The Ontario government is maintaining secrecy around its significant inventory of American alcohol items, worth around $79.1 million, which were withdrawn from retail outlets in response to the ongoing trade conflict between Canada and the U.S.
In August, CBC News submitted a freedom-of-information request to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) to inquire about the status, extent, and disposal strategies for the U.S. alcohol products removed in March. The LCBO delayed its response for 64 days, exceeding the legal 30-day limit by 34 days.
Upon the release of the documents, it was revealed that they consisted of 50 pages, heavily redacted to conceal crucial details such as the quantity of inventory at risk of expiration, the amount already disposed of, and the overall cost to taxpayers.
Unlike liquor authorities in Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, which have disclosed information about their U.S. alcohol stocks, the LCBO has kept crucial details under wraps. Among the limited information revealed in the LCBO documents was an estimated $2.9 million provision for inventory in its 2024-25 financial statements to cover potential losses from expiring products.
Colin Blachar, the director of media at Ontario’s Finance Ministry, stated that U.S.-made alcohol products remain off LCBO shelves and are being held in storage until further notice due to trade tensions with the U.S.
James Turk, a researcher at Toronto Metropolitan University, criticized the LCBO’s classification of inventory details as “cabinet confidence,” arguing that such information should not be shielded from public scrutiny. Turk highlighted a pattern of secrecy within the provincial government, citing previous refusals to disclose important information.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles condemned the LCBO’s lack of transparency, stating that the redacted documents are part of a broader trend of secrecy by the Ford government. CBC News has appealed to the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario’s Office regarding the redacted internal documents from the LCBO.