Ontario to ramp up inspections at c-stores selling beverage alcohol
With less than a month before Ontario allows convenience stores to start selling beverage alcohol, Global News is reporting the provincial government will fund greater inspection of stores to ensure compliance with rules and regulations to sell ready-to-drink beverages.
According to the report, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), has approved 3,830 new licenses to sell beverage alcohol in the province as of Aug. 11, the licenses going to convenience stores, gas stations and outlets within malls.
Having obtained meeting notes and other materials between the government and such groups as Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) and Arrive Alive—in which both groups told the government that greater inspections and enforcement of rules and compliance was needed to ensure the safe sale of beverage alcohol in the province now that the market is being opened up—the government agreed to increase funding to the AGCO for inspections.
According to Global News, an AGCO spokesperson said the new money would go to greater oversight and noted “it had received ‘additional funding for staffing’ to increase its abilities to check compliance and enforce the rules. AGCO has reportedly increased its inspection capacity by about 25%.
