Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s promise to bring back a “buck a beer” for bottles and cans of the popular beverage is being met with mixed opinions by locals in Elliot Lake and Blind River. Elliotlaketoday conducted an unofficial survey of residents during a man on the street conducted in the two communities on Friday.
Elliot Laker George McWaid said he opposes the move to cheaper beer prices and believes a lower price will lead to more incidents of drinking and driving.
McWaid doesn’t drink beer anymore, but added he was a drinker in his younger years.
“I don’t agree with it. If you open it (up) it’s going make people drink a lot more, drive a lot more,” he said of concerns about increased impaired driving.
“I know what I was like, I know what people are like they’ll drink more.”
“I see nothing wrong with people who drink and I’ve drunk enough in my life, but I don’t drink anymore and proud of it.”
Phil Barber, also of Elliot Lake doesn’t believe Ford will be able to make good on his buck a beer promise by Labour Day.
“I’ll believe it when I see it,” he said. “I don’t think they’ll do it.”
He doesn’t believe independent, small breweries will be able to afford cutting the price on their products. He also doesn’t believe the large brewing companies will cut their prices.
Gilles Lemieux of Blind River said he isn’t concerned about lower beer prices.
“I don’t drink at all so whatever he (Ford) does with the beer that’s OK with me,” he said, adding he doesn’t think a lower beer price will contribute to more drinking.
“I’m more worried about pot than anything else,” he said of the federal government plan to legalize marijuana by October.
“You won’t get more people drinking. You can’t drink and drive. We’ve got cops here that stop cars 24-hours a day,” he said of traffic enforcement by the OPP headquartered in Blind River.
Rebekah Olsen of Iron Bridge said she hasn’t considered the promise. A non-drinker, Olsen said the provincial government should look at other issues including lowering the price of gas, insurance and hydro.
“I don’t drink so. It doesn’t affect me,” she said.
Blind River resident Judith Pousette said she doesn’t agree with the promise.
“If he promised one dollar for a bottle of wine I’d be in,” she quipped.
“All the craft breweries that are starting up it will really hurt,” she said of the impact of lower beer prices.
“We have some (brewery) start-ups here in northern Ontario,” she added. “I think we should be encouraging them and paying full price not asking them to discount their product.”
J.P. Pepin, who is from Elliot Lake but spends the summer months at his cottage close to Blind River, said he doesn’t believe Ford will be able to come good on his promise of lowering the cost of beer. He also doesn’t believe the Premier will be able to lower gas prices by 10 cents a litre as was also a campaign promise.
“A dollar a beer and 10 cents off the gas I don’t think it will happen,” he said.
The Ontario government says it will offer "non-financial incentives" to brewers who sell their beer for $1 once the province's buck-a-beer plan is in place later this month.
Premier Doug Ford says participating businesses will be offered prime spots in Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores or advertising in the store magazine's inserts, among other possible rewards.
Speaking at a brewery in Picton, Ont., on Tuesday, the premier said the program, which was one of his promises during the spring election campaign, will not cost taxpayers anything.
The Progressive Conservative plan will lower the minimum price of a bottle or can of beer to $1 from $1.25 starting Aug. 27 — a few days before the Labour Day weekend.
Brewers would not be required to charge less, however, and the lower minimum price would not apply to draft beer, nor would it include the bottle deposit.
The Tories have said a return to buck a beer would see more competition in the beer market without affecting the province's revenues from beer and wine taxes, which government documents show brought in roughly $589 million in 2016-2017.
Ontario previously had buck-a-bottle beer but the then-Liberal government quietly hiked the minimum price in 2008, citing its "social responsibility" mandate.
Ford has also vowed to expand the sale of beer and wine to corner and box stores in Ontario.