In Canada, Manitoba Revamps Liquor Laws

Kiosks to go in food stores ? 38 changes in liquor laws.

May 24, 2011

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA ?" The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) will soon begin a pilot project selling alcoholic drinks from kiosks in urban grocery stores as well as the Winnipeg airport, the Winnipeg Free Press reports.

The program is one of 38 changes to the province??s liquor laws, a sweeping modernization effort aimed at making purchasing alcohol more convenient.

Other changes include allowing restaurants to choose whether to allow customers to bring wine to their establishments, and for beer vendors to sell coolers and ciders. It will also be easier for brewpubs to operate.

Gord Mackinotsh, minister responsible for the MLCC, said he hopes the move furthers the province??s goal of becoming an "international destination."

"We want to ensure that we send a very strong message to all those great new visitors that this is a progressive, modern, hospitable province," he said.

Ken Hildahl, the MLCC??s chief executive officer, said the commission would open as many as 10 boutique stores, of which five will be located within grocery stores, all selling Manitoba and Canadian alcoholic products, with the first to open in October at the Winnipeg airport. He emphasized that the new locations would not compete with private wine stores or the province??s liquor outlets.

"These aren't going to open overnight. It's going to be a well-thought-out process," Hildahl said. "We're not going to flood the market with new outlets."

The change in laws is not expected to generate additional revenue for the province; rather, the purpose is to give consumers more choice and convenience.

"The purpose wasn't to raise more funds for the province. The purpose was to give more choice to consumers and to crack down on rowdiness and underage drinking," said a MLCC spokesperson.

Opponents include The Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association, which said the province should have simplified its liquor-licensing system. Currently, the province has 11 different classes of liquor licenses, compared to just one for Ontario.

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