  One possible way to fix partly a ``canonical definition'' of $\tau$-functions
beyond the conventional KP/Toda framework could be to postulate that evolution
operators are {\it always} group elements. We discuss implications of this
postulate for the first non-trivial case: fundamental representations of
quantum groups $SL_q(N)$. It appears that the most suited (simple) for quantum
deformation framework is some non-standard formulation of KP/Toda systems. It
turns out that the postulate needs to be slightly modified to take into account
that no ``nilpotent subgroups'' exist in $SL_q(N)$ for $q\neq 1$. This has some
definite and simple implications for $q$-determinant-like representations of
quantum $\tau$-functions.
