Toronto convenience store found selling alcohol weeks before it is allowed: AGCO

A convenience store in Toronto has been hit with a three-week liquor and lottery licence suspension after an Alcohol and Gaming Commision of Ontario (AGCO) inspection found it was selling alcoholic beverages well before corner stores can officially stock its shelves with beer, wine and ready-to-drink beverages.

On Aug. 16, the AGCO said an inspector visited Mabelle Tuck Shop unannounced and found various alcoholic drinks were already available for customers.

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After Labour Day weekend on Sept. 5, convenience stores can start to sell alcohol to customers, so long as they have obtained their liquor licence to do so.

Not only did the AGCO find liquor for sale at the store, located at 24 Mabelle Ave. just north of Bloor Street West, the inspector found that it was selling alcoholic beverages that were not bought from official LCBO channels as well as selling spirits – which corner stores are prohibited from selling under the province's expanded liquor retail market rules.

"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," Dr. Karin Schnarr, AGCO's CEO, said in a release.

Consequently, the AGCO handed multiple infractions to the licensee, including a 21-day suspension of their liquor and lottery licence.

These compliance measures, the AGCO says, exemplify the Crown agency's system for compliance and social responsibility.

Convenience and grocery stores must meet several criteria to hold their liquor licence, established under Ontario's Liquor Licence and Control Act, which includes a "wide-ranging monitoring process."

Such rules include but are not limited to, the sale of liquor from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and employee completion of the AGCO Board-approved training program. Outside of a licence suspension, licence holders who fail to comply can also be handed monetary penalties or have their licence revoked, depending on the severity of the situation.