Feud erupts over Ontario alcohol laws

Easily accessible alcohol may cost consumers more than they’re willing to pay.

The Beer Store president Ted Moroz announced Monday that consumers would pay a significantly higher amount for their booze if convenience stores are allowed to sell liquor. Consumers may even end up paying an average of $10 more for a two-four case of beer, Moroz says.

Moroz made the claims during his presentation to the Toronto Board of Trade in which he discussed the Beer Stores report on the topic. “Make no mistake. Beer, wine and liquor will be more expensive in Ontario.”

The 63-page study comes after the Ontario Convenience Stores Association (OCSA) called for alcohol to be sold in corner stores such as Mac’s and 7/11, something the OCSA says many Ontario residents want.

On Sunday, President and CEO of the OCSA, Dave Bryans, said a Dec 2013 poll showed 70 per cent of Ontario citizens want more places to buy alcohol.

In July 2012, the OCSA released a petition for convenience stores to sell beer and wine, which had acquired 112,500 signatures from all across the province.

“(The Beer Store owners) believe we’re living with 1927 archaic alcohol laws and no one can understand why the government’s protecting a full-on beer monopoly in Ontario,” he said to the Toronto Sun on Monday.

As part of the dispute, the Beer Store has launched a website called Ontario Beer Facts, created to “dispel the myths” about alcohol sales in Ontario.

“There’s been a lot of talk in Ontario about allowing convenience stores and gas stations to sell hard liquor, beer and wine. We want you to know all the facts in this important debate,” the website reads.

The OCSA and Ontario Beer Facts took to twitter Monday, to combat one another in an exchange of damaging statistics.

The OCSA and Beer Store could not be reached for direct comment.