Beer and wine in Ontario corner stores represents most substantial deregulation policy in decades, report finds

Ontario’s plan to allow the sale of beer, wine and cider at convenience and big box stores represents 'the most substantial alcohol deregulation policy in Canada in decades,' a national medical journal suggests.

Ontario’s plan to allow the sale of beer, wine and cider at convenience and big box stores represents “the most substantial alcohol deregulation policy in Canada in decades,” a national medical journal suggests.

The finding was made in an April 8 article published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CAMJ), based on new policy that alters how alcohol is sold in the province. The Ford government has previously said the policy changes could allow an additional 8,500 stores to sell alcoholic beverages.

“These changes will result in a 289 per cent increase in the number of alcohol stores in Ontario … (and) will likely reduce the price of alcohol, and will represent the biggest shift in decades with respect to how alcohol is sold in Canada,” the authors of the article write.

As early as 2026, beer, wine, cider, coolers, seltzers and “other low-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages” will be available for purchase in some big box stores and convenience stores across Ontario, including those located at gas stations.

The province has said these retailers will have to adhere to the same rules set by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, which says that retailers can sell booze between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m., regardless of the hours they are open.

However, the peer-reviewed CAMJ article suggests the changes will lead to greater alcohol use and associated harms, including deaths, emergency department visits, hospital admissions, interpersonal violence and chronic disease.