Ministry of Revenue

Owner Of Kingston Garden Centre Found With 68,705 Illegal Cigarettes

Strengthened Tobacco Tax Act Allows Sharing of Intelligence

    KINGSTON, ON, July 10 — A Kingston business owner faces more than
$8,000 in fines and penalties following her conviction under the Tobacco Tax
Act.
    On July 31, 2006, the Public Health Agency in Kingston executed a search
warrant at the business premises of Earth, Wind and Water Garden Centre, and
seized 68,705 untaxed cigarettes. Charges were laid after Ministry of Revenue
investigators confirmed that the owner did not have the required permits or
designations under the Tobacco Tax Act to possess untaxed cigarettes.
    On June 14 Donna May Joyner, owner of Earth, Wind and Water Garden
Centre, pleaded guilty to being in possession of 68,705 untaxed cigarettes and
was fined $7,000 and must pay $1,750 to the Ontario Victims' Justice Fund.
    Vigorous enforcement of the Tobacco Tax Act is an important component of
the Ontario government's Smoke-Free Ontario initiative. The Government of
Ontario has many enforcement measures to discourage the sale of contraband
tobacco and has strengthened the act with new inspection and seizure powers,
new offence provisions, increased fines and civil penalties and provisions
that permit ministry investigators to share intelligence information with
police and other agencies that enforce tobacco-related laws.
    The McGuinty government is proposing to further enhance enforcement
measures by temporarily suspending tobacco sales privileges of retailers who
repeatedly contravene the Tobacco Tax Act or the Smoke-Free Ontario Act.

    

    Disponible en français

                 For more information visit www.rev.gov.on.ca
    

Contact Info