Ontario's Beer Store delivers the lowest beer prices in Canada Ontaro consumers beneftfrom highly comette beer mci*et How wc seli beer, wine and liquor lia been a hot topic this aummer acrosa Ontario. Not just howe wc seli beer, but for bow mucli. For example, consider Uiec daimes of those calling for liquor salles at convenience stores and gas stations, including thc multinational chaîne that own theai. Thcy have falsely claimcd bcer prices are levwer in Qucbec than Ontario. It's just nlot truc. Data. gathercd by A.C. Neilsen aid analyzcd by Navigant Economics shows that even thougli Ontario beer taxes arc double those ini Quebec, average selling prices at the Beer Store are still lowcr. When pricca before govemment taxes wett examined die study foumd thc average Oatario bim price@ ns more tha= 18% lower. 1t a"m fond that thc pre-tax price for.-beat selling package sizes - 6, 12 and 24-packs - wcre ail lower hear thUi Bccr Store. lIn fact priCe5 aithUi Beer Store are Uic lowest ini Canada. That's because there is intense competition among brewcra wlio set Uieir ovn prices at Uic Beer Store's 450 retail locations - wiUi frequent, multiple price changes as brewers jockey for position and market share. The Beer Store is a complctcly open ayatom. Any brewer can sl as many brands in as many Beer Store locations as they choose. It's a highly competitive sdlling environmient. WiUi mm Uia 100 brewers and more than 400 brand competing, consumera reap Uic- benefit. cf competition Uirough lowier prices. Complote open acceas is not a .commop feature of private alcohol retailing. Wile believe many amati brewers would bie dcnicd Uic ability to sefi li small convenience stores and gas stations, Uius rcducing choice for Ontario consumera. Seliing beer, wine and liard liquor at morc than 10,000 convenience store and gas station locations, many close to our achools and riglit ncxt to our homes, would increase distribution costs significaitly. Add Uioae higlier costa to Ontarios higher beer tax and prices will risc. lt's just common sense. Even Uic CEO of the Ontario Convenience Stores Association told Uic media their membera %neyer advocated Uiat we werc going to offer clicap beer to aiybody." He rcfcrred to higlier pricea as an "up charge" rclated to "thc convenience factor." Wc know milk and brcad costs more at the convenience store. But Uic convenience 'up charge' of selling sîcohol la a muci liigher coat than juat dollars and cents. Wbat price do wc place on preventlng sales to minora? What price do wc place on Uic gains we have made in reducing drlnking and drlving? What price do we place on kceplng crime out of our neighbourliood convenience stores, close to our homes? The real debate is not about price. Ontauio consumnera alrcady win on price. The real debate is about wliether Ontario really necds 10,000 new tiquor stores. If Uic rcsult is an erosion of reaponsible sales and higlier beer prices, we'rc certain Uiat moat Ontariana will ssy Uic coat is juat too higli. Jeif Newton lis Ptesident and CEO of Canada's National ftrewers (CPI»,. a national trade association representing Labanlirewing Comipany Lsd, Molison Coors Canada and Sieeman Rreweries Led, who join:ly operate the Reer Stare. For more information visE: wwwontariobeerfacts. ca àutwa-moli Employees of the 016 Siots at Mohawk Racetrack recently celebrated their 1 Sdi anniversary. The Campbellville facility has had more than 18.7 million visits since opening in 1999. Photo estuyo<OLG HabRuat seeuauks vAlutesm for Miton build this fail Habitat for Humanity Halton aims to build,75 homes across the region lover the next fivi yeus -.including two in town. With construction set to begin on two semi-detached houses on Bmonte Street this fail, Habitat Halton is in need of more dkflrbobjuv- Both individuals ami geoups are welcome, and no previ- ous building experience is tiequired. To sign up or leamn more about hbôw to help Habitat Hal- ton, lemail vassistanteéhabltathalton.ca or cail (905) 637- 4446, ext. 236. s _______________________ - - -- ~ ~flC~~.fla ~S ;àu:I te .àDAAP4 WANTED 7 HOM1ES THAT NEED ROOFINO 7 hofms un your -m ul ho :m Oie açoflmltyi hfvhig en INTERLOCK'ml moi% rooun syshstffl on O#W hmo Sta roasoablocool ThisItEm prauat i capidngoihrscf homowor acroo tse aau*y uo wiD bS hnavwM e u s lst wnie #h»Y have o et air wulha. Ou'rox la niroomoMn- tMly frindly aid mmne uth a tmransiral iMe Unil Warranty wftt an oxooleént chas oi calms I cawm, yaw hom and le going taIo h#ouad ta ou loca motet Your homol can bo a show p"ac in yoenlWheh and nulW ma #tworlh your wtuilo if wo can -w yaw lam. LUultod »nei «Eh.M NMW Toli-Pros 24 hour 7 DMy a weak Odtaloo.cmn A _-