Mental health advocates are warning Ontario’s plan to vastly expand the retail availability of some alcoholic drinks could come with harmful consequences.
Earlier this month, Premier Doug Ford announced that starting in 2026, Ontarians will be able to buy beer, wine, cider and seltzers at convenience stores, big box outlets, some gas stations and more supermarkets, marking a major overhaul in how alcohol is sold in the province.
Calling it “the largest expansion of consumer choice and convenience since the end of prohibition almost 100 years ago,” the province estimates lower-alcohol products will soon be available at 8,500 new locations. Ontario will become the third jurisdiction in Canada to offer beer in corner stores and the first to sell ready-to-drink cocktails in those locations.