TORONTO-- Canada Day revellers will be able to celebrate as the last vestige of Ontario's outdated liquor laws is swept away.
The last of the regulatory changes that relaxed Ontario's booze rules will take effect July 1.
Organizers of multiple-day events will only have to apply for one permit and will be able to carry over the liquor from one day to the next.
It also reduces the categories of special occasion permits from nine to three, which would apply to events like birthdays, weddings, charity fundraisers and festivals.
A new permit can also be issued for events to promote a manufacturer's products, which would allow them to distribute samples and conduct market research.
Applications for special occasion permits will be accepted at any Liquor Control Board of Ontario store, rather than just the local store.
The first set of changes came last year, which opened up the province to all-inclusive vacations with booze and for alcohol to be served in bleachers rather than just stadiums.
It also extended the time where alcohol could be served at special events, such as weddings and charity events, and removed a rule that prohibited servers from carrying drinks from the bar to the patio if they were separated by a sidewalk.
There are a slew of other changes to fees and regulations that take effect July 1.
The Ontario Science Centre in Toronto will increase its general admission fee for adults to $22 from $20, but won't change prices for children, youth, seniors or adult tickets to OMNIMAX movies.
In Toronto, retailers won't have to charge shoppers five cents for a plastic bag. However, city council has decided to ban the bags entirely starting in 2013.
