Supporters of the CAQ will propose an end to the liquor monopoly held by the SAQ when they meet at its 2023 conference on May 13-14. But on Wednesday afternoon the CAQ s finance minister Eric Girard shut the door on privatization, indicating that the SAQ revenue the government channels into public services is too valuable.
50 Years Ago June 22, 1972
Van Buren-St. Leonard bridge construction The reconstruction of the bridge resumed in May of 1972. The new bridge will be 10 feet higher in the center than the original and will be four feet higher on the ends.
Spirits are low among some Quebec boutique liquor makers who say they're facing bankruptcy this summer unless the provincial government reduces the sales tax that makes it unprofitable to sell bottles outside of the SAQ. The Union québécoise des microdistilleries (UQMD) reports nearly two out of three independent spirit producers are done bottling up their frustrations after barely keeping their businesses afloat due to a hefty SAQ tax. The association represents over 55 small-batch distillers that all pay around 50% of the sale price on each bottle to the crown corporation, whether or not it has a hand in the distribution, marketing, or sale of the product.