The legal age to consume alcohol at a licensed liquor retail outlet in the province of Ontario is 19. In Canada, there is no state-defined age for the legal purchase or consumption of alcohol. Each province and territory can set its own minimum drinking age. The legal age to buy is:[13] Canadian wine has been produced for over 200 years. Early settlers tried to grow Vitis vinifera grapes from Europe with limited success. They found it necessary to focus on native species of Vitis labrusca and Vitis riparia, as well as various hybrids. However, the market for these wines was limited due to their particular taste, often referred to as “foxy”. However, this became less evident when the juice was made into port and sherry wines. In 1866, Canada`s first commercial winery opened on Pelee Island, Ontario. [2] If there is any doubt about an individual`s age, employees should require acceptable identification. A valid piece of identification must be up-to-date, government-issued, and include a photo of the person and their date of birth.
Beer was introduced to Canada by European settlers in the seventeenth century, as Canada had an ideal climate for producing beer before the introduction of refrigeration. However, the favorite beverage of New France citizens was imported wine or brandy. Although the first commercial brewery was built in 1650 by Louis Prud`homme in Montreal (then Fort Ville-Marie), it failed. Jean Talon, the first appointed steward of New France, limited the amount of wine and spirits that could be imported and founded the Brasserie de Roy in Quebec City in 1668. This brewery also failed after Talon`s return to France in 1672 and increased import restrictions.[3] [4] What emerged instead was the development of spruce beer, both alcoholic and alcohol-free. [5]. The hours of sale of alcohol, both inside and outside the premises, are also determined by provincial and territorial jurisdiction, provided that the hours of sale outside the business premises do not coincide with the closing times. Many provinces and territories define the sale of hard liquor off-premises, either based on the volume of alcohol or on the basis of quantities that can only be sold during certain hours, which usually correspond to the hours of operation of a particular supplier.
However, in some of them, it is also possible, in certain circumstances, to deviate from the applicable standard when applying for a dealer`s licence. On-site sales are permitted at the discretion of the venue, with hours of operation regulated by each province. It is continually updated as jurisdictions adopt or revise their requirements with the assistance of Library of Congressional Law (Washington, DC) staff. In general, most provinces have banned “tied houses” (bars associated with a single liquor supplier) in favour of free homes that sell products from various suppliers. A partial exception applies to breweries where a bar and a brewery are located on the same premises. This article discusses various topics related to alcoholic beverages in Canada. The Canadian government defines an alcoholic beverage as “a beverage that contains 1.1% or more alcohol.” [1] The consumption of alcohol in public places is generally prohibited, regardless of the weather (in some provinces and territories, this is not yet enforced), unless authorized by the appropriate municipal authorities. In Quebec, the consumption of low-alcohol beverages is permitted in public if they are accompanied by food. All provinces and territories prohibit drinking and driving, with Ontario and Quebec also prohibiting the possession of open, non-empty containers in stationary vehicles.
We know that the police in Canada are very discreet in public consumption because of the extent of public unrest. Under the Canadian Constitution, the responsibility for making laws and regulations relating to the sale and distribution of alcoholic beverages in Canada rests solely with the ten provinces. The three Canadian territories have also been granted similar autonomy in these matters under the provisions of federal legislation. Statistics Canada conducts surveys on alcohol consumption in Canada, broken down by territory or province. [12] The average values for the country in 2006 are shown in the bottom row of the table. The minimum age to work at a licensed liquor outlet, grocery or winery, distillery or brewery depends on whether the employee handles alcohol. If the employee handles alcohol (including providing alcohol samples), the minimum age to work in one of these establishments is 18. By law, no one can be required to present the Ontario Health Card, nor can the Health Number be collected. Employees should not ask you for an Ontario health card as identification, but if you offer it, they can accept it at their discretion. This means that there is a separate agency (or agencies) in each province that is responsible for regulating the consumption and, except in one case, the sale of alcoholic beverages. Alberta is currently the only province to have fully privatized its spirits retail operations (AGLC retains a monopoly on the wholesale distribution of wine, distilled spirits and imported beer – the distribution itself is outsourced to a private operator). Most other jurisdictions have maintained full or near-total control over the sale of hard liquor, while allowing limited privatization of the country`s beer and wine sales.