Sub-Item 7 March 17, 2021 Honourable Doug Ford, Premier of the Province of Ontario Assembly of Ontario, Office of the Premier Legislative Building, Queen’s Park – Room 281 Toronto, Ontario, M7A 1A1 [email protected] Re: Resolution of Council – Support for Ontario Wine Industry Essex County Council, at its Wednesday, March 17, 2021 meeting, adopted the following resolution: 063-2021 Moved By Nelson Santos Seconded By Marc Bondy THAT the County of Essex calls on the Province of Ontario to create a level playing field and to provide Ontario’s entrepreneurial wine industry with opportunities to invest more into innovation and job creation while providing consumer choice and convenience for the purchase of Ontario wines; and THAT the Province be urged to undertake the following: i. Eliminate the 6.1% tax applied to VQA (100% Ontario-grown) wines on sales in the 2021 Budget; ii. Enable Ontario wines to offer direct delivery, with margin, to grocery stores; iii. Establish long-term VQA wine support programs at the LCBO that would increase shelf space for VQA wines and; iv. Eliminate import taxes on 100% Ontario VQA wines. THAT this motion be circulated to municipalities in Niagara and Prince Edward County and to MPP Taras Natyshak, MPP Rick Nicholls, the Premier, the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Essex County Council is asking for your support of this vital initiative to assist in the development of Ontario’s entrepreneurial wine industry. Page 1 of 2 Resolutions of Council - Support for Ontario Wine Industry March 17, 2021 Should any further information be required, please contact the undersigned. Regards, Mary Birch Director of Council and Community Services/Clerk Taras Natyshak, MPP - Essex Rick Nicholls, MPP – Chatham-Kent Leamington Minister of Finance Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Municipalities of Niagara Region and Prince Edward County Essex County Municipalities Page 2 of 2 .