Rural liquor outlets dry up as LCBO strike continues

At Kitley Grocery in the small town of Toledo, Ontario, about halfway between Ottawa and Kingston, the alcohol supply is starting to run low.

“We have some things in stock, but I know people came in and bought what we had,” said store owner Lynn Kerr.

As one of several hundred “agency stores” in the province licensed to sell alcohol under the LCBO’s convenience outlet program, Kitley Grocery serves a vast rural area where there is no standalone LCBO outlet.

Although agency stores and their employees are not directly affected by the ongoing LCBO strike, some say they and their customers are still feeling the impact.

Kerr said since LCBO employees walked off the job last Friday and closed LCBO stores across the province, she has been unable to order certain types of liquor for her own store.

Of the approximately 100 different articles to which she would normally have access, Kerr said, “more than half are not available” at the LCBO.

A similar scene can be seen at Sherry’s Grocery and Gas Station in Williamsburg, Ontario, north of Highway 401 and the St. Lawrence River, where Kayla Helliker is in charge of ordering LCBO products.

Helliker said the LCBO directly advised agency stores to stock up on products in advance of the strike. That led to both a rush and shortages, she said.

“So even though the LCBO advised us to order in advance and stock up, they did not tell us that there would be restrictions on product availability.”

“Practically cleared out”

A few bottles of whiskey and vodka were all that remained Thursday at the Golden Lake Variety Store, about 120 kilometers west of downtown Ottawa.

Owner Dan Von der Hoeh said he too has seen his alcohol supply dwindle since the strike began.

“We are practically empty,” he said, adding that he will probably run out completely before he receives the next shipment.

“I hope we have products that we can sell, because if we don’t, a lot of people will not be very happy,” Von der Hoeh said.

More than 9,000 Ontario liquor store employees and OPSEU members went on strike a week ago after collective bargaining between their union and the LCBO failed.

The LCBO announced that due to the strike, all retail stores will be closed for two weeks. If a collective agreement is reached within the 14-day closure period, stores will reopen and resume normal operations as soon as possible.

If the strike lasts longer than two weeks, the LCBO plans to reopen 32 stores with limited hours and only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

LCBO thanks customers

In response to questions about dwindling supply at agency stores, the LCBO referred CBC to a statement posted on its website on July 10 regarding the general impact of the strike.

“Our stock selection fluctuates as we continue to move product in and out of our warehouses and depots, and we thank our customers for their understanding if they need to select alternative products where necessary,” the statement said.

The LCBO said it is doing its best to fulfill orders from retail and wholesale customers and thanked them for their patience “should processing your order take longer than expected due to high volume.”

The LCBO said it had provided a “focused list” of its most popular products to simplify the ordering process.

“We apologize for the impact of the OPSEU strike on all of our customers, including small local businesses trying to shop with us, and our partners,” the LCBO said in a statement.

Some union members expressed anger earlier this week when Premier Rob Ford promoted a map online showing Ontario residents where they can continue to purchase alcohol during the strike.

Von der Hoeh said his village shop, like hundreds of others across the province, faces greater uncertainty with each passing day.

“Nobody really knows what will happen, but personally I think this strike will last for a while,” he said.