Ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages coming to licensed Ontario grocery stores this week
Posted July 15, 2024 10:23 am.
Last Updated July 15, 2024 1:39 pm.
The province is speeding up its timeline and will allow licensed Ontario grocery stores to order and sell ready-to-drink (RTD) alcoholic beverages and large beer pack sizes starting this week and ahead of schedule.
The Ford government is effectively accelerating the first phase of its plan to expand alcohol sales to grocery, convenience and big-box stores by allowing the 450 grocery stores licensed to sell beer, cider or wine once they arrive in store on July 18 rather than August 1.
In May, the Ford government announced that beer, wine, and ready-to-drink cocktails would be sold at Ontario convenience stores starting next month.
By the end of October, every licensed convenience, grocery and big-box store in Ontario will be able to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages.
The government is also creating temporary flexibility to allow licensed grocery stores to display alcohol in multiple areas of a store, with some limits.
LCBO strike enters new week with no talks planned
On Sunday, Ontario’s main liquor retailer said it had abandoned plans to open a handful of in-store shopping locations amid the ongoing strike by thousands of its employees.
The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) previously said it planned to open 32 stores three days a week with limited hours if the strike by OPSEU members lasted longer than two weeks.
LCBO workers represented by OPSEU walked off the job on July 5 after negotiations broke down. The LCBO says it has been able to serve retail customers through online shopping since the strike began, fulfilling orders within a week.
On Monday, the provincial government said it would temporarily allow the transfer of wine and spirits between locations with the same owner and/or affiliated licensees to assist bars and restaurants in managing inventory.
OPSEU responded to the latest developments on Monday.
“Instead of bargaining in good faith with the union and revisiting public policy that’s flat-out bad for Ontario, Doug Ford is only focused on pushing his harmful agenda – he can’t be trusted,” said Colleen MacLeod, Chair of the Bargaining Team.
“Ford’s picking a fight with workers and the people of Ontario who are in this fight with us. They know that giving away billions in public revenues will affect all of us – and that our win is their win too. It’s why we’re fighting for a fair collective agreement at the table and for better policies in the streets.”
Last week, Premier Doug Ford shared an interactive map designed to connect consumers to thousands of retailers and local alcohol producers during the ongoing LCBO strike. The retailers include more than 1,000 local Ontario breweries, wineries, wine shops, distilleries, and other vendors such as LCBO Convenience Outlets, The Beer Store, and licensed grocery stores.
Ford has maintained that his government won’t back down on alcohol expansion plans and has urged the OPSEU to focus on issues such as wages, benefits, and job security for its LCBO employees. The Premier also said he’s spoken to several workers and urged OPSEU to review LCBO’s offer.
The union believes Ford’s plan to open up the alcohol sales market poses an existential threat to the LCBO that will lead to major job losses. It does not want ready-to-drink cocktails sold outside LCBO stores, wants the province to guarantee its jobs and wage increases, and wants more permanent rather than part-time positions.
“Doug Ford’s policies affect our livelihoods and the public good – so we had to fight back,” added MacLeod in Monday’s release. “And we are getting tired of others trying to tell us what our strike is over. This is about way more than ready-to-drink cocktails.”
With files from The Canadian Press
