Whether introduced or eliminated, they alter market dynamics and often disadvantage consumers. The temporary nature of this tax holiday increases the likelihood of opportunistic pricing, leaving Canadians paying higher prices long after the tax is reinstated.

Taxing Food Is Regressive and Ineffective

Taxes on food disproportionately penalize low-income households, making them inherently regressive. Proponents of taxing "unhealthy" foods argue that it encourages better consumer choices, but the evidence tells a different story.

Consider Newfoundland and Labrador’s soda tax, introduced in 2022. While it generated $6.1 million in revenue in its first year, the projection for 2023-24 has doubled to $12 million. Rather than curbing soda consumption, the tax has simply become a revenue generator, with no significant improvements in public health outcomes.

At grocery stores, taxes on food are often hidden unless consumers carefully check their receipts—a practice fewer than 25% of Canadians engage in regularly. Transparent policies and informed choices, not stealth taxation, lead to better health outcomes over time.

A Missed Opportunity

Instead of implementing this temporary tax holiday, Ottawa could have eliminated the GST on food permanently. A permanent measure would shield consumers from market instability triggered by policy reversals and reinforce food affordability as a critical aspect of Canada’s social safety net.

While the GST/HST holiday might seem like a timely relief, it risks creating long-term instability. Food pricing is a delicate balance, and every policy shift has ripple effects across the supply chain. For many Canadians, the costs of this measure could outweigh the benefits, leaving them worse off in the long run.

Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast.

[The Food Professor @FoodProfessor]

New study by Dalhousie University reveals that the carbon tax likely functions as a "self-imposed tariff" on Canada’s agri-food sector.⬇️

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

This prominant Canadian professor is spot on.

[The Food Professor @FoodProfessor]

This talk of a tax to control the weather needs to stop. It’s fueling unnecessary climate hysteria.

What’s even more telling is that Ottawa isn’t making any effort to measure the actual environmental impact of the carbon tax.

[The Food Professor @FoodProfessor]

Was scheduled to keynote an event in Lethbridge this week but was politely asked to stay home due to our critical work on the carbon tax. Canadians need yo know about what's happening.

Given Ottawa’s support for many of the event sponsors, this did not come as a surprise.

The agenda is now dominated by consultants, allowing them to shape and control the narrative.

Frankly, I’m growing tired of the constant censorship around the carbon tax and supply management.

How can we improve as a country if we’re not allowed to address real, pressing issues head-on?

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@TheWarEnglish Love this!!!

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

Truth bombs.

[Warren English @TheWarEnglish]

Big Pharma wants you sick.

I was a pharmacist, so I would know.

Now I’m revealing the 5 biggest health secrets Big Pharma hid from you to sell you more pills:

Secret #1: Eggs Do NOT Raise Cholesterol

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@raghu_venugopal Ok Tin Foil hat guy. I think we should be a more focused on all the foriegn influence form China, that is PROVEN and actually an issue with our current government.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@ItsDeanBlundell "Thought leadership" -Correction above.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@ItsDeanBlundell I see you've moved on from "BlueAnon" American election BS to just laughing at former leaders of Canada. Thougt leadership at it's finest.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@merry123459 Wow. Did you forget to put on your tin foil hat in your profile pic? Get real.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@ItsDeanBlundell Wow. Roll out the tin foil hats. As if billionares were not lined up on both sides of the election.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@ItsDeanBlundell Jesus. What kind of nut bar did I trip over here? I didn't think we had these kind of tin foil hat wearing folk here in Canada.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@Lukemaybefunny This man was a Canadian icon, regardless of your disagreement with his political views. I have generaly been a fan of the Beaverton, but the disrespect shown in your last paragraph, which left behind the parody, and swapped to a "good riddence" tone, is disgusting.

[TannerStewart @TanTanStewart]

@JonathanDunnett Rent caps. The number one tool to discourage builders from building. We need government out of the way. A FREE market that private industry wants to build in, is the ONLY way to increase supply. New supply, at competative rental rates is what drives down the cost of old units.