Growing petition urges Quebec to remove sales tax on second-hand clothing for children

At Le Chaînon in Montreal — an organization that’s been supporting women in need since 1932 — families say every dollar counts. A growing petition is calling on Quebec to remove sales tax on second-hand children’s clothing, as more parents turn to used items to cope with the rising cost of living.

“There is so many clothes you can find and it’s cheaper to have them because it’s a second hand one and it’s also more ethical and ecological,” said Edwin Merabet, the assistant manager of Magasin Chaînon Villeray.

“Sometimes it’s just too expensive to buy new clothes and here it’s another option and so they can try something else and use this clothes that they cannot buy in a new source.”

The petition, sponsored by Quebec Solidaire, has already drawn more than 5,000 signatures on the National Assembly’s website. That includes Valerie Tondreau. 

“We often see the same piece of clothing come back around—not just for kids, but most often for them,” said Tondreau, partnerships and marketing manager for Magasins Chaînon. “As a mom of two, this really speaks to me. I think it’s so important to make kids’ clothing affordable.”

In Quebec, diapers, baby bottles, and breastfeeding products are already exempt from the provincial sales tax, but the federal GST still applies.

With growing interest in second-hand shopping, Le Chaînon now operates two thrift stores — one on the Plateau Mont-Royal and another in Villeray — where every purchase helps finance their women’s shelter.

Merabet adds, “On all the different items we have, we have more and more people coming here, and also people are buying more and more.”

As a nonprofit, Le Chaînon doesn’t charge tax on its second-hand items — a small change that makes a big difference for families.

“Of course, it improved sales afterwards, and it’s also a nice motivation to people to reuse every clothes that they already paid first. So I think it’s a really good motivation, definitely,” said Merabet.

Tondreau adds, “I always buy second-hand clothes for my two kids, and when we’re done, I donate them back. Children’s clothes have such a short life when we think of how little time we actually use them.”