THUNDER BAY — Since the province announced that beer, cider, and premixed cocktails will be available in convenience stores come 2026, many have been left wondering what the future holds for The Beer Store.
Representing all Beer Store workers and Beer Store truck drivers, the president of UFCW 12R24, John Nock, says they've got a deal with the province until 2033.
"It's promising that we will be the sole distributor for at least five years beyond 2026, and retail will remain as is until 2033," says Nock. "So that part was promising, but you know, there's still the future beyond that."
The Ford government had already passed legislation that could cancel existing agreements with the Beer Store, but hasn't pulled the trigger on the process.
The Beer Store will have exclusivity to sell 12 and 24 packs of beer and will be the primary distributor for eateries, bars and retail until at least 2031, as well as continuing its empties recycling program.
Nock is hopeful that the Beer Store will remain the top choice for many customers as they will have consistent pricing across the province, versus varied prices when visiting other retailers in different communities.
"I'm sure [the Beer Store] is gonna lose some volume, but we're convinced that the employer is going to do their best to step up their game and make us more attractable, and maybe we'll be able to sell other things besides beer as well, where we could never sell anything else before," said Nock.
With the changes coming, he's also hoping the Beer Store will be allowed to offer other AGCO items for sale, like lottery tickets, pre-mixed cocktails and hard lemonades.
The Beer Store also holds the advantage of having the shelf and storage space to hold multiple varieties of craft brewery options, whereas most corner stores will have space at a premium and may be more likely to stock large retail brands.
The union is in contract negotiations with the Beer Store, as their current agreement expires at the end of the month.
Nock spoke to that, "We are in bargaining, and this new news is going to make bargaining a little bit more challenging, I think. But we're optimistic, and we always work toward getting a fair collective agreement."
The union president says both sides are on a break for the holidays and will get back to the bargaining table in the new year. Nock said they are typically into March or April before a tentative agreement can be voted on by union members.
