This article was migrated from our previous website and, due to its age, some content, images, links, or details may be incomplete or unavailable.
For general inquiries, please contact info@cfig.ca. For questions regarding press releases or media content, please contact marketing@cfig.ca.
Further to the letter sent by our Minister’s Offices earlier today, we are writing to let you know that the government has filed regulations to modernize Ontario’s beverage alcohol legal framework. The new legal framework will come into effect on November 29, 2021.
The new regulations will be posted on e-laws in the coming days, and the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) and the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) will be reaching out to businesses to support your transition to the new legal framework.
In the meantime, we have summarized some of the key changes that may be of interest to your organization, below:
- All licensed grocery stores and wine boutiques are able to offer beer, wine and cider online, as applicable, for curbside pickup at the store.
- All licensed grocery stores and wine boutiques are permitted added flexibility for other non-alcohol products, excluding energy drinks, and products that promote immoderate consumption, to be sold in the same contiguous aisles.
- The temporarily extended retail hours of 7:00 am to 11:00 pm are made permanent for alcohol retailers.
- Individuals involved in the sale, service or delivery of liquor who are required to hold an AGCO Board approved training certificate (i.e. Smart Serve) are required to recertify their training every five years, effective July 1, 2022.
Some proposals that you put forward as part of the consultation process may not be reflected in the new legal framework. This includes items that may not be regulatory in nature, require additional analysis, or are related to taxation or future policies. We appreciate your insights on these additional topics and will continue to review items as part of potential future modernization.
Thank you, again, for your participation in the consultations to inform the development of the new regulations under the Liquor Licence and Control Act, 2019. We have appreciated you taking the time to share your valuable insights and written submissions.
We look forward to continuing to engage with your organization on opportunities to provide meaningful change within Ontario’s alcohol sector.
