Professor Rod Phillips was interviewed by several media outlets on the eve and on the first day of the LCBO strike. He is a historian of alcohol and also a wine writer and commentator on alcohol policy. He discussed the background to the strike and pointed out that a key issue for the union representing LCBO workers is the Ontario government’s recently announced policy of extending the sale of beer, wine, and ready-to-drink cocktails to grocery stores, convenience stores, and gas stations, starting in September.
Rod discussed the longer-term history of alcohol sales in Ontario. Alcoholic beverages of all types were widely available from general stores before 1916, but during Ontario’s so-called ‘Prohibition’ period from 1916 to 1927, only bulk wine (no beer or spirits) could be purchased. The LCBO was created in 1927 to control access to alcohol. In the last few years, there has been a gradual extension of private retail channels, and it has culminated in the new policy that comes into effect in a couple of months.
The inclusion of this issue in the union’s bargaining portfolio means that the strike – the first in the LCBO’s nearly 100-year history – has important implications for alcohol policy in Ontario.
Rod was interviewed by media that included CBC Radio ‘World Report’, cbc.ca, CBC ‘The National’, CBC Radio One Ottawa ‘All in a Day’, CTV News, CFRA Radio Ottawa, CHML Radio Hamilton, and CFIQ Radio Toronto.