Some convenience stores in Ontario will be able to begin selling beer, wine, cider and ready-made cocktails as soon as September, an industry source told CBC Toronto on Friday.
The impending change is part of the Ontario government’s plan to significantly expand where alcohol can be sold, but would take effect about 16 months earlier than the timeline initially outlined by the province last December.
Similarly, grocery stores that already have licences for beer and wine will be allowed to sell ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages on Aug. 1, the same source said.
All other supermarkets and grocers in the province will be able to sell beer, wine, cider and canned spirit drinks as of Oct. 31, according to the source.
A different industry source said there will be no limit on the size of beer packages that convenience stores can offer. In other words, licensed outlets would be able to stock 24 packs of beer if there is room available.
Meanwhile, the Beer Store will receive a “significant payment” from the province to help support it through the transition and maintain jobs.
Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy are holding a news conference in Etobicoke at 10:30 a.m. ET. The pair will provide more information on the accelerated roll out of expanded alcohol sales in the province, a government source said.
You can watch it live in the player above.
Details of the province’s plan to bring alcohol sales to corner stores earlier were first reported by CityNews on Thursday.
In December, Ford said the changes are intended to modernize the booze market by ushering in “the largest expansion of consumer choice and convenience since the end of prohibition almost 100 years ago.”
The Ministry of Finance estimates there will be some 8,500 new locations where consumers can purchase low-alcohol products, giving Ontario the third-highest density of alcohol retail stores among the provinces behind only Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec. Ontario will be the third jurisdiction in Canada to offer beer in corner stores and the first to sell ready-to-drink cocktails in those locations.
More to come.
Source Agencies
