Ontario could uncork as many as 9,100 new jobs if beer and wine sales are liberalized, a new Retail Council of Canada report suggests.“Greater choice for alcohol and increase convenience is both a strong win for Ontario consumers as well as for Ontario’s economy,” said the nine-page study released Tuesday.The retail lobby group predicted Premier Doug Ford’s campaign promise to expand the sale of beer and wine to corner stores and big-box outlets could be good for business.“Ontario is dead last in Canada when it comes to alcohol choice and convenience,” it said, noting the province has 2.4 outlets selling booze per 10,000 people well below the national average of 5.92.While Ford has promised as many as 11,500 new outlets selling alcohol, the retail council said an additional 4,028 stores would bring Ontario to the Canadian average for access to booze.“If the province increased its store count to the national average, the overall retail sales and number of jobs created would balloon,” said council vice-president Karl Littler.The retailers estimate that would inject an extra $3.5 billion annually to the Ontario economy. That’s based on licensed supermarkets reporting their sales increase an average of $880,000 a year when they sell beer and wine.Currently, there are about 2,700 locations retailing alcohol, including 660 LCBO outlets, 210 agency stores, 450 supermarkets, 450 Beer Store locations, and hundreds of private wine stores selling Ontario vintages and Canadian-blended plonk.The Beer Store, which has an ironclad 10-year agreement with Queen’s Park signed in 2015, employs 7,000 unionized workers in the province.Industry sources have told the Star that taxpayers could be on the hook for more than $1 billion in financial penalties if Ford breaks the accord inked by former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne’s government four years ago.That’s because under the 27-page “master framework agre ...
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