Purchasing beer and wine along with their bread and milk is such a popular theme among British Columbians responding to the Liquor Policy Review, government is committing to explore retail models that could work for B.C.

In response to comments about grocery stores on the blog - about 80 per cent of which are in favour of the idea - the B.C. government will examine a number of models, including those in other jurisdictions that permit liquor sales in grocery stores.

Several other Canadian provinces have models that B.C. will consider. For example, in Quebec, grocery stores can sell domestic and imported beer, as well as Quebec-bottled wine. Other models include Nova Scotia, where provincial liquor authorities have opened government liquor stores within grocery stores - a so-called "store within a store". In Ontario, some Ontario wineries are allowed to sell their wine either in freestanding stores or a store within a grocery store or other host retailer.

To balance some concerns heard from health and safety advocates about the number of retail outlets, consideration also will be given to maintaining the current cap on the overall number of retail liquor outlets. This could mean allowing current Licensee Retail Stores (LRS) and/or Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) stores to operate within grocery stores.

Following 84 days of consultations, British Columbians are encouraged to use the remaining three days of the public consultation to read about the various retail models on Parliamentary Secretary for Liquor Policy Reform John Yap's blog and leave their thoughts on what a responsible, made-in-B.C. model would look like to them. The blog will be open to comments until midnight on Thursday, Oct. 31, 2013. All feedback and policy research on liquor in grocery stores will help inform Yap's recommendations.

Other popular topics of conversation have included allowing craft beer and wine to be sold at farmer's markets, streamlining applications for Special Occasion Licences and allowing children to accompany their parents at liquor primary establishments such as pubs and legions. All of these will be addressed in Yap's final report, which will be delivered to Attorney General and Justice Minister Suzanne Anton on Nov. 25.

Quote:

John Yap, Parliamentary Secretary for Liquor Policy Reform -

"I've heard strong support for liquor sales in grocery stores and the added convenience it would afford B.C. families. There's no doubt this would be a big shift in our province - so we will be taking a thoughtful approach and carefully considering which model could work best for B.C., while taking into account all the concerns we've heard about the dangers of increased access to minors. We must also balance health and public safety with any improvement to convenience, should we proceed in this direction."

Quick Facts:

• There have been more than 800 comments (including blog comments, emails and tweets) to the B.C. Liquor Policy Review blog that discuss liquor in grocery stores.
• Carry on the conversation about modernizing B.C.'s liquor laws on Twitter with the #bcliquor hashtag, which has been used more than 4,200 times since the review was launched.
• The last major review of B.C.'s liquor laws was completed in 1999, but did not include a public-consultation component.

Learn More:

Contribute your ideas on the B.C. Liquor Policy Review website: http://engage.gov.bc.ca/liquorpolicyreview/

Read about other practical reforms made to B.C.'s liquor laws over the past two years: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/docs-forms/ModernizingLiquorLaws.pdf

To learn more about the rules for liquor licensing in B.C, visit: http://www.pssg.gov.bc.ca/lclb/LLinBC/index.htm

A backgrounder follows.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961

BACKGROUNDER

Grocery and liquor store models across Canada

Approximately 80 per cent of comments about liquor sold in grocery stores on the B.C. Liquor Policy Review blog are in favour of the added convenience that this change could provide.

B.C.'s current model already allows for independently owned, full-service grocery stores to also operate as Rural Agency Stores (RAS) to sell liquor, including spirits, wine, beer, cider and coolers, in a community that is not served by a BC Liquor Store or private liquor store. There are a total of 221 RASs in B.C.

Manitoba and Nova Scotia allow government liquor stores to operate within a grocery store - under the same roof as the grocery store, but in a separate space with separate cash registers, and operated by liquor authority employees.

• Manitoba currently has two liquor stores within grocery stores, with plans to increase this number to 5.
• Nova Scotia has 35 liquor stores within grocery stores.

Currently, only one Canadian province allows chain grocery stores in non-rural areas to sell liquor as a licensee.

• Quebec allows all grocery stores to sell domestic and imported beer, as well as wine bottled in Quebec.

In Ontario, wineries can sell their wine in freestanding stores or a store within a grocery store. Ontario also has announced a pilot project where up to 10 government liquor stores will be allowed to operate inside grocery stores, but has not yet proceeded with these plans.

Contact:

Government Communications and Public Engagement
Ministry of Justice
250 356-6961