More than 4,000 Ontario corner stores approved to sell alcohol next week

Beer cans are stacked as props in front a display of milk at a press availability attended by Ontario Premier Doug Ford at a convenience store in Toronto, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. (The Canadian Press/Chris Young)

More than 4,000 convenience stores across Ontario have been licensed to sell alcohol as new liberalized rules are set to take effect next week.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said Friday that it has approved 4,146 such licences ahead of convenience stores being allowed to sell beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails as of next Thursday.

The expansion of liquor sales fulfils a pledge Premier Doug Ford made in the 2018 election.

• Download our app to get alerts on your device

Last December, Ford announced that all convenience and grocery stores could sell beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink cocktails by 2026. In May, he announced plans to speed that up, moving up the timeline for corner stores to Sept. 5.

The government has said its alcohol expansion plans will give Ontarians more choice and convenience.

The AGCO said it was committed to helping licensees meet their obligations for the safe and responsible sale of alcohol.

One store in Toronto's west end had allegedly been selling liquor even before the new rules kick in, the AGCO said. The commission said it served a notice of suspension to the store after a surprise visit from inspectors two weeks ago.

"As the next phase in Ontario’s expansion of the liquor retail market approaches, the AGCO is focused on ensuring licensees understand and comply with their obligations for the responsible sale of alcohol," Karin Schnarr, CEO of the commission, wrote in a statement.

"The AGCO has a wide-ranging compliance monitoring process and will take strong measures to enforce social responsibility and ensure a smooth transition to the new, expanded marketplace."

The government allowed grocery stores already licensed to sell beer and wine to start selling pre-mixed cocktails and large packs of beer last month. Newly licensed grocery stores can start selling beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails on Oct. 31.

The province's alcohol sale expansion saw Ford strike a deal with The Beer Store for $225 million as the government broke a 10-year agreement with the company. Part of the new agreement with The Beer Store includes keeping at least 386 stores open until July 2025 and at least 300 until Dec. 31, 2025.

The Beer Store, owned by three international conglomerates, will continue with its widely respected recycling program until at least 2031.

The government's decision to allow the sale of ready-to-drink cocktails outside the province's main liquor retailer became a sticking point in negations over the summer between the Liquor Control Board of Ontario and its unionized workers.

About 10,000 workers who are members of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union went on strike in early July, saying the decision to allow premixed cocktail drinks to be sold in corner stores posed an existential threat to the LCBO's very existence.

The strike, which shuttered 700 stores, lasted more than two weeks before both sides struck a deal.

Several health organizations, including Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, have expressed concern and disappointment with the move to expand alcohol sales.

They say the easier access to alcohol will increase dependence, cause chronic diseases, and increase injuries, suicides and impaired driving.

Ford has said that the province needs to treat its residents "like adults."

"They have a responsibility to drink responsibly," he has said.

The province has also said it will spend $10 million to support social responsibility and public health efforts related to the consumption of alcohol as part of its 10-year, $3.8-billion mental health plan. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 30, 2024.