Beer, wine coming to Ontario corner stores by 2026, Doug Ford announces

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is announcing that sales of beer, wine, cider and ready-to-drink cocktails will be allowed in convenience stores and all grocery stores in the province by 2026.

Government officials say these are some of the biggest changes in alcohol sales in the history of the province, making Ontario just the second jurisdiction in Canada – after Quebec – to offer beer in corner stores and the first to offer ready-to-drink cocktails in those locations.

The move would fulfil a promise Ford made during the 2018 election and marks the second attempt the premier has made to put beer and wine in corner stores, previously passing but not enacting legislation to cancel an agreement with the Beer Store.

That agreement saw sales of beer and wine expanded to a maximum of 450 grocery stores across the province, with the Beer Store retaining exclusive rights to sell 12- and 24-packs of beer, and Ontario is announcing today that deal and those terms will end in 2025.

Under Ford’s plan, eligible retail outlets across the province, including an estimated 6,700 convenience stores and another 1,800 grocery stores, will be able to set their own pricing – right now, all retail outlets have to adhere to pricing set by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario.

Officials say certain amounts of shelf space will have to be dedicated to small beer and wine producers.

Ontario’s new agreement with the Beer Store will see it retain a “primary” role in beer distribution and run its recycling program for five years.

No commitments have been made beyond the five-year term of the new deal, officials said.

The Beer Store said the company looks forward to the next stage in its evolution.

“The agreement acknowledges the important role The Beer Store plays in the responsible sale of beer and ensures it will be able to continue its environmental stewardship for years to come through its recycling program and the Ontario Deposit Return Program,” the Beer Store wrote in a statement.

Once the new system is up and running, Ontario would have the third highest density of alcohol retail stores in Canada, up from its current lowest position.

The government will work on providing an as-yet unspecified amount of increased funding for social responsibility initiatives, officials said.

Ontario’s auditor general said in a report this month that government officials have not consulted Public Health Ontario on the implications of the expansion of alcohol sales in recent years.

The Ontario Public Health Association raised concerns earlier this year about a possible expansion of alcohol sales, saying it would have negative health implications.

“Research and real-world evidence show that when alcohol becomes cheaper and more available, consumption increases, and so does alcohol-related harm,” the group wrote in a press release.

“Alcohol is the most widely used substance in Ontario, yet most people are not aware of the harm it can cause to their health.”

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, funded by Health Canada, said in a report this year that consuming more than two drinks per week constitutes a moderate health risk due to evidence linking alcohol to cancer.

As part of the alcohol sales modernization, the government announced Thursday that it will introduce legislation to eliminate a 6.1 per cent basic tax on all on-site retail sales of 100 per cent Ontario wines, a move the industry has long urged.

– By Allison Jones and Liam Casey, The Canadian Press