Priorities. Lol
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Premier Doug Ford and Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy announced the impending changes at a news conference in Etobicoke Friday morning.
"It was just a few months ago that we were together talking about our plan to give people more choice and more convenience when it comes to buying beer, cider, wine and other alcoholic beverages in Ontario.
Ford disputed a characterization that the money is going to the companies that jointly own The Beer Store, though the agreement specifies “the province shall reimburse TBS” for added costs up to that amount.
Meanwhile, the LCBO will continue to be the only retailer that sells high-alcohol spirits like gin and whisky, and will be the only wholesale seller of alcohol in the province.
The ministry estimates there will be some 8,500 new locations where consumers can purchase low-alcohol products, giving Ontario the third-highest density of alcohol retail stores among the provinces, behind only Newfoundland and Labrador and Quebec.
The government is putting an additional $10 million over five years to support social responsibility, but a coalition of public health and advocacy organizations have called on the province to develop a comprehensive alcohol strategy for reducing harms.
The original article contains 1,038 words, the summary contains 193 words. Saved 81%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Ten million over five years to help with the fallout, but six hundred million up front because Doug has delayed-gratification issues.
I wonder if they are prepared to do the follow up studies and potentential enforcement to see if drinking and driving increases or decreses from this decision.
It’s an interesting question. On the one hand, alcohol is more accessible. On the other, it’s more likely to be within walking distance. I could see it going either way.
Have you seen most Ontario communities? At least the ones being built today?
People drive to Penguin Centres because there are no corner stores anywhere outside of older downtowns, and said Penguin Centres are so large you have to walk quite some distance to get from your parking spot to the store, and you really have to drive between stores in the centre,
Anywhere you can walk to buy a chocolate bar won’t see a problem. Anywhere else is going to be a train, er, car-wreck.
Did we really need to spend more than half-billion dollars to make this happen a year early? I really struggle to see what problem this is solving for Doug, other than his gnawing need to do something cravenly populist and perhaps to show the LCBO unions who’s boss.
It’s like we elected the protagonist from Dennis Leary’s Asshole Song as premier.
My thoughts as well. More oppourtunity to walk to alcohol while already impaired but also more oppourtunity to aquire alcohol while driving.
No.
This is the era of modern neoliberalism; “thoughtful studies”, “follow-up” and “enforcement” aren’t things we do any more, not if there’s money to be made.
Either that or blow all the money on the same 3 studies 5 years in a row then claim theres simply no money left to do the project.
Ah, so you’ve seen the Liberal handbook too?
(The Conservative one is similar, only they spend the money to get a Big Four accounting firm to do an audit to tell them there’s no fat to trim need to invest more)
I read the article but didn’t see anything on supplier limitations. Does anyone know if this will open up breweries to sell a wider variety to these stores or are they still going to have that massive upfront cost that LCBO and BeerStore charge to get drinks on the shelf?
