LCBO strike: Ontario wedding venues hope alcohol supplies won’t run out

Wedding venues in Ontario are hoping their alcohol supplies don’t run out as the province’s liquor store workers’ strike enters its second week.

It’s peak season for venues hosting weddings and other summer events, with lots of champagne toasts, signature cocktails and special requests from brides and grooms.

However, with Ontario’s Liquor Control Board closing all stores in the province for two weeks following a workers’ strike last Friday, establishments have had to make careful calculations when evaluating their alcohol supplies.

Smaller orders can be ordered online from the LCBO. Alcohol is also available at some other outlets, such as certain grocery stores and wineries, but establishments say their usual purchasing options are significantly limited.

Farmhill Weddings in Peterborough, Ontario, had stocked up on supplies before the strike, but owner Jenn Austin-Driver said those supplies are running low because the venue hosts weddings every weekend and also hosts a weekly concert series during the summer.

“I have a container full of alcohol and I just hope that’s enough,” Austin-Driver said in a telephone interview.

The alcohol demand at a wedding is different from that at a bar or restaurant, which can more reliably predict how many and what kind of drinks will be consumed on a given evening, says Austin-Driver.

“Our guest numbers and their favorite drink vary greatly, so it’s difficult to predict what to expect from weekend to weekend,” she said.

In the event that her alcohol supplies run low, Austin-Driver says she will rely on help from friends in the industry.

“We hope we can fall back on them if someone’s wedding depends on a gin and tonic, you know?”

If the strike continues beyond next week, the LCBO plans to open 32 branches with reduced hours three days a week. Where those branches will be has not been announced.

Kaitlyn Pipe, manager of Brussels Four Winds, said her rural venue needs to replenish its alcohol supplies in about two weeks because it has two more weddings to take place before the end of July.

“I think by the end of the month we’re going to need more alcohol,” she said, adding that there aren’t as many options to buy alcohol in Brussels, a rural community northwest of Kitchener, Ontario, as there are in larger urban communities.

In the community of Hammond, Ontario, east of Ottawa, Mallity Estate spent significant sums of money to stock up on alcohol before the strike began.

Yet venue staff are desperately trying to find what they need in grocery stores to meet customers’ special requests.

“They only listed 94 products there (for LCBO online orders) that we had access to wholesale,” said owner Lexine Menard.

“So when the shops reopen on the 19th, hopefully we will be among those who may be camping outside to get in and get what we need.”

The liquor dealers’ union said the government’s move to open up the alcohol market in the province was a key sticking point for them. They are now sticking to their position, but are still leaving some room for negotiations.

At issue is Premier Doug Ford’s plan to allow the sale of ready-to-drink cocktails outside LCBO stores. Ontario’s public sector employees union said it does not want these types of drinks – which are among the fastest-growing markets – to be sold outside LCBO stores, fearing it will ultimately lead to job losses due to lost revenue.

“If these products come into 8,500 new private retail stores (such as gas stations and convenience stores), it will mean fewer working hours, fewer jobs and less public revenue for us,” says Colleen MacLeod, chair of the LCBO union’s collective bargaining unit.

Ford said earlier this week that ready-to-drink cocktails would be sold in convenience stores and grocery stores and that the issue was not up for negotiation.

The LCBO responded by saying it was seeking clarity on the union’s stance on ready-to-drink cocktails.

“If OPSEU is now willing to agree that ready-to-use beverages are a matter of public policy and not something that should be discussed in negotiations, we strongly encourage them to respond to our July 4 offer,” the LCBO wrote in a statement.

The union objected to the LCBO’s stance.

“The employer cannot unilaterally decide what is discussed at the table – that’s why it’s called negotiations,” said MacLeod. “We are always ready to return to the negotiating table – and nothing is out of the question for us.”

The Ontario Alcohol and Gaming Commission said it has issued licences to sell alcohol to 3,105 convenience stores and 37 new grocery stores as part of the government’s alcohol expansion plans. Newly licensed convenience stores can begin selling alcohol in early September, and newly licensed grocery stores can do so starting Oct. 31.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2024.