News – Page 2 – FreeOurBeer.ca

18Feb 2014 by Editor

Maclean’s Magazine: Ridicule flung at The Beer Store

News

Maclean's Magazine's Colby Cosh takes on the fiction emanating from The Beer Store: "It is encouraging to see so much ridicule being flung at the Beer Store’s “study” defending its role in the Soviet-flavoured Ontario liquor retailing system. The effectiveness of the Beer Store’s white paper depends on its Ontario audience knowing no practical details of freer retail schemes, particularly Alberta’s: yet, by an amusing paradox, the ur-source for the report appears to be Alberta. No one was willing to attach his name to the report itself, but it comes with a foreword by the Parkland Institute’s Greg Flanagan, who deems it a “valuable contribution”—one that, on an unrelated note, makes heavy use of Flanagan’s own past polemics against liquor privatization. What a terrible shame nobody took credit for this excellent document! I think…

18Feb 2014 by Editor

Toronto Star: Let Ontarians buy beer in corner stores

News

Once again, the privately owned monopoly called The Beer Store seems to be winning the day with Ontario’s political leaders, even with a vague caveat aimed at appeasing small craft brewers. After telling reporters she has “no intentions of allowing the sale of beer in convenience stores,” Wynne told an online “ask me anything” session this week that she’s having aconversation with the Ontario Craft Brewers Association to help them grow their business. Oh wait, maybe that means improving the display of their wares – in The Beer Store. Unfortunately, for any adult seeking the right to choose where and when they purchase beer, Wynne has joined a long list of politicians who just can’t say no to the trio of big foreign-owned brewers, Labatt, Molson and Sleeman, that owns The Beer Store.…

09Feb 2014 by Editor

Myths and Facts about modernizing beer sales in Ontario

Feature, News

Myths and Facts about modernizing beer sales in Ontario What The Beer Store doesn’t want you to know! February 10, 2014 – Toronto – More and more Ontarians are asking for increased competition and convenience in alcohol retailing, as evidenced by a recent Angus Reid survey that indicated almost seven-in-ten Ontarians (69%) want to see more private sector retailers selling beer to compete with The Beer Store. It is interesting to note that Ontario is the only jurisdiction in North America, where private brewers are allowed to operate what is essentially a retail monopoly. While there are retail monopolies in some provinces and states, they are owned by the government. As The Beer Store continues to argue against modernization, the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) (www.freeourbeer.ca) and its chain convenience…

30Jan 2014 by Editor

Toronto Star readers really, really don’t like The Beer Store

News

Bitter taste of reader feedback over The Beer Store: Cohn Judging by the head of foam overflowing from my inbox, politicians ignore Ontario’s nasty brew of anti-competitive behaviour at their peril. By: Martin Regg Cohn Provincial Politics, Published on Thu Jan 30 2014 One more kick at the (beer) can: After a couple of holiday columns on The Beer Store, it’s time to give readers their say. Nothing fills my inbox faster than Ontario’s private beer monopoly and its government enablers. Many readers were stunned to discover that The Beer Store isn’t a government-owned operation but a virtual monopoly owned by three big foreign-owned brewers. Judging by the head of foam overflowing from my inbox, politicians ignore this nasty brew of anti-competitive behaviour at their peril. As a public service to MPPs, here’s a free…

18Nov 2013 by Editor

Craft Brews Belong in Corner Stores

Feature, Message, News

NEWS ON BREWS: CRAFT BREWS BELONG IN CORNER STORES Ottawa Citizen By Vito Pilieci Another week has passed and the Ontario government has passed on another opportunity to modernize the draconian way in which the province deals with alcohol sales. Premier Kathleen Wynne came out swinging last Tuesday, shooting down any chance that liquor laws would be loosened to give consumers more choice about where to buy their booze. Wynne was responding to a formal request by the Ontario Convenience Store Association, which represents such retailers as Mac’s Convenience Stores, Petro Canada and Canadian Tire. The association has once more launched a submission to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario to modernize the province’s liquor laws. It argues that corner stores would offer a more convenient location for booze sales…

29Oct 2013 by Editor

Convenience store chains unveil Ontario wine / craft beer guarantee

News

Convenience store chains unveil major initiative to dedicate one-third of retailing space for Ontario wines and Ontario craft beer New retail channel would create big opportunities for local craft beers and Ontario wines to be sold right in the communities where they are made and across the province October 29, 2013 – Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario’s leading chain convenience stores, including 7-Eleven, Mac’s (Couche Tard), and Petro-Canada, a Suncor Energy business, announced today that when Ontario modernizes its alcohol retailing system, Ontario craft brewers and wineries will be the first to benefit. Retailers announced a plan to voluntarily set aside at least 30% of beer and wine retail space for Ontario wines and craft beer, creating significantly more consumer exposure and retailing opportunities than they currently have – especially…

09Sep 2013 by Editor

Mac’s promises 170 jobs if Ontario allows alcohol sales in c-stores

News

Mac’s Convenience Stores Inc. is promising to build 27 new convenience stores at the cost of $2 million each if it is granted the right to sell alcohol in Ontario. Tom Moher, vice-president of operations of Mac’s central Canada division, said during a speech in Toronto that the new convenience stores would be built within two years of being granted the right to sell alcohol. The new stores would be in Toronto. Brampton, Grey Bruce, London, Ottawa, Muskoka and other locations, Moher said at the Toronto Region Board of Trade. They would create up to 170 full-time jobs and would equal a total investment of $54 million by Mac’s, which is owned by Aliment Couche-Tard Inc. When asked whether he’d allow convenience stores to sell booze in June, Ontario Finance…

12Aug 2013 by Editor

Economic Study: Beer Store profits

News

Economic Study: Ontario’s beer retailing system enables The Beer Store owners to capture up to $700 million in incremental profits from Ontario beer drinkers every year “The Beer Store is a classic textbook example of a cartel” – peculiarly protected by provincial legislation in Ontario August 12, 2013 – Toronto – A new economic study that looked at beer prices between Ontario and Quebec has found that differences in the prices of identical products between the two provinces enables the foreign-owned Beer Store to capture as much as $700 million in “incremental profits” each year because of the near-monopoly on beer retailing it enjoys in Ontario. The Beer Store is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev of Belgium; Molson Coors Brewing Company of the United States; and, Sapporo of Japan. The study…

26Jun 2013 by Editor

Ontario won’t close door on c-store alcohol sales

News

Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa isn’t ruling out the sale of alcohol in convenience stores. Asked repeatedly whether he’d allow convenience stores to sell booze, Sousa wouldn’t close the door to the change, which the governing Liberals have repeatedly rebuffed. The minister says the Liquor Control Board of Ontario is expanding its reach into grocery stores and adding more retail stores. But he says he’ll always be looking at alternatives that would support the province’s economy. Ontario is facing an $11.7-billion deficit, which the Liberals have promised to eliminate by 2017-18. Sousa’s comments came after Mac’s Convenience Stores said it would create 1,600 full-time jobs if its Ontario stores were allowed to sell beer, wine and spirits. Read the full story: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-finance-minister-not-ruling-out-selling-alcohol-in-convenience-stores/article12827063/

24Jun 2013 by Editor

Economic Study: Competition a boost to gov’t revenue

News

Study shows Ontario government could earn higher profits by allowing competition to government-run LCBO and foreign-owned Beer Store Keeping LCBO and Beer Store, but increasing competition for consumers grows LCBO profits and creates opportunities for more government revenueTORONTO, June 24, 2013 /CNW/ - A new economic study suggests that expanding the current retailing system beyond the LCBO, Beer Store would not only preserve the $1.6 billion profit that the LCBO returns to the government, but would quite possibly increase it. The study was conducted by Professor Anindya Sen, Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Waterloo."This study is based on economic models and independent analysis of 18 years of statistical data on revenues provincial governments receive from alcohol sales," said Professor Sen. "Two key findings emerge from the study: contrary to common belief, expanding alcohol…