Liquor sales are a possibility in Alberta grocery stores, but expect pushback
Alberta's alcohol industry is pushing back against a provincial government consideration to allow liquor sales in grocery and convenience stores.
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said last week a panel of MLAs has been exploring the idea since December.
His office says it has already consulted with Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), warehouses, current retailers, grocery and convenience store operators, producers and responsible-use advocates Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA).
"We heard about some innovative things that Ontario is doing, getting liquor on the grocery shore shelves, and I wouldn't be doing my job as the minister if we didn't take a look at it," Nally said.
That "innovative" move out east will see Ontario's government allow sales of beer, wine, coolers and seltzers at select supermarkets and convenience stores in 2026.
Ontario’s alcohol sales are largely done through government-operated retailers, whereas Alberta's industry has been privatized for decades.
Many in Alberta's alcohol industry say the change could prove disastrous.
"There's no need for another point of sale for liquor," Alberta Liquor Store Association president Ivonne Martinez said.
"I've never received a phone call saying, 'I cannot get liquor in enough places, please open up more points of sale.' It has just never happened."
Martinez tells CTV News a large chunk of Alberta's 1,700 independently-owned stores would be hit hard by the new competition.
"Small businesses already have very little margin to work with, so even a 10 per cent decrease in sales would be devastating," she said. "Nobody is asking for this. So why try to fix a problem that is not broken?"
The owner of Wise Guys Liquor in northeast Calgary agrees.
"I'm in a week-by-week situation," Sean Semark said. "I buy what we need and make sure we turn a profit every week. That's my business model, compared to the big guys, who have almost unlimited purchasing power."
Nally made a point of emphasizing that no final decisions have been made.
In fact, the minister said he's still waiting on the panel's report before commenting again.
He says that could come in "weeks or months."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
India's foreign minister reacts to murder charges, claims Canada welcomes criminals
India's Foreign Affairs Minister accused Canada of welcoming criminals from his country in response to the RCMP's recent arrests in a homicide that has roiled tensions between the two countries.
15-year-old boy stabbed in Ottawa on Thursday dies
A 15-year old boy who was critically injured after a stabbing in Nepean on Thursday has died of his injuries, Ottawa's English public school board said Sunday.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
'A tiny city:' Pro-Palestinian campus protesters organize for another week
Pro-Palestinian activists have set up tents at universities in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and Montreal, following a wave of similar protests at campuses in the United States linked to the Israel-Hamas war.
Lawsuit against Meta asks if Facebook users have right to control their feeds using external tools
Do social media users have the right to control what they see — or don't see — on their feeds?
A Holocaust survivor will mark that history differently after the horrors of Oct. 7
This year's Holocaust Remembrance Day, which begins on Sunday evening in Israel, carries a heavier weight than usual for many Jews around the world.
Princess Anne lays wreath at Battle of Atlantic ceremony; honours late Queen
Princess Anne saluted Canadian veterans and current forces members and honoured her late mother during separate ceremonies Sunday in Victoria as she wrapped up a three-day British Columbia West Coast royal visit.
El Nino weakening doesn't mean cooler temperatures this summer, forecasters say
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.