Four grocery stores in London are among 67 in Ontario that are now allowed to sell wine.
Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa made the announcement on Friday in Toronto. The move is the latest in the Wynne government's program of expanded alcohol sales in Ontario.
In London, the Farm Boy store on Beaverbrook Ave., Metro on Oxford St. W, Food Basics on Commissioners Rd. W, and Sobeys on Wonderland Rd. will now be able to stock both imported and domestic wine on their shelves.
Farm Boy and Food Basics had already been given approval for selling six-packs of beer.
"Being able to make one stop to pick up wine alongside other groceries will help make everyday life easier for Ontarians," says Sousa. "Opening up this new retail channel for wine producers will also help encourage business to thrive while delivering economic growth and job creation in Ontario’s beverage alcohol, agriculture and tourism sectors."
While consumers may support the convenience of beer and win in grocery stores, health officials have expressed concern in the past.
In 2014, when the province announced a pilot project to put LCBO kiosks in some grocery stores -a plan that was later shelved- Dr. Chris Mackie, Medical Officer of Health for Middlesex-London, worried that health problems related to alcohol consumption would go up as it became more available.
