(Queen's Park) - Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop announced today that Joyland Beach and Warminster have been designated as future locations for Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) agency stores, pending local municipal approval.

"The agency store program has proven to be a safe, reliable and cost-effective way to provide LCBO products and services to communities with smaller populations," said Dunlop. "Agency stores make beverage alcohol shopping more convenient for local residents, while bringing additional revenue and increasing the overall business base in the communities they serve."

To qualify for an agency store in a designated community, applicants must have an existing retail business in the community and commit to operating within established LCBO guidelines. In keeping with the LCBO's commitment to social responsibility, the program favours retail businesses that are less likely to attract minors. Successful applicants are required to complete the same responsible server training as all LCBO retail employees.

Our plan to open new agency stores will improve service, while maintaining the LCBO's social responsibility standards," said Tim Hudak, Minister of Consumer and Business Services, who joined Garfield Dunlop to officially open the LCBO agency store in Craighurst last summer. "We are committed to responsibly providing more convenient access to beverage alcohol, giving rural consumers another reason to stay in their region to shop with local retailers."

The LCBO selects host operators through a public tendering process to ensure that agency store authorizations are awarded fairly and equitably. Potential hosts are assessed against a variety of criteria, including business type, services offered at the location, and the applicant"s existing ability to host an agency store.

In September 2001, it was announced that the LCBO would open up to 150 new agency stores in under-serviced communities in Ontario. Locations were chosen from a pool of communities that had either expressed interest in having an LCBO agency store, or had been identified by the LCBO, The Beer Store and local officials.

"While improved service and convenience are the primary objectives of agency stores, they also make good economic sense," said Dunlop. "We expect to see better sales for rural retailers, and for Ontario producers of wine, beer and spirits."

Contacts:
Garfield Dunlop
(705) 327-4500 (cell)

Julie Kwiecinski
(416) 325-6176