LCBO closures attributed to someone paying back a favour

Why is the Liquor Control Board of Ontario closing its stores at Korah Road and Second Line, and at Wellington and Lake?

Might someone be scratching someone's back?

Ward 5 Councillor Frank Fata suggested as much at last night's meeting of Sault Ste. Marie City Council.

"I believe that somebody is paying somebody back a favour," Fata said.

He did not elaborate further on his belief, but Fata's fellow councillors shared his concern about LCBO's decision to replace the two outlets with a larger store near Wal-mart on Great Northern Road.

Council voted to ask both LCBO and the provincial government to reconsider the two local closures, and to ask that LCBO undertake an impact study to determine the effect of the closings on neighbouring businesses.

The following is the motion passed last night by City Council:

************************* Mover: Councillor J. Krmpotich Seconder: Councillor M. Bruni

Whereas LCBO is a provincial Crown corporation that enjoys the exclusive right to sell liquor in Ontario, notwithstanding numerous past attempts to divest itself of this retail activity; and

Whereas the Government of Ontario continues to enjoy significant revenues in excess of $1 billion annually from the profits of LCBO; and

Whereas the government has refused to consider permitting the sale of liquor by responsible grocery chains as a convenience to shoppers, opting instead to ensure that either LCBO stores or licensed agency stores are readily accessible for most neighbourhoods and communities; and

Whereas LCBO has recently announced its plans to close two of three of its stores in Sault Ste. Marie, one in the far East End and one in the far West End, replacing both with one larger store on Great Northern Road near the Wal-mart store; and

Whereas many residents in both the East and West Ends of the City, including seniors and others who do not have access to an automobile, will be significantly inconvenienced by these store closures, notwithstanding that "there will be more selection in a larger store"; and

Whereas many of the businesses in the neighbourhoods of the stores set to close have serious concerns that all of the neighbourhood stores will be negatively impacted by the loss of traffic, while at the same time compounding the already serious traffic congestion problem on Great Northern Road,

Now therefore be it resolved that City Council, on behalf of the residents of both the easterly and westerly ends of the City, requests both LCBO and the Province of Ontario to reconsider the closure of these two LCBO outlets which continue to be busy and financially viable and which provide a convenience to its residents who are completely satisfied with the current service and selection offered in the existing stores,

And further be it resolved that the LCBO be required to undertake an impact study which would determine what affect, if any, the closure of these two stores would have on other neighbouring businesses.

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