Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer leaves 10 Downing Street to attend the weekly Prime Ministers’ Questions session in parliament in London, Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-wallet-with-canadian-bills-next-to-christmas-decorations-right-shoppers-checking-out-at-costco-in-montreal.jpg?id=55322393&width=1200&height=600&coordinates=0%2C36%2C0%2C36"/><br/><br/><p>If you've been putting off some of your holiday shopping with your eye on Canada's GST holiday, the wait is over — it officially kicks off today.</p><p>For the next two months, this tax break will let Quebecers save some of the sales tax on a long list of essentials, including groceries, holiday gifts and restaurant meals.</p><p>The federal government <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/gst-tax-break-canada" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced the GST/HST tax break last month</a>, promising to waive the goods and services tax (GST) and harmonized sales tax (HST) on a specific list of qualifying items from December 14, 2024, to February 15, 2025.</p><p>In Quebec, that means GST relief on a range of everyday items and festive buys — which would normally add an extra 5% to your bill. Since Quebec doesn't use harmonized sales tax (HST) like Ontario, New Brunswick and a few others, we'll still have to pay the provincial sales tax (PST) rate of 9.975% — but hey, it's still something.</p><p>Here's the complete rundown of everything you won't pay any GST on during this two-month tax holiday — starting today.</p><h3>Children's clothing & shoes</h3><br/><ul><li>Baby gear like bibs and baby blankets</li><li>Kids' clothing up to girls' size 16 or boys' size 20 (or kids' sizes XS to L)</li><li>Socks, hats, ties, scarves, belts, suspenders, mittens and gloves designed for children or babies</li><li>Footwear for kids or babies with insoles measuring 24.25 cm or less</li></ul><h3>Kids' diapers & car seats</h3><br/><ul><li>Diapers, liners, training pants and rubber pants for babies or kids</li><li>Certified car seats and booster seats</li></ul><h3>Books & newspapers</h3><br/><ul><li>Printed books and audiobooks (no notebooks, journals, colouring books or catalogues)</li><li>Print newspapers with news and editorials (no digital publications or magazines)</li></ul><h3>Food & drinks</h3><br/><ul><li>Candy, chocolate, chips, granola bars, fruit snacks, pudding, ice cream and other packaged snacks</li><li>Cakes, muffins, pies, cookies, and other sweet baked goods (most savoury baked goods are tax exempt year-round)</li><li>Salads, sandwiches, fruit and veggie trays, meat and cheese platters and other prepared foods</li><li>Carbonated drinks, juice, flavoured beverages and drink mixes</li><li>Bottled or unbottled water dispensed by the supplier</li><li>Alcoholic beverages with up to 7% ABV, including wine, beer, cider and coolers</li><li>Food and drinks served (for dine-in or to go) at a restaurant, cafe, concession stand, etc.</li></ul><h3>Holiday favourites</h3><br/><ul><li>Christmas trees (real or artificial)</li><li>Toys for kids under 14 including board and card games, play sets, dolls and figurines, plushies, building blocks and plasticine</li><li>Jigsaw puzzles for any age</li><li>Video game consoles, controllers and physical copies of games (i.e., video game discs or cartridges)</li></ul><p>Happy shopping, Montreal!</p><p><em>Love this? Check out our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/notices/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MTL Blog noticeboard</a> for details on jobs, benefits, travel info and more!</em></p><p><em>AI tools may have been used to support the creation or distribution of this content; however, it has been carefully edited and fact-checked by a member of MTL Blog's Editorial team. For more information on our use of AI, please visit our <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/editorial-standards" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Editorial Standards page</a>.</em></p>
Chelsea restored their Champions League campaign in style, beating 10-man Barcelona 3-0 at Stamford Bridge, highlighted by an exceptional performance from 18-year-old Estêvão. The Brazilian…
