21 things that Quebec wants to allow for “modernizing” the law on alcohol

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Marie-Renée Grondin

Thursday, 22-feb-2018 10:40

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Thursday, 22-feb-2018 10:40

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The government of Philippe Couillard tabled a draft law to modernize and soften the alcohol law in Quebec.

• READ ALSO: Quebec wants to simplify the sale of alcohol

The bill 170 seeks to make a “culture change” important ” to the Régie des alcools, in order to “simplify the life of the people”, “consumer”, “restaurants and bars”, and “licensees” while encouraging “the responsible use of alcohol”, according to the minister of public Safety, Martin Coiteux.

The latter is confident that several of the provisions of this bill, “could enter into force as early as next summer”.

Here are the main changes that the government wishes to adopt:

1. From 20: 00 to 23: 00 hour where children can accompany their parents on a terrace where they sell alcohol.

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2. Extend the hours it can sell alcohol in grocery stores and convenience stores, for example, from 7.00 in the morning.

3. Allow people who want to make beer or wine to do so at an institution other than their home, where space and equipment are at their disposal.

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4. Allow the consumption of alcoholic beverages in the common areas of a place of accommodation (such as the lobby of a hotel for example) and people will even be able to return to their room with their drinks.

5. Relax the conditions attached to the permit meeting.

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6. Create a allowed accessory that will prevent the festivals, for example, having to repeat consistently for a permit each year.

7. Simplify the different categories and to allow “tailor-made” to give more institutions the opportunity to obtain a license accessory (hair salon, theatre, sugar shack, art gallery, catering, etc).

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8. Introduce a permit of delivery that will allow restaurateurs to offer also wines and beers from its card form home delivery.

9. Allow guests to take a drink in a restaurant without necessarily ordering a meal. The kitchen of the restaurant, however, will be functional throughout the opening hours of the establishment.

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10. Repeal certain permits that are obsolete, such as “Land of men” or even “olympic Park”.

11. Offer the possibility of obtaining a seasonal pass, which the pricing will be adjusted according to the time of operation to accommodate, for example, golf clubs or snowmobile clubs.

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12. Remove the requirement to stamp the empty bottles decorative.

13. Allow advance preparation of the mixtures and to extend the hours allowed for the preparation of the carafes, for example, the sangrias.

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14. Abolish the requirement for a device preventing access to alcoholic beverages outside of the opening hours.

15. The introduction of administrative monetary penalty in the event of a failure in terms of promotion and publicity (for example, advertisements designed to reach the miners).

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16. Introduce mandatory training on the responsible consumption of alcoholic beverages for the managers of establishment and the licence holders.

17. Allow a person who does not have canadian citizenship, but who has a work permit, get a liquor license.

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18. Refuse to issue a licence to an applicant if the person charged with the administration of the establishment which would be operated the permit has committed, in the five years preceding the application, a criminal act or an offence that would have prevented the applicant to obtain the permit.

19. Allow editing of hours of exploitation during a holiday or at an event, character, cultural, social, sporting or tourist.

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20. Allow the use of, or the manufacturing of alcoholic beverages for educational purposes or in the course of research.

21. Provide the opportunity for the manufacturers of alcoholic beverages to participate in tasting salons for the promotion of their products through their production permit without being required to obtain a permit for the meeting.

Now, it remains to be seen which of these 21 things proposed will materialize…