Join (Retrofit) - Ontario Craft Cider Association

How To Get Involved in the Cider Industry

To become a Cidery (winery) in Ontario you need:

Township – Best to start here. Ask the planning department if the current plan allows for agriculture secondary uses, including brewery and winery. If yes, good to go. If not, you may need your local councillor to help lobby the Planning Department for a new Ag Plan. Most townships are up to date with the new provincial planning guidelines and allow it. Spirit Tree is listed as a case study in the new guidelines.

AGCO (Alcohol and Gaming Ontario) Winery application – these are now easily available online from their website. You will need to apply for Manufacturing (you will need to send a sample of cider for lab testing to LCBO and send them the results), Retail (you need 5 acres producing fruit), Limited Sales (if you want to pour glasses of cider, requires Retail License). You will also need to download the Municipal Form and take it in to your township for the Town Clerk to sign. It simply asks if the county is wet or dry. The clerk is to answer and sign. Careful, some townships withhold this letter until you meet any building code concerns, which is illegal but happens.

CRA Excise License – You need to apply for an excise license. Again, simple process. They will send someone out to inspect the operation. The agent will not know what to look for and is only making sure there is an actual location and roof over it.

You are then ready to open and sell. You will need to file a J10 Report each month to the LCBO for all sales and pay taxes. There is a CRA Excise form as well that is filed monthly even though you never owe money on domestic production.

Hope this helps.

Thomas Wilson

thomas@spirittreecider.com

Become A Member

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam, quis nostrud exercitation ullamco laboris nisi ut aliquip ex ea commodo consequat. Duis aute irure dolor in reprehenderit in voluptate velit esse cillum dolore eu fugiat nulla pariatur. Excepteur sint occaecat cupidatat non proident, sunt in culpa qui officia deserunt mollit anim id est laborum.

Sed ut perspiciatis unde omnis iste natus error sit voluptatem accusantium doloremque laudantium, totam rem aperiam, eaque ipsa quae ab illo inventore veritatis et quasi architecto beatae vitae dicta sunt explicabo. Nemo enim ipsam voluptatem quia voluptas sit aspernatur aut odit aut fugit, sed quia consequuntur magni dolores eos qui ratione voluptatem sequi nesciunt. Neque porro quisquam est, qui dolorem ipsum quia dolor sit amet, consectetur, adipisci velit, sed quia non numquam eius modi tempora incidunt ut labore et dolore magnam aliquam quaerat voluptatem. Ut enim ad minima veniam, quis nostrum exercitationem ullam corporis suscipit laboriosam, nisi ut aliquid ex ea commodi consequatur? Quis autem vel eum iure reprehenderit qui in ea voluptate velit esse quam nihil molestiae consequatur, vel illum qui dolorem eum fugiat quo voluptas nulla pariatur?