During the second week of a strike by liquor store workers in Ontario, wedding venues are doing their best to avoid running out of alcohol.During the second week of a strike by liquor store workers in Ontario, wedding venues are doing their best to avoid running out of alcohol. Summer is peak season for weddings and other events where alcohol consumption is customary. The strike has forced hospitality establishments to carefully evaluate their alcohol inventory and make adjustments to ensure they can meet the needs of their guests. Farmhill Weddings in Peterborough, Ontario, has been stockpiling supplies but is concerned about running out as they host weddings every weekend and a weekly summer concert series. “I have a bottle full of alcohol and I hope that’s enough,” said owner Jenn Austin-Driver. She explained that predicting alcohol consumption at weddings is challenging as it varies widely depending on the preferences of the guests. If her supply runs low, Austin-Driver plans to reach out to industry colleagues for assistance. Brussels Four Winds, a rural event venue, will need to restock in about two weeks as it has two more weddings before the end of July. “I think by the end of the month we’re going to need more alcohol,” said manager Kaitlyn Pipe. Mallity Estate in Hammond, Ontario, invested in replenishing its alcohol supply before the strike, but is struggling to find specific items in supermarkets to meet customer requests. The strike has also highlighted a significant point of contention in negotiations between the union representing liquor store workers and the government. The union opposes the government’s plan to sell ready-to-drink cocktails outside of LCBO stores, fearing job losses due to reduced revenue. Meanwhile, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has issued alcohol sales licenses to over 3,000 convenience stores and 37 supermarkets under the government’s plans to expand the alcohol sector.
Ontario wedding venues are hoping their alcohol supplies won’t run out as a strike by liquor store workers in the province enters its second week
Ontario wedding venues 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 gatherings, with plenty of champagne toasts, signature cocktails, and special requests from brides and grooms.
But now that the Liquor Control Board of Ontario has closed all stores in the province for two weeks after workers went on strike last Friday, hospitality establishments have had to make some careful calculations when mapping their alcohol inventory.
The LCBO offers online ordering for smaller orders. Other outlets, such as select grocery stores and wineries, also offer alcohol. However, the locations say that the usual purchasing options have been significantly reduced.
Farmhill Weddings in Peterborough, Ontario, had been stockpiling supplies before the strike, but owner Jenn Austin-Driver said those supplies will dwindle because the venue hosts weddings every weekend, in addition to a weekly summer concert series.
“I have a bottle full of alcohol and I hope that’s enough,” Austin-Driver said in a telephone interview.
According to Austin-Driver, alcohol consumption at a wedding is different than at a bar or restaurant, which can better predict how many and what types of drinks will be consumed on a given night.
“The number of guests and their favorite drink fluctuates so much that it is difficult to predict what we will experience from weekend to weekend,” she said.
Should her alcohol supply run dry, Austin-Driver will ask her friends in the industry for help.
“We hope we can call on them if someone’s wedding depends on a gin and tonic, you know?”
If the strike continues beyond next week, the LCBO has said it plans to open 32 locations, three days a week with limited hours. It did not say where those locations will be.
Kaitlyn Pipe, manager of Brussels Four Winds, said her rural event venue will need to restock its alcohol supply in about two weeks, as it has two more weddings to attend before the end of July.
“I think by the end of the month we’re going to need more alcohol,” she said, adding that Brussels, a rural community northwest of Kitchener, Ont., doesn’t have as many options for purchasing alcohol as larger urban communities.
In the community of Hammond, Ontario, east of Ottawa, Mallity Estate spent a significant amount of money replenishing its alcohol supply before the strike began.
However, employees at the locations struggle to find what they need in supermarkets to meet their customers’ specific requests.
“They only put 94 products in there (for online orders at LCBO) that we as a wholesaler had access to,” said owner Lexine Menard.
“So hopefully when they open the stores on July 19, we’ll be one of those who might camp outside to get in and get what we need.”
The union representing liquor store workers has said the government’s decision to open up the alcohol market in the province is a major sticking point for them. They have now doubled down on this position, but are still leaving some room for negotiation.
At issue is Premier Doug Ford’s plan to sell ready-to-drink cocktails outside of LCBO stores. The Ontario Public Service Employees Union said it does not want these types of drinks – one of the fastest growing markets – to be sold outside of LCBO stores because it believes it will ultimately lead to job losses due to lost revenue.
“For us, it means that these products will mean fewer working hours, fewer jobs and less government revenue at 8,500 new retail outlets (such as gas stations and grocery stores),” said Colleen MacLeod, chair of the union’s LCBO bargaining unit.
Ford said earlier this week that ready-to-drink cocktails will be sold in supermarkets and grocery stores and that the issue is not a matter for negotiations.
The LCBO subsequently indicated that it wanted clarity on the union’s position on ready-to-drink cocktails.
“If OPSEU is now willing to agree that ready-to-drink beverages are a matter of public policy and not something to be discussed as part of negotiations, we strongly encourage them to respond to our July 4 offer,” the LCBO wrote in a statement.
The union disagreed with the LCBO’s position.
“The employer cannot unilaterally dictate what is discussed at the table – that’s why it’s called negotiation,” MacLeod said. “We are prepared to come back to the table at any time – and for us, nothing is off limits.”
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said it has issued alcohol sales licenses to 3,105 convenience stores and 37 new supermarkets under the government’s plans to expand the alcohol sector. Newly licensed convenience stores can begin selling alcohol in early September, while newly licensed supermarkets can do so starting Oct. 31.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 12, 2024.
Sheila Reid, The Canadian Press
