Area residents are doing a double take after reading posters in the community and social media that a number of 7-Eleven convenience stores in South Etobicoke and elsewhere have applied to sell alcohol at some locations.
A Liquor Licence Application has been filed, and being proudly displayed, by 7-Eleven for its store at 3260 Lake Shore Blvd. W. , at Twenty Sixth Street, for an indoor area.
The deadline for submission was March 11, which has expired.
“All objections will be shared with the applicant,” the poster state. “Anonymous objections are not accepted.”
The massive company, with 70,200 stores worldwide, has confirmed they have applied to sell booze at some stores in Ontario.
“We are excited to announce that we have applied for a liquor licence for this store,” the company said. “We want to continue to be the neighbourhood store that our customers rely on for all their needs.”
They pledged safety and responsibility writing “SmartServe training combined with our rigorous age-verification program will keep our stores and customers safe.”
Some 61 of the stores have applied for liquor application licences in various municipalities, according to an Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario website.
The company plans to have a small selection of Ontario-made beer and wine for sale. The applications, according to 7-Eleven, were filed after the Ontario government decided to extend beer and wine retailing to convenience stores.
A 7-Eleven statement said the beer and wine would be offered during limited hours in designated consumption areas of some Ontario stores.
It said the alcoholic beverages would complement its push into fresh and hot food, and would build on the chain’s long history of controlling access to age-restricted products.
An Ontario government official said under the current regulations, a dedicated space must be created inside the store “for the sale, service and consumption of alcohol with food inside the store.”
The coming of booze to 7-Eleven has received mixed comments online as readers discussed the benefits.
“They’re basically applying to open a bar inside the store,’ Tamara Sinead writes on social media. “Unless they’re selling very cheap booze I don’t see many people stopping in at 7/11 for a glass of wine.”
Pierre Denis says no way.
“This place is already trouble as it is,” Denis states. “No need for boozehounds on top of this.”
“No one would care really if they were selling it, the issue here is they want to serve it, as in be a bar,” notes Sonya Lynn.
Katrina Carey says area residents have to get involved.
“The application process allows for neighbors to share their concerns,” Carey says. “If too many people object, they may be denied their licence.”
There has been a number of objections filed by local groups against some of the proposed locations that will sell liquor in South Etobicoke
Decisions are still pending.