Final stage of expansion delivers on government’s promise to provide more choice and convenience
A News Release from the Office of Ontaro Premier Doug Ford
Posted November 1st, 2024 on Niagara At Large
I sure do Mr. Premier. You’re my main man!
A Brief Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Going back to his earliest days as Ontario’s Premier 2018, Doug Ford has always had a fixation on beer and booze and on making it cheaper and more accessible for people across the province.
Indeed, earlier on there was Ford’s ‘Buck A Beer’ which, at least in one beer connoisseur’s opinion, tasted like “carbonated mule piss” (which had me wondering if this person had ever actually tried carbonated mule piss) and there was his government’s green light to licenced bars to serve customers alcoholic beverages before noon. And now here we see Ford moving forward with his dream of making alcoholic beverages more accessible in convenience and grocery stores.
It is too bad Ford and company hasn’t spent as much time and effort making quality public health care more accessible to people or building more affordable and convenient public transit systems to reduce the number of cars on our roads and highways or on shifting from climate-ravaging fossil fuels to greener formers of energy.
But after all, priorities are priorities aren’t they Mr. Premier. So raise a glass and down the hatch.
Now here is the News Release from the Premier’s Office –
TORONTO — As the final step in the government’s plan to give people in Ontario more choice and convenience, all licensed grocery stores and big-box grocery stores are now able to sell beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink beverages, including in large pack sizes.
“We promised to give the people of Ontario choice and convenience when buying and selling alcoholic beverages and with today’s expansion, we got it done,” said Premier Doug Ford.
“This last phase of expansion will create new opportunities for retailers of all sizes and for Ontario producers of beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink beverages. I hope everyone gets the chance to pick up one of these fantastic Ontario-made products and enjoy responsibly!”
Ontario’s Premier has his case of brewskies.
The Ontario government has delivered on its commitment to expand the province’s alcohol beverage marketplace earlier than planned. Now, every licensed convenience, grocery and big-box grocery store in Ontario is able to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages if they choose to do so. The phased expansion began in the summer:
As of July 18, 2024, up to 450 grocery stores licensed to sell beer, cider or wine are able to sell ready-to-drink beverages, including in large pack sizes.
As of September 5, 2024, all eligible convenience stores are able to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages.
As of October 31, 2024, all eligible grocery and big-box grocery stores are able to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages, including in large pack sizes.
With this rollout, the government has made Ontario’s alcohol beverage marketplace more convenient for consumers. Retailers and businesses have more control over if, how and when they want to sell these kinds of beverages.
“Today’s expansion fulfills our government’s commitment to provide Ontarians with the same choices and convenience available to people across Canada. This marks a significant milestone for both grocery retailers and consumers as we continue to modernize Ontario’s alcohol marketplace,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance.
“Our vision for a better market has become a reality with the support of retailers, domestic producers and workers in the alcohol industry, as well as the people and businesses across the province.”
To help consumers find local retailers and producers, the province launched an interactive map that allows users to search for open retailers. This includes over 1,000 local Ontario breweries, wineries, wine shops and distilleries, as well as other outlets like LCBO Convenience Outlets, The Beer Store and licensed grocery stores offering a variety of Ontario-made and imported products. The map also includes locations where they can return empty alcoholic beverage containers in exchange for a deposit.
Along with permitting the sale of ready-to-drink beverages and large pack sizes of beer in licensed grocery stores, the government has permanently provided more flexibility for how alcohol can be displayed, subject to certain limits. Additionally, to assist bars and restaurants with inventory management, the government has permanently allowed the transfer of wine and spirits between locations owned by the same entity or affiliated licensees.
The government will maintain close collaboration with the LCBO, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and The Beer Store, while also consulting with industry partners, local beverage alcohol producers and other stakeholders as it implements this new marketplace.
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