Twenty-eight of the approved convenience stores are in Niagara Falls, five are in Welland, two are in Niagara-on-the-Lake and one is in St. Catharines. Photo Credit: iStock.
As the province-wide LCBO union strike reaches its two-week mark, corner stores across Niagara are preparing to sell alcohol.
Provincial rules will now permit corner stores to sell beer, wine, cider and read-to-drink alcoholic beverages, such as seltzers and coolers, beginning on Sept. 5.
All of this is part of the province’s plan to expand alcohol sales. The LCBO union is presently on strike largely in protest of the province’s decision to allow grocery and convenience stores to sell ready-to-drink beverages.
Some fear that if Ontarians like the convenience of being able to buy ready-to-drink beverages closer to home and at places with longer hours, Ontarians might start questioning the LCBO monopoly altogether.
Ford, however, has so far insisted that ending the LCBO monopoly is not on the table.
In response to the ongoing LCBO union strike, the Ford government announced this week that it is speeding up plans to allow grocery stores to sell ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages and larger cases of beer.
The start date was to be Aug. 1, but the changes were rolled out this week instead.
So far, the Sept. 5. rollout date for alcohol sales in corner stores remains as-is.
There are 36 convenience stores in the Niagara Region that have been given permits by the province to sell alcohol. Twenty-eight are in Niagara Falls, five are in Welland, two are in Niagara-on-the-Lake and one is in St. Catharines.
Uptake thus far is strikingly low in St. Catharines, given its relative population size within Niagara Region.
Additional corner stores could receive licenses in the weeks ahead.
Most of the stores that have been approved thus far already have lottery licenses, which sped up the approval process.
While most local politicians, including Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, have come out in support of the Ford government’s liberalization plans, some groups, such as the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, are worried about the expansion and the enhanced ease of access to alcohol.
However, advocates note that beer and wine is already sold in a number of grocery stores across Ontario. As well, there are many Canadian provinces that have long allowed beer, wine and cider to be sold at convenience stores. Alberta has permitted it for decades.
When Premier Doug Ford announced the province’s plans to expand beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink beverage access to corner stores and grocery stores, he focused on the need to treat Ontarians as adults and enhance consumer choice.
“People are excited they’re going to have the same choice and convenience as other Canadians and other people right across the world to buy a case of beer or a bottle of wine,” said Ford when he first made the announcement. “They excited to hear they’re finally going to be treated as adults.”
Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission is in charge of giving corner stores and grocery stores licenses to sell alcohol. It will also oversee enforcement processes to ensure that no rules are breached once alcoholic beverages hit the shelves in the coming weeks and months.
Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He previously served as a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
