Advocates for N.S. convenience stores want province to allow shop owners to sell alcohol

Following Ontario’s announcement that liquor will be expanded to all grocery and corner stores in 2026, the Atlantic Canadian Convenience Store Alliance is pushing for similar changes in Nova Scotia.

Mike Hammoud, vice-president of the Alliance, says the group is planning to pitch the idea to the province in early 2024.

Hammoud told CityNews Halifax the change isn’t inevitable but Ontario does provide hope for corner shop owners here in Nova Scotia.

“Ontario was one of those ones that I would probably say the majority of people thought would never happen,” he says.

“Our hope is that we would have that opportunity to have those discussions with this province and the other maritime provinces.”

Hammoud adds allowing some forms of liquor into stores would help locally-made products find shelf space they can’t otherwise obtain in NSLC stores.

Currently, beer, wine, and spirits are sold at provincially-owned liquor stores in Nova Scotia.

Some craft brewery owners have stated in the past that mandatory pricing instituted by the NSLC has been unfair to their operations.

In Ontario’s new changes, competitive pricing will be introduced to all private retailers, although minimum pricing policies will remain in effect.