In early 2023, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his government were closing in on a framework to greenlight the sale of beer, wine and pre-mixed drinks in convenience and grocery stores across the province, finally delivering a years’ old promise.
As the policy took shape, officials reached out to stakeholders and experts to get their specialist advice on the finer points of the plan. Around April 2023, the government sat down with Mothers Against Drunk Driving, Arrive Alive and the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health.
A summary of the advice the Ford government received from the three groups — obtained by Global News using freedom of information laws — shows the advocacy groups and experts cautioned the province against moving too quickly, warning that making alcohol more available would come with risks.
Just over half a year later, the government announced it would allow convenience stores across Ontario to sell alcohol by 2026. Months after that, in May 2024, Ford supercharged that timeline, paying The Beer Store $225 million to liberalize alcohol sales beginning in 2024.
“They’ve all told the government to go slowly … and none of their recommendations were listened to,” Ontario NDP Health Critic France Gelinas said, after reviewing a copy of the document obtained by Global News.
“Not only has everybody told the government, ‘Go slow’ because there is harm that comes with the availability of alcohol and consumption of alcohol, they’ve completely disregarded that, are going fast and at the same time they have not increased the resources for the people who will reach out for help.”
A spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, which is leading the alcohol sales expansion, said the government’s “responsible and balanced approach treats consumers like adults by giving them more choice and convenience.”
'Going slowly'
The summary of stakeholder feedback obtained by Global News included detailed notes on meetings with MADD, Arrive Alive and CAMH.
During an April meeting with MADD, the advocacy group said it was broadly in favour of allowing the sale of alcohol in grocery stores, something it viewed as “a success.”
The key for further rollouts, according to the document obtained by Global News, would be “starting small and going slowly.”
Almost identical advice was given to the government by Arrive Alive, which said it was generally opposed to the policy but understood it was “an inevitability to an extent” that the government would push ahead.
“Arrive Alive cautions against going too quickly with implementation; alcohol is widely accessible already,” the government’s notes from the meeting explain.
“Ensure gradual roll-out, particularly to convenience stores, to address concerns with expansion of alcohol sales,” the group also advised.
Despite the explicit advice from experts to be slow and cautious in the rollout of alcohol to convenience stores, the government sped up its timeline.
Beginning on Sept. 5, 2024, thousands of new licences to sell alcohol in Ontario will be active, predominantly for independent convenience stores and chains like Circle K and 7-11.
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JP Hornick, president of OPSEU which represents LCBO workers, said the Ford government has been blatantly ignoring what it was told.
“The government has demonstrated the same set of behaviour they do in the face of all expert testimony — which is to disregard it in favour of an agenda that they already have planned,” Hornick told Global News.
“This government consistently disregards what experts are telling them: to test things, to go slowly.”
Anne Leonard, president of Arrive Alive, told Global News she hoped the government would be careful in its rollout and ensure it carefully monitored the changes it was bringing in to avoid major issues.
“I think it’s a little rushed,” she said. “We’d encourage them to slow down, especially make sure you see what’s going on before you proceed any further. One of the things we’ve talked about was training for whoever’s going to be selling the product.”
‘Increased harms’
The groups polled by the government were also at pains to point out that any policy making alcohol sales more convenient would come with issues.
“A large number of convenience stores (vs. grocery stores) would significantly increase access to alcohol, and therefore the opportunity for increased harms,” CAMH told the government when it was consulted.
Leslie Buckley, chief of the addictions division at CAMH, stressed that “alcohol is not a neutral substance” and that making it easier to buy would come with risks.
“We basically wanted to make our points about the accessibility factor,” she told Global News.
“We are not elected officials, we have our role and we’re focusing on the harms. Now, the decision-makers are balancing convenience versus potential harms of alcohol, so they’re coming from a different perspective.”
CAMH, Arrive Alive and MADD all took issue with a plan — already partially rolled out — to allow 7-11 stores in Ontario to sell alcohol for takeaway, while also offering on-site drinking for those who wish.
“CAMH is concerned about increased harms for vulnerable populations,” the document obtained by Global News explained. “Expanding on-site consumption to 7-11 stores is particularly concerning.”
Arrive Alive told the government it was “significantly more concerned with on-site consumption at convenience stores” like 7-11 than takeaway sales. MADD said the same, noting its “greatest concern is on-site consumption at gas stations and convenience stores (i.e. 7-11 currently).”
So far, only two 7-11 stores in Ontario allow on-site drinking.
A spokesperson for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which issues licences to sell alcohol, told Global News it had issued 58 licenses for 7-11 stores to begin selling alcohol on Sept. 5 for takeaway only.
A request to allow 54 more 7-11s to permit on-site drinking was effectively on hold as the government waits for 7-11 “to complete the necessary licensing steps for their remaining in-store consumption applications.”
Leonard from Arrive Alive said that she had deep reservations about the plan.
“We really don’t like that — it’s a silly thing to offer that you can just drink in a 7-11,” she said. “We wrote to protest that but, again, if you’re going to open up the legislation, I guess these are some of the things that can happen. And again, that can be audited and rolled back if it’s not working.”
'Responsible sale and consumption'
Accepting the Ford government has already made its decision on alcohol expansion, advocate groups hope some measures can still be kept in place to make the rollout as smooth as possible.
Gelina, the NDP Health Critic, said you “won’t be able to balance” the harms once alcohol is made more readily available but increased resources could help, particularly for addiction facilities and resources.
“It would be good if at least they get a little bit of increased resources so they can see people faster,” she said, suggesting wait times in her riding are as high as 18 months.
Buckley said a focus on earlier, “upstream” interventions to tackle alcohol addiction would also be important.
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“Something that is missing is early intervention,” she said. “So how do you create programming for people who don’t feel ready to reach out for something like residential treatment — it’s very intensive.”
The Ministry of Finance spokesperson said funds would flow to public health groups and agencies.
“To support the safe, responsible sale and consumption of alcohol in Ontario, the government is investing an additional $10 million to support social responsibility and public health efforts to ensure alcohol continues to be sold and consumed safely in the expanded marketplace,” they said.
The spokesperson also pointed out that minimum pricing for alcohol would remain — something MADD, Arrive Alive and CAMH all advocated for.
“The government will be taking a socially responsible approach to help ensure the transition to a new marketplace is safe, stable and predictable,” the spokesperson continued. “This includes limiting the sale of high-alcohol content spirits, like gin, whisky and vodka, to stores in the LCBO’s retail network stores as well as maintaining Ontario minimum pricing standard, meaning retailers will not be able to price products below the province’s regulated minimum prices.”
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