Confronting Issues
Over the past two decades hundreds of independently owned community convenience stores have permanently closed in Ontario. We challenge all parties running in the 2022 provincial to take this issue seriously! Enough is enough!
Who We Are
Hard working independent Convenience Store operators across Ontario are shutting down their stores at an alarming rate. Please help us “Save our Stores”.
We’re a coalition of convenience store owners led by the Ontario Korean Businessmen’s Association (OKBA), the largest organization of independent convenience stores in the province.
What People Are Saying
Lets unite and support each other. Its the only way to make change.
“The availability of illegal, untaxed tobacco undermines Ontario’s tax system, creates an unfair business advantage, and compromises the health and public safety of Ontario families. EY Canada’s line‐by‐line review estimates illegal tobacco accounts for $750 million in lost Provincial revenue annually.”
– Minister Vic Fedeli, 2018 Economic & Fiscal Review
“When the COVID lockdown happened some of our operators saw their legal tobacco sales increase as much as 50%. Customers told us that they couldn’t get access to their regular black-market supply, so they had to come back to the legal channel. Government had to have seen a massive spike in tobacco tax revenue. Surely, given the economic hardship Ontario is facing, we believe government should be doing everything possible to recoup that extra tax revenue.”
– Kenny Shim, OKBA Spokesperson
“Contraband cigarettes and organized crime go hand-in-hand. Contraband tobacco is a low-risk endeavor with a 300%-plus profit that supplies the cash to buy the cannabis, the cocaine, and the guns.”
– Toronto Sun Reporter Mark Bonokoski