- by Anne Finlay-Stewart, Editor
Big Bay, Ferndale, Flesherton, Holland Centre, Holstein, Kemble, Kilsyth, Oliphant, Pike Bay, Priceville, Walters Falls and Williamsford. Add them all to the list of local communities where you may be able to pick up beer, wine and other beverage alcohol.
The LCBO will release a Request for Proposal for local retailers in the 200 newly identified communities, including those in Grey and Bruce. All business applicants that meet the requirements for an authorization will be entered into a lottery for each community and those selected will be eligible for Convenience Outlet authorizations. Up to 60 stores are expected to open in August.
These new locations will now be called "LCBO Convenience Outlets" to help consumers easily identify local alcohol retailers in their community that offer a similar product assortment as LCBO stores, according to a media release from Vic Fedeli, Minister of Finance.
In addition, 87 more grocery stores, chosen by a lottery process, will be selling beverage alcohol in Ontario by December.
The media release contained the full list of changes to alcohol regulations over the first year of the PC government.
- Letting sports fans drink alcohol at tailgating parties at eligible sporting events.
- Enabling municipalities to make rules about alcohol consumption in public spaces like parks.
- Extending hours of alcohol service at licensed establishments, allowing them to start serving alcohol at 9 a.m.
- Letting the Beer Store, LCBO and other authorized retailers, such as grocery stores and agency stores, sell alcohol from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., seven days a week.
- Changing advertising rules to allow for “happy hour” in Ontario.
- Providing flexibility for wineries, cideries, breweries and distilleries to promote their products at manufacturing sites by removing the prescribed serving sizes for “by the glass” licences.
- Pausing beer and wine tax hikes initiated by the previous government.
- Lowering the price floor to allow brewers to sell beer for $1 (Buck-a-beer).
