Booze now for sale in Costco, more grocery stores in Ottawa
CTV
As of Oct. 31, all eligible grocery and big-box stores are able to buy beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages, including large pack sizes. The Ontario government says an additional 400 grocery stores will be selling alcohol across the province.
All five Costco stores in Ottawa will be able to start selling beer and wine today, as Ontario expands alcohol sales to more grocery stores across the province.
As of Oct. 31, all eligible grocery and big-box stores are able to buy beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink beverages, including large pack sizes. The Ontario government says an additional 400 grocery stores will be selling alcohol across the province.
"This is a big move. This is 100 years of a monopoly system we're opening up, catching up with the rest of the world," Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy told reporters on Tuesday.
This is the final step in Ontario's expansion of alcohol sales, after convenience stores were allowed to start selling beer cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages in September. On Aug. 1, previously licensed grocery stores were allowed to sell ready-to-drink beverages and large-pack sizes of beer.
In Ottawa, five Costco stores and four Walmart stores have approval to sell alcohol after receiving a licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. Several independent grocery stores will also be eligible to now sell alcohol.
More than 180 gas stations and convenience stores in Ottawa are licensed to sell alcoholic beverages.
