Mandate to expand liquor retail in Manitoba raises concern with beer vendor

Manitobans could have more places to pick up a cold one in the near future and not all are toasting to the news.

The province has asked its new Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries board to take a shot at expanding the number of express liquor marts which are found in grocery stores.

It has Rick Green worried. For 47 years, he has sold beer – and only beer – at the Charleswood Beer Market.

"Beer is enough for us and also the government does a fine job of controlling and selling the hard liquor and I'd like to see them keep it that way," Green said.

On a busy day, he sees hundreds of customers walk through the market's doors. But he's concerned about stiff competition.

On Tuesday, the minister responsible for Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries released new mandates for the Crown corporation's board members.

That new mandate includes a call to, "responsibly expand public liquor retail stores, including Liquor Mart Express outlets, to give Manitobans more options, while maintaining support for the small businesses in rural and northern Manitoba that sell liquor."

Manitoba Chambers of Commerce says the only issue it had with the mandate letter was the province not moving forward with increasing private liquor sales, saying that is what consumers have overwhelmingly indicated they were in favour of.

"Across Canada, it's an open market for most retail products including liquor," said John Graham, the prairies government relations director for the Retail Council of Canada.

Graham said he expects Manitobans will adjust to the public system expanding, and adds more liquor mart express locations could be welcome news for some grocery stores looking to lease the space.

"They're operated by a Liquor Mart, they manage their employees, they're no different than an optometrist or a banking service," he said.

Green, however, is worried about the impact on hotels that depend on beer vendor revenue.

"I would hate to have to compete with Costco and Walmart and Safeway or whoever," he said, hoping he won't see a liquor mart express pop up in the grocery store across the street.

"Every bit would take a bite out of our business."

Premier Wab Kinew told reporters Wednesday that the province needs to be socially responsible when adding Liquor Marts. When asked where Manitobans could be seeing the new locations, the province said the board will be looking at expansions in due course.