INFORMATION BULLETIN No. 35
(September 15, 2014)
Last year, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) launched Regulatory Modernization in Ontario’s Beverage Alcohol Industry, a comprehensive review of the AGCO’s approach to the regulation of Ontario’s wine, beer and spirits manufacturers, manufacturers’ representatives, ferment-on-premise operators, and liquor delivery services.
As part of this initiative, the Registrar of Alcohol and Gaming has approved an initial series of policy reforms, including the following four reforms which took effect September 15, 2014.
1. Partition Requirements at Ferment-On-Premise Facilities
The partition requirement for “other in-store services” at ferment on premise facilities will be modified so that a floor-to-ceiling wall is no longer required to separate the “other in-store service” (i.e. coffee shops, filtered water sales, etc.) from the ferment-on-premise operation. Other liquor licensed areas, however, will continue to require such a separation.
2. Advance Ordering Rules for Liquor Delivery Services
Liquor delivery services will be permitted to accept orders from customers prior to the day on which the alcohol will be delivered, so long as the alcohol is not purchased until the delivery date.
3. On-Site Retail Store Authorizations for Wineries
Ontario wineries that include International-Canadian Blend (ICB) wines as part of their total production mix will now be eligible to operate an on-site retail store for the purpose of selling their Ontario wine.
4. Payment Terms for Manufacturers and Manufacturers’ Representatives
Licensed manufacturers and manufacturers’ representatives will be permitted to extend payment terms up to a maximum of 30 days in order to provide greater flexibility and better reflect standard business practices.
The AGCO will continue to keep you up-to-date as subsequent series of policy reforms move forward. We would like to thank you for your continued support and commitment to this important effort.
For more information, please call the AGCO’s Customer Service Department at 416 326-8700 (GTA) or 1 800 522-2876 (toll-free in Ontario).