Warning: Undefined array key "HTTP_REFERER" in /homepages/6/d125890587/htdocs/Client/HuffStrategy/MediaManager/ReadRelease.php on line 34
Ontario PST exemption on bikes and accessories is a gift to parents and the environment this holiday season - Environmental Communication Options/Huff Strategy

Ontario PST exemption on bikes and accessories is a gift to parents and the environment this holiday season

Dec 3rd, 2007 8:18 AM

Media Release - For Immediate Release Christmas season is the second largest sales period for bikes (Toronto, December 2, 2007) Just in time for the Christmas season, bikes with a price tag of less than $1,000, bike helmets and select bike safety equipment are now exempt from the Ontario Provincial Sales Tax (PST), beginning December 1. At first glance, tax relief for bikes when there's snow on the road seems odd, but as the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) and your local bike retailer will tell you, pre-Christmas is the second largest sales period for bikes. "Sales at this time of year are higher due to the Christmas season, since this is when a lot of kids get their first bikes," says Pete Lilly, President of the Bicycle Trade Association of Canada. "While kids will be getting the new bikes, the McGuinty government's sales tax exemption on bikes and accessories is a gift to parents." The tax exemption will save consumers approximately $25 million each year. It is also expected that this move by the Ontario government will get kids more active, as well as encourage others to spend more time outdoors, while easing congestion on the roads. Mr. Lilly continues, "Your local specialty bike retailer is really about much more than selling you a bike. A good bike shop is part of your community - it's a place that not only equips you, but also inspires you to move on your own power. And the more you ride, the stronger and healthier you get, the less pollution and greenhouses gases you generate, and the more fun you have." -30- For more information, photos or to arrange an interview with Mr. Lilly, contact: Jonathan Laderoute (e|c|o media relations), 416-972-7401, laderoutej@huffstrategy.com Don Huff (e|c|o media relations) cell: 416-805-7720 A high quality digital image of a child with a new bike at Christmas tree is attached. The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) is the national voice of cycling in Canada and the hub of the Canadian bicycle industry. BTAC advocates, builds partnerships, promotes trade and commerce and seeks to motivate, unit and inspire Canadians to make bicycling the pre-eminent form of transportation and recreation in Canada. See www.btac.org for more information. Sidebar Quotes: "When I see an adult on a bicycle, I do not despair for the future of the human race." -H.G. Wells "Pound for pound, a person on a bicycle expends less energy than any creature or machine covering the same distance." -Sightline Institute "Under most combinations of assumptions, bicycles can cover a given distance using one-thousandth of the fuel that automobiles use." -Charles Komanoff. Many of our car trips are for distances less than three kilometers - well within the range of an easy bike ride. In just 15 minutes, the average person can bike 3.5 km. Here are some other benefits to cycling to your destinations: * Get there quick! For trips of up to 10 km, cycling is usually the fastest way to travel within the city. * Save $$$. It costs about $200 per year to maintain a bike, plus an additional $300 for accessories - compared to $7,500 that the average Canadian pays to own a car. * Improve your health! 30 minutes of brisk cycling several times a week reduces the risk of developing coronary heart disease, adult diabetes and obesity by as much as 50%. (The David Suzuki Foundation)