VICTORIA, BC – In the latest set of liquor policy changes that have followed in the wake of Parliamentary Secretary John Yap’s B.C. Liquor Policy Review report, British Columbia’s Justice Minister Suzanne Anton announced yesterday that grocery stores in the province will be allowed to sell wine from B.C. winemakers starting next year, with B.C. craft beer likely to follow.
The move comes in tandem with plans to allow full liquor stores stocking beer, wine and spirits to open inside groceries under a “store-within-a-store” model. VQA-certified wine, however, will be allowed on the regular grocery store shelves, with B.C. craft beer expected to be given the same exception once an official designation similar to VQA can be established.
“The Premier and Government have listened to B.C. consumers asking for availability B.C. Craft Beer and VQA wine in aisles of grocery stores,” said Ken Beattie, Executive Director, B.C. Craft Brewers Guild in a statement. “This increased opportunity for people to enjoy or discover great-tasting B.C. Craft Beer also presents a real opportunity to increase B.C. jobs and investment in communities throughout B.C.”
For more details of this initiative, see coverage in the Vancouver Sun.
Way to go BC!!!! Too bad I live in Ontario where we’re still stuck in Prohibition style politics.
I have been saying this for a long time. Brewed in the province, by people who keep the money in the province. I’m in Ontario, but from BC and have said that corner stores should be aloud to sell locally produced beer. Cheers to local