April 3, 2013
Dear Cyclists,
Thank you for your successful efforts to make cycling more affordable
in BC. Our activism helped highlight a significant problem with the HST and
strengthened the larger battle against it.
With the end of BC's HST on April 1 2013, the PST exemption on bikes, bike
repairs and bike equipment has been restored.
Our cycling bills are now
7% less expensive.
This is a positive development. Cycling was exempted from
the PST decades ago because our province wanted to incentivize a healthy and
environmentally-friendly form of transit. That was – and is – a sound policy.
It was my privilege to work on this issue. I took the lead on everything from creating a network of bike shops and bike enthusiasts across the province, developing and promoting a petition and organizing several rallies, one of which brought together hundreds of people at the Legislature and drove a lot of media attention to the issue.
Of course there is much more that we can and should do to
encourage cycling in BC. I look forward to
hearing your views on how this can be done and also to sharing with you my own
perspective.
But the purpose of this blog is fulfilled and this will be my
last post. I will leave it untouched on the internet (there is no cost) as
part of the historical record of our successful efforts to stop the HST on
BIKES in BC.
Squeaky wheels got the grease!
Best,
Lana