Ontario alcohol expansion largest Canadian deregulation policy in decades, report suggests
Ontario’s plan to allow the sale of beer, wine and cider at convenience and big box stores represents “the most substantial alcohol deregulation policy in Canada in decades,” a national medical journal suggests.
The finding was made in an April 8 article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CAMJ), based on new policy that alters how alcohol is sold in the province. The Ford government has previously said the policy changes could allow an additional 8,500 stores to sell alcoholic beverages.
“These changes will result in a 289 per cent increase in the number of alcohol stores in Ontario … (and) will likely reduce the price of alcohol, and will represent the biggest shift in decades with respect to how alcohol is sold in Canada,” the authors of the article write.
- Download our app to get local alerts on your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
As early as 2026, beer, wine, cider, coolers, seltzers and “other low-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages” will be available for purchase in some big box stores and convenience stores across Ontario, including those located at gas stations.
The province has said these retailers will have to adhere to the same rules set by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which says that retailers can sell booze between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., regardless of the hours they are open.
The Ontario Government announced that in 2026 they will allow sales of beer, wine, cider, coolers and pre-mixed drinks to be sold at convenience stores, grocery stores and "big box" retailers. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young)
However, the peer-reviewed CAMJ article suggests the changes will lead to greater alcohol use and associated harms, including deaths, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, interpersonal violence and chronic disease.
Dr. Daniel Myran, one of the authors of the CAMJ article and assistant professor at the University of Ottawa, says that alcohol is estimated to have caused 6,200 deaths in 2020, in addition to 250,00 emergency room visits and just under 50,000 hospital admissions.
Myran estimates the cost of the health impacts related to alcohol is just over $7 billion.
“There's really, really strong and robust evidence showing that the cheaper alcohol is, the more people consume it and the more harms that you see from it.”
The concerns expressed in CAMJ echo those made by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health in his annual report released earlier this month.
In the report, Dr. Kieran Moore recommended the province adopt a “comprehensive alcohol strategy designed to reduce alcohol-related harms.”
He also noted that if the number of retail outlets selling alcohol increases, the province will need to invest in services to monitor compliance with minimum age laws as well as product promotion, in addition to considering “other measures to reduce potential harms, such as fines and license fees, progressive enforcement up to and including loss of license, and enforcing restrictions related to the distance/ proximity of these outlets to places like schools and daycares.”
Moore said that the expansion of alcohol sales in Ontario in 2015 was associated with a 17.8 per cent increase in emergency department visits attributable to alcohol.
The Ontario government has said it will not be exploring any of the recommendations in Moore’s report.
“We believe in treating people like adults,” the premier said in early April at a news conference.
“You get to go into a retail store, a big box store, and buy a bottle of wine with your steak and maybe a six pack of beer like the rest of the world. That's what we believe in.”
Ontario Premier Doug Ford attends a press availability at a convenience store in Toronto, Thursday, Dec. 14, 2023. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young
The CAMJ report suggests that harms could be reduced by ensuring a minimum price for alcohol is established by both federal and provincial governments, and that enhanced warning levels be put on alcohol beverages to increase “consumer awareness of alcohol related harms.”
It also suggests that the federal government review and update regulations on alcohol marketing in Canada.
A spokesperson for the Ford government said that the safe, responsible sale and consumprion of alcohol in Ontario "continues to be a priority."
They also said the government announced an additional $10 million cash infusion to support "social responsibility and public health efforts to ensure alcohol continues to be sold and consumed safely."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
B.C. theatre to pay $55K to neurodivergent actor in discrimination case
British Columbia's human rights tribunal has awarded a neurodigergent actor, who was diagnosed with sensory and learning disorders, more than $55,000 after finding that a Kelowna theatre company discriminated against him because of his disabilities.
Who's responsible for regulating cannabis stores operating under the sovereignty banner?
It's not quite clear who is supposed to be regulating so-called sovereign cannabis stores or even ensure they're benefiting Indigenous communities.