Liquor Laws In Your Province (sales, buying, taxes)
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What are the liquor laws in your province? Are there any quirks unique to your province? I'm personally involved in an investment in a liquor store and would like to know how other provinces are unqiue.
I'm in Alberta where we have private liquor stores. They order their stock from a private contracted wholesale operator but the wholesale system is still owned by the province. Drinking age here is 18 and the stores are allowed to open from 10am-2am, 7 days a week. No drive thru liquor stores in Alberta but brew pubs are legal as are off-sales at bars and restaurants. As well, VLT's (gaming machines, "pokies" to Aussies) are legal here in restaurants and bars.
There is no limit to the amount of liquor stores in the province and just about anyone law abiding can open one up. Nothing "non-drinking related" is normally sold in these stores. That means that pop, mixers, glassware, bar equipment, etc. is sold in these stores but cigarettes and lottery tickets are not.
Many stores are also part of a chain, such as Liquor Depot, and many grocers such as Safeway, Costco and Superstore own liquor stores as well. Their stores are usually on the same property as their grocery stores, but usually in a stand alone building on the other side of the property, near the exit. A few grocery stores I've seen also have their liquor store sharing a building but have separate exits (such as Safeway in Canmore). As well, some gas stations will share a building with a liquor store, side by side...
In more rural areas, the province allows regular stores such as gas stations, general stores, truck stops, corner stores, etc. to sell liquor. I believe the rule is that no other retailer must sell off-sale liquor within 15km of the store for this to be legal. Source: AGLC - Liquor
Spirits and most wines are sold in government LCBO stores. Beer stores (conglomerate of the main breweries) are generally the only places to buy beer. There are a handful of exceptions. For examples, some Ontario winemakers are allowed to have their own counters in grocery stores or shopping centres. But you don't see these everywhere.
Legal drinking age: 19
Much more stricly enforced than in Quebec. Best chance for underagers is, like in Quebec, in bars. Though tougher than in Quebec for sure. LBCO and Beer Stores are really tough on underagers in Ontario.
Since I live on the border between the two, the contrast is interesting. For example, the Ottawa suburb of Orleans has two LCBO stores and two Beer Stores for a population of 100,000 people.
Spirits and most wines are sold in government LCBO stores. Beer stores (conglomerate of the main breweries) are generally the only places to buy beer. There are a handful of exceptions. For examples, some Ontario winemakers are allowed to have their own counters in grocery stores or shopping centres. But you don't see these everywhere.
Legal drinking age: 19
There are also hundreds (If not more) agency stores selling beer, wine and spirits. They are owned by private individuals (small businesses) such as variety stores and gas stations and are on/in those premises. They are all across the province and serve areas where an LCBO is not too close. Binbrook Ont is a good example, it's only about 10 miles from an LCBO in Hamilton.
They are quite common in the north.
There are also hundreds (If not more) agency stores selling beer, wine and spirits. They are owned by private individuals (small businesses) such as variety stores and gas stations and are on/in those premises. They are all across the province and serve areas where an LCBO is not too close. Binbrook Ont is a good example, it's only about 10 miles from an LCBO in Hamilton.
They are quite common in the north.
Yes indeed. But not in any reasonably urbanized areas where the monopolies are stricly applied.
SAQ does this as well in smaller more remote areas. You can see grocery stores with an SAQ sign.
I have always thought Ontario was far behind the times regarding beer stores. Having a very limited number of beer stores for urbanized areas is really frustrating, especially when you must drive for miles just to get some beer. Whenever I visit family in Ont, it's extremely annoying to have to plan your day around the location/hours of LCBO/beer store.
Maybe they could join us in the 21st century one of these days.
I have always thought Ontario was far behind the times regarding beer stores. Having a very limited number of beer stores for urbanized areas is really frustrating, especially when you must drive for miles just to get some beer. Whenever I visit family in Ont, it's extremely annoying to have to plan your day around the location/hours of LCBO/beer store.
Maybe they could join us in the 21st century one of these days.
They have been talking about loosening up the system for years in Ontario, but it will never happen with the current government. There is something about the psyche on Ontarians that just can't make the jump to privatized sales, Brewers Retail excepted. The Brewers Retail is a foreign owned retailer given a monopoly for some reason and even that survives. Sounds very Sopranos to me.
Perhaps the government should test out private "agency" sales in an urban area outside the Toronto Area, where all decisions, and visibility of those decisions are made. Kenora or Windsor would work. Those places are a lot less socially conservative than the Toronto Area already and have experience with the private system being as they are bordering regions. (Manitoba has private beer sales)
I prefer Alberta's system... No minimum prices, little restriction and the government still gets its cut, as well as corporate taxes that do not occur in the public system.
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