Each province in Canada regulates alcohol differently.

Summer is a season of endless parties for Canadians. Beer and barbecue are indispensable. As an immigrant in Canada, one thing you must know is that not all places can sell alcohol. Except for restaurants and bars with liquor licenses, alcohol can only be purchased at designated retail outlets. And at night, you can only find alcohol in bars. This is probably one of the reasons why North America has such a strong bar culture.

Not only that, each province in Canada has different regulations on alcohol. You can buy alcohol at the LCBO in Ontario, but this is not the case in other provinces!

British Columbia

British Columbia (BC) has a mixed system in terms of alcohol sales. There are government-owned liquor stores and private liquor stores. People who want to drink beer need Go to liquor stores, breweries, bars and restaurants. Remote areas receive preferential treatment, and food supermarkets can sell some alcohol, including beer. The emerging craft beer scene has been very popular in B.C. for some time, prompting the province to introduce new laws allowing the sale of beer at farmers markets. Every October is British Columbia’s Craft Beer Month. During this period, there will be seminars where experts will teach how to taste and understand beer.

Alberta

Alberta implemented the privatization of liquor sales in 1993, becoming the only province in Canada where liquor is entirely operated by the private sector. The result of privatization has been fierce competition, with some 2,300 different beers from around the world available in the Alberta beer market. Like British Columbia, sales of craft beer have surged in Alberta in recent years, with the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission lifting several regulations that had hindered small breweries or brewpubs from getting started. the development of craft beer.

Ontario

Ontario is arguably the most complicated province when it comes to selling beer. To buy beer, consumers need to go to The Beer Store, or to a government-owned LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario) store. In underserved and remote areas, private agency stores licensed by the LCBO can sell beer, and the stores take a commission from the sale of alcohol.

Quebec

Quebec has always been slightly more open-minded than other provinces in the sales of beer and alcoholic beverages. Food supermarkets in Quebec have always been able to sell beer, and convenience stores can sell beer. It can be sold until 11pm. Quebec is also the only province where people can buy single cans or bottles of beer.

SAQ means Quebec Liquor Association in French. This is also a specialty store selling spirits and red wine. If you want to drink strong spirits, you can only buy them here. But the vodka here is much gentler than the one in Russia. The maximum altitude does not exceed 40 degrees. A 1.5-pound bottle of Polish vodka is priced at 44 Canadian dollars, which costs at least more than 300 yuan plus tax. In addition, the more common ones include spirits produced in Mexico and Om rum brewed from sugar cane from Jamaica. Men shopping in hotels feel like women shopping for clothes. However, many Canadian women like to visit shopping malls as well as hotels, and the proportion of female drinkers is higher than that in China.