What is the LCBO?

The LCBO is an agency of the provincial government, created under the Liquor Control Act. Each year, it gives the province a dividend from sales of wine, beer and spirits that help support government spending on social and capital programs. In 2006-07, the dividend was $1.28 billion.

What does the LCBO do?

The LCBO is best known as an alcohol retailer, with over 600 stores throughout the province. It also sets safe and responsible conditions for packaging, warehousing, transporting and selling beverage alcohol.  

The LCBO buys wine, beer and spirits from all over the world for sale to Ontario customers and restaurant/bar owners (licensees).  In fact, the LCBO is one of the largest buyers of beverage alcohol in the world.

The LCBO aims to:

• increase buyer satisfaction
• promote the responsible use of beverage alcohol
• provide value to Ontario taxpayers

The LCBO has 601 stores across Ontario.  It offers:

• 3,600 regular products
• 5,600 premium wines and spirits through the VINTAGESprogram
• Over 9,000 products through the LCBO’s Private Ordering and Consignment programs

LCBO sales are 50 per cent of the $8 billion Ontario beverage alcohol market, which includes Ontario winery retail stores and the privately-owned Beer Store network.

How does the LCBO promote responsible use of alcohol?

1. All LCBO store staff are trained to challenge and refuse service to anyone who looks under 19 (the legal drinking age) and can’t provide valid proof of their age, or appears intoxicated. In 2006-07, LCBO staff challenged 1.8 million people and refused to serve 123,000.  About 82 per cent of the people not served were under 19.

2. The LCBO partners with MADD Canada on award-winning advertising to raise awareness about:

• using alcohol responsibly
• the dangers of impaired driving
• taking action to prevent drinking and driving 

3. For high school students, LCBO has a safe high school prom and graduation campaign. The LCBO and MADD Canada have a website for parents of pre-teens to help prevent underage drinking.

How does the LCBO make sure the products it sells are safe to drink?

The LCBO has a Quality Assurance Department that tests all products sold in LCBO stores. The products need to meet the federal government’s Food and Drug Act and labelling standards, as well as the LCBO’s standards for quality and taste.

What does the LCBO do for the environment?

The LCBO is implementing a comprehensive environmental strategy that aims to reduce the impact of the LCBO and its products on the environment.  This includes:

• Reducing the amount of package waste it creates by offering consumers innovative new lightweight package formats
• Encouraging customers to decline disposable shopping bags in favour of reusable “Envirobags”
• Improving the recycling of beverage alcohol containers through the Bag it Back program, where customers can return empty containers to the Beer Store for deposit-refund
• Reducing energy and utility consumption in its stores, offices and warehouses
• Raising money to preserve Ontario’s Natural Heritage by investing in projects that restore and rehabilitate wildlife habitat.

LCBO efforts to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle have already reduced package waste by more than 10-million kilograms per year. The Bag it Back program is well on its way to achieving the program’s first year target of 65% for returning beverage alcohol containers. 

The LCBO’s Natural Heritage Fund has also generated almost $2 million for habitat restoration, most notably the Bring Back the Salmon project, which will improve and restore rivers and surrounding habitat feeding Lake Ontario and see the return of a species extinct from Ontario for more than 100 years.

The LCBO is a leader in supporting Ontario’s Blue Box recycling program. It has helped with over $40 million to date to Ontario cities and towns, and set up new markets for used, coloured glass.

Learn More

• LCBO
• VINTAGES
• LCBO Annual Report
• Tips to prevent underage drinking
• Bag it back, Deposit Return Progra
• Liquor Control Act