'I think I could use a beer': Huntsville residents weigh in on convenience store alcohol sales
Ed Boyd was on his way to the park to meet his girlfriend when he stopped at Circle K at 2 Main St. E. in Huntsville for an energy drink — but something else caught his attention.
Boyd saw fridges at the back of the store stocked with cases of beer and other alcoholic drinks.
“I decided — you know what, I think I could use a beer,” he said.
He walked out of Circle K carrying a brown paper bag with handles. Inside was one can of Budweiser.
“It’s convenient. It saves me from walking all the way to The Beer Store,” he said.
The price difference was his main complaint; a convenience store can of beer cost him a dollar extra than what he said he usually pays at LCBO or The Beer Store. But, overall, Boyd said he's happy retail stores are now selling alcohol.
“It’s about time. You can do it in grocery stores, you might as well be able to get it at a convenience store,” Boyd said, adding, “As long as retailers stick to the hours, then there shouldn’t be an issue.”
Regulated hours for alcohol sales in convenience stores is between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. which, apart from Sundays, is three hours earlier, and two hours later than LCBO.
“The more accessible it is, the better it is for manufacturers and retailers,” Boyd said.
The province’s decision to allow alcohol sales in convenience stores, which took effect in early September, is being met with mixed reactions from the Huntsville community.
Another resident had concerns from the public’s perspective. Outside of the same Circle K on Main Street, Martha Watson stopped to offer her opinion.
“We’re really close to a public school here — not that kids can get away with buying it, but they could probably wrangle their way into getting somebody to get it for them,” she said.
Watson worries about this sort of “bootlegging,” she said, that might happen with children becoming more exposed to alcohol in convenience stores.
Born and raised in Huntsville, Watson left at 18 to attend university before returning to her home in Muskoka. Having seen how the town has changed over the years, she’s particularly concerned about how these new regulations might impact the community.
“I’m thinking of the merchants at these stores, too, and how much onus is on them to check for ID,” she said.
The Ontario government announced in December 2023 that it is investing an extra $10 million over the next five years for the Ministry of Health to promote responsible alcohol sales and consumption as it expands to retail locations.
READ: CSNC EXCLUSIVE: Independent operators share plans for beverage alcohol sales
Then, in late May, the province announced its plans to allow every convenience, grocery, and big-box store to sell beer, cider, wine, and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages in Ontario by the end of October.
While Anne Kothawala, CEO of the Convenience Industry Council of Canada, said in a written statement that expanding beverage alcohol sales would “create new revenue streams for our local businesses and meet customer demands in an increasingly competitive marketplace,” Canadian Mental Health Association Parry Sound Muskoka (CMHAPSM) has concerns.
“We believe that increasing availability of alcohol will lead to negative health outcomes including violence, impaired driving, related injuries, and increased suicide rates,” wrote CMHAPSM executive director Diane Brown-Demarco in an email. “We also know that services are scarce in Muskoka and Parry Sound, and there is no access to publicly funded, local, residential, hospital, or community-based withdrawal management or treatment. People needing these services must travel great distances, which is a significant barrier for people experiencing the harms associated with addiction.”
Brown-Demarco added that Ontario’s emergency rooms experienced an increase in visits attributable to alcohol in 2013 and 2014 after alcohol sales were introduced into grocery stores.
“CMHAPSM encourages the government not to increase the availability of alcohol sales in our communities and to implement a comprehensive alcohol strategy to reduce harms,” wrote Brown-Demarco.
If you struggle with addictions and mental health issues, there is help. ConnexOntario provides treatment service information if you have problems with gambling, drugs, alcohol or mental health. Call toll-free at 1-866-531-2600 or visit www.connexontario.ca.
Megan Hederson is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter covering Huntsville and Lake of Bays. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
