iaink

Im not a heavy drinker*


That $1+bn a year the LCBO contributes to the tax base would have to come from somewhere so I'm quite happy to have the rest of you boozers subsidise my tax bill by topping up the provincial coffers. I'm also happy that the sole sourced nature of booze outlets here appears to make it harder** for kids to get their hands on booze compared to the UK, as no one in charge of a LCBO outlet wants to have their license pulled and lose the reins on their golden goose.





*Ok, so I might be considered heavy, and I drink some, but you knew what I meant...

** harder, not impossible.

Hawk13

Maybe the US micro brewery beer but there stock beer is just piss water as you piss it out faster than you can drink it. I don't even think you can drink it fast enough to get drunk, can you?

Molson isn't a decent beer either, so yes, the race is on.

Oink

Couldn't the government still collect taxes without having the cumbersome and costly infra-structre of liquor stores?

dbd33

In Ontario, I don't know about other provinces, there are Canadian brewers of quality beer but they're at a huge marketing disadvantage. Beer is sold through two chains, the LCBO and the Brewer's Retail. Quality beers are sold through the LCBO while Molson and Labatt products (and some others) are sold at the Brewer's Retail.

All containers are subject to a deposit but the deposit is only refunded at the Brewer's Retail. So, if you buy a case of a quality Canadian beer, Cameron's for example, you have to return the empties to the Brewer's Retail, then drive to the LCBO to purchase another one. This is the same trouble as for imported beers so you may as well buy a case of something familiar from your home country as try a local independent. Alternatively, since you're already at the Brewer's Retail, and you've been there for an hour returning your bottles, you may well be tempted to settle for a case of swill.

US beers don't face such barriers, the 7/11 keeps Bud, Sam Adams, Fat Tire, it's as easy to buy something nice as it is to buy Bud or Blue.

dbd33

US beers have the same alcohol content as Canadian ones.

iaink

It could collect the taxes, but I doubt it would bring in as much as it can at present by using its huge buying clout as the sole retailer to buy at a discount and then exploit its monopoly position to gouge the customers with its selling prices. Its the profits that are the golden egg for the more sober Ontario tax payers. Then there are the taxes on top of that anyway.


The downside to the LCBO is its very very hard to get a new product, or a variety of similar products in store. Frankly though Im not that precious about what I drink, so I will take the tight control over sale to minors over that any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Oink

I've never understood that either. The regular stuff tastes like piss on both sides of the border.

Oink

Stalin would be proud.

dbd33

Depends what counts as "regular stuff". Sam Adam's is no longer a microbrewery and their beer is available in very many places. I'd say that's "regular stuff" now and that it doesn't taste like piss. I don't think there's a Canadian equivalent, a quality beer available across the country.

Former Lancastrian

Yes they could but then that puts the onus on non Govt employees working in grocery stores etc etc to verify ages to sell booze.
Look at the UK off licence problems.
A private shopkeeper is more tempted to look the other way as the sale represents a profit to him whereas the Govt employee really doesnt give a shit as he is getting paid and therefore no benefit to them to look the other way plus they are probably getting a decent wage and benefits so why put their job at risk to sell a 16 yr old hoodie wearer a case of Stella.

dbd33

By rote, I reject your argument in favour of street drugs over alcohol for teenagers. That was ok when it was booze vs. weed, booze vs. meth is a much bigger gamble.

Oink

I've seen many more violations in BC liquor stores than private shops. A bloke brought back a big empty broken bottle of whiskey and they gave him a new one for free. I saw an obviously underage girl walk out with a large bottle of vodka and the employee told the security bloke to let her go and keep the booze. And plus, most often liquor store employees seem to be alcoholics themselves as they smell terrible most of time.

iaink

Its an oranges and apples argument isnt it. Access to alcohol doesnt exclude kids from doing drugs.

Maybe pissed up teens are more likely to give drugs a go than sober teens, maybe stoned teens are too mellow to give harder drugs a go, who knows. Lets tackle one thing at a time, or are you proposing that the way to keep kids off meth is to get them pissed?

No one is arguing that kids here are not exposed to pot, but at least they are not rowdy and itching for a fight on a Friday night as a result. Not around here anyway. If I had to choose the lesser of the two evils I would rather my kids smoked a bit of dope than drunk till they puked. YMMV.

Either way the LCBO is good for my tax bill.

Almost Canadian

Liquor is supplied by non government employees in Alberta. I don't see huge issues with alcohol being supplied to underage drinkers in Alberta.

BristolUK

Holy cow.

When I said nearer $12 instead of $10 I was assuming a Chardonnay. For Shiraz, make it $15.