THUNDER BAY — City residents will have a pretty easy time finding a convenience store that sells booze starting in September.
So far, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has issued licences for alcohol sales at 25 sites since the application process opened last month.
About half of these have been issued for Circle K and Circle K/gas bar locations, while six have been granted for Shell gas bar sites.
Licences have also been approved for the Canadian Tire gas bar on Fort William Road, Mobil gas bars on Memorial Avenue, Oliver Road, and East Avenue, and the Esso gas bar on John Street Road.
As of July 15, AGCO had granted licences, as well, to two independently-owned stores – Ajibo Shop on Victoria Avenue East and Alley's Corner Variety on Franklin Street South.
In the grocery store category, Skaf's Just Basics has received a licence to sell alcohol.
Permitted products under the Ontario government's expansion of the alcoholic beverage marketplace include beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages.
Convenience stores can begin selling booze on Sept. 5, 2024 while new grocery store retailers can start on Oct. 31, 2024.
On Monday, the government also announced it will allow already-licensed grocery stores to sell ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages and larger packs of beer starting as soon as this Thursday, rather than the original target date of August 1.
The accelerated pace of the expansion plan comes in the midst of a 10-day-old strike by LCBO employees.
Their union, OPSEU, has maintained that allowing more products to be sold at grocery and corner stores will reduce LCBO revenue and thereby impact funding for public services in the province.
