Beer and wine could be as close as the corner store under a PC government — a move other provinces have “conclusively demonstrated” works for customers, Doug Ford says.The day before the start of the “May 24” holiday weekend, Ford said that if elected in June, he’ll make sure booze is available for sale in convenience and box stores as well as grocery stores.“As we approach the Victoria Day Weekend, it is time to acknowledge that Ontario is mature enough for this change and ready join other jurisdictions in making life a little more convenient,” the Tory leader said Friday.“Consumers will soon be able to grab a bottle of wine in the same location where they get their groceries for an evening dinner with guests, or grab a case of beer around the corner from where they live, so they can entertain friends.“I believe in doing what’s convenient for the people, and not what’s convenient for the government.”Ford slammed the Liberals for a system where the main owners of the Beer Store, whose outlets make up the bulk of beer sales in the province, are foreign companies. He said he would “instead encourage a level playing field where retail options are based on local demand as opposed to government decree.”The PCs says any new locations selling booze would be regulated similar to the LCBO. “Other provinces have already conclusively demonstrated that you can expand points of sale in this way while rigorously enforcing the law,” Ford said in a statement. In a statement, the privately owned Beer Store chain said it “employs 7,000 hard-working Ontarians, operates world-class recycling and responsible sales systems and has proudly served Ontario beer drinkers since 1927.”“The Beer Store’s cost recovery fee structure generates efficiencies that deliver beer prices that are amongst the lowest in the country in spite of high government tax rates,” s ...
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