Selling beer in grocery stores

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Premier Kathleen Wynne also announced today that the Province is making some changes to the rules around beer sales. Pretty soon, people will be able to purchase beer in some grocery stores. But there’s also a new tax.

The new tax will be phased in over four years. The Premier touted the whole move as a convenience for people but some say it will make it too easy to get alcolhol and that isn’t good for everyone. 40 year old Blake Younge had a promising hockey career but says alcohol took that and more away from him. “I quit drinking because I had a problem with it…so to have it more accessible to people probably isn’t a good idea.”

But Premier Wynne disagree’s and announced sweeping changes to how and where beer will be sold in Ontario. “When it comes to the sale of beer in Ontario, I’m here to announce that the status quo is over and that the days of monopoly are done”

The Beer Store is owned by three large foreign breweries. “This is the biggest shake up to the sale of beer in Ontario since we repealed prohibition.” Beer will soon be sold in up to 450 grocery stores across the province but Premier Wynne says the increased availability shouldn’t add to the issue of alcoholism in the province. “We are putting all the social controls and all the social protections in place around this decision that are already in place on alcohol consumption across the province.”
And they are adding a new tax, 25 cents a case to start eventually reaching a dollar per 24 pack. “Taxpayers will also receive an additional 100 million dollars a year in revenue from the sale of beer.”

The changes will give small, craft brewers more shelf space and marketing and improved placement in the Beer Store. “It’s very positive for craft brewers it should to a significant bump in the whole sector” says Cam Heaps from Steam Whistle Brewery.

The Canadian Restaurant Association also says these changes will help their members. It used to be difficult to get craft beer because you would have to order from each brewerey independently. Now, it can be ordered through the beer store so they will be able to stock more craft brews.