Convenience stores can start selling alcohol off their shelves in about a month and, so far, more than 3,850 have obtained their liquor licences to do so.
A spokesperson for the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario confirmed to CTV News Toronto that, as of Aug. 12, it had approved 3,866 convenience store licences with about 42 per cent of those licences being for gas stations.
That means that more than half of the approximately 6,700 convenience stores in Ontario are already licensed to sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages starting Sept. 5, the first Thursday after Labour Day weekend. Newly licenced grocery stores can begin selling the same alcoholic drinks to customers starting Oct. 31.
"AGCO has therefore increased its inspection capacity by about 25 to monitor the safe and responsible sale of alcohol by licensees in the expanded liquor retail marketplace," Raymond Kahnert of the AGCO wrote in an email to CTV News Toronto. Eligible convenience and grocery stores must meet several criteria to hold their liquor licence, as established under the province's Liquor Licence and Control Act, including a "wide-ranging compliance monitoring process."
Employees must be at least 18 years old and complete an AGCO Board-approved training program before a store can sell alcohol. Though some grocery stores operate 24 hours, all licenced locations must only sell liquor within thefrom 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
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