Bikes in Ontario are 8% Cheaper Today
by Lloyd Alter, Toronto on 12. 1.07
Image Credit Eyeline Imagery
It was promised earlier and delivered today: As of December 1, there is no 8% provincial sales tax on helmets, safety gear and bikes under $1,000 in the Province of Ontario, Canada. Premier Dalton McGuinty calls it a "Christmas treat for our families.'' Earlier he said "We want to encourage more Ontarians to get outdoors, spend time riding bikes as a family and with friends, or to try riding to work if possible, leaving the car at home," said Premier McGuinty. "Together, we're building a culture of health and well-being across Ontario by encouraging more families to embrace active living."
Always double-lock your bike! Ned Lyttelton
Other new initiatives to get us off our butts planned for Ontario:
-Requiring 20 minutes of daily physical activity and banning the sale of junk food in schools
-Giving every Ontarian the right to be free from second-hand smoke with the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, which bans smoking in public spaces and workplaces
-Protecting the Greenbelt, 1.8 million acres of greenspace
-Creating the Ontario Trails Strategy to develop a world-class system of diversified recreational trails
-Retail Sales Tax exemption for nicotine replacement therapies.
"I hope today's announcement will mean a few more families can afford to ride together," McGuinty said. And I hope a few more Ontarians will decide to try commuting by bike instead of by car."
Well it's good a start for Mr. McGuinty. Looks like he's investing in health and tourism here. While I always vote Green Party, at least the Liberals are better than the Conservatives. At least the Liberal Party says they care about the environment. The Conservative message is always "Economy first; Environment second".
Now McGuinty, it's time we shut down those dirty, dirty coal plants!
I know, I know. Wishful thinking.
Well done to Ontario I hope the idea spreads to the UK.
The government here have just introduced a convoluted scheme involving employers and income tax - it would have been cheaper, and more effective, to just remove the 17.5% tax (VAT) on bikes to 0.