FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 25, 2014 HRM restaurants have had the r ! "" #! h $h %#sts !

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HALIFA' The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA) is urging the city of Halifax to drop a proposed 36 increase in gar!age disposal fees that "ill unfairly sla# !usinesses$ %#all !usinesses in Halifax Regional &unicipality (HR&) are struggling "ith the current fees' "hich are already higher co#pared to other #unicipalities$ A report !y %tantec to Council last year found the cost of landfill disposal in HR& "as up to three ti#es #ore expensive than in si#ilar(si)ed Canadian cities$ *+ar!age re#oval is an essential part of any restaurant !usiness and operators in HR& have done #ore than their fair share to reduce the a#ount of gar!age going to landfill', says -uc .r/avec' Atlantic Canada 0ice 1resident for CRFA$ *Ho"ever' our landfill is not operating in an econo#ically sound and efficient #anner$ 2t is clear fro# the %tantec report that our syste# needs change$ Forcing restaurateurs and taxpayers to continue to pay these exor!itant costs is si#ply unfair$, *Restaurant operators are struggling in a tough econo#ic environ#ent and are faced "ith increasing costs for food' la!our and energy', says .r/avec$ *At a #unicipal level' operators have seen their tax and "ater !ills soar and no" have to pay a ne" fire inspection fee$ 3n top of this' the proposed increase in gar!age disposal fees could cost the average restaurant up to 45'666 #ore per year$ Higher costs for essential services li7e "aste re#oval "ill not help !usinesses gro"$ The only "ay to sti#ulate the econo#y' create /o!s and #a7e HR& a co#petitive place to do !usiness is to reduce fees$, CRFA strongly supports the reco##endation to allo" "aste fro# !usinesses to !e disposed of outside of HR&$ 8eigh!ouring #unicipalities' "hich are also !ound !y strong 8ova %cotia environ#ental legislation' have expressed interest in ta7ing !usiness "aste fro# HR& at a rate significantly lo"er than the current rate of HR&$ The !enefits of a#ending this provision are t"o(fold9 firstly' !oth s#all !usiness operators and HR& "ould see a reduction in costs due to co#petition$ %econdly' less "aste "ithin HR& "ould extend the life of the current landfill further reducing HR& costs$ As 8ova %cotia:s fourth(largest private(sector e#ployer' the restaurant industry directly e#ploys nearly 36'666 people at #ore than ;'<66 esta!lish#ents$ T"enty(t"o per cent of Canadians "ere first e#ployed !y the restaurant industry' #a7ing it the nu#!er one source of first /o!s$ CRFA is one of Canadas largest business associations, with more than 30,000 members representing restaurants, bars, caterers, institutions and other foodservice providers. Canadas restaurant industry generates !" billion annually in economic activity and employs more than #.# million people in communities across the country. ()0( *#nta%t+ -uc .r/avec' <6=(=6<(6>65 (cell) or ler/avec?crfa$ca@ 1rasanthi 0asantha7u#ar' Co##unications %pecialist' ;(>66(3>A(B65<' ext$ 5=B5 or pvasantha7u#ar?crfa$ca$