As families head into the Labour Day long weekend, they are participating in a cherished end-of-summer ritual. But this year, Ontario households enjoy a major advantage that many other Canadians do not: the simple, modern convenience of the one-stop shop at their local convenience store.

No one wants to waste precious time fighting traffic to buy ice at one stop, snacks at another, and a six-pack at a third. Yet, in many provinces, this scramble remains the norm. Two years ago, Ontario modernized its beverage alcohol market, dismantling outdated barriers to deliver the convenience Ontarians had demanded for decades.

On this second anniversary, the benefits are clear, concrete, and measurable for customers, local businesses, and visitors alike. When Ontarians travel elsewhere in Canada, they are quickly reminded of how inconvenient some other provinces remain.

For Ontario convenience store operators, this expansion has been a financial lifeline. Amid cost-of-living headwinds and falling sales in other categories, beverage alcohol has rapidly become the second most-important sales category in Ontario convenience stores, with sales surging 33% over the past year. This keeps local stores open when their communities need them most. Total convenience and gas sales are up 3% in Ontario, while provinces without modernized alcohol frameworks suffered a 3% sales decline over the same period.

At a time when families are choosing to buy local and support Canadian jobs more than ever, these stores stand out as steady, homegrown, and open when others are not. They are the helping hands and familiar faces that families across the country rely on every day. These community hubs provide daily essentials, create first-time job opportunities for newcomers and students, and drive economic growth in every riding, from coast-to-coast-to-coast.

Buying your long weekend supplies, whether it be chips or pretzels, or a couple of coolers and some beer, at a convenience store is a direct way to buy Canadian. By doing so, you support locally owned businesses, secure jobs, and reinvest in the Canadian economy. Every purchase is a vote of confidence in a Canadian entrepreneur and the local products we proudly feature.

That said, the work in Ontario is far from finished. While we celebrate these milestones, Ontario needs to continue to reform its distribution system to reflect the addition of convenience stores to the expanded alcohol retailing market. These implementation hurdles must be resolved to ensure long-term sustainability.

Streamlining distribution isn’t just about helping local businesses, it is a simple way to keep prices fair, minimize product waste, and make the shopping experience better for everyone. We applaud Premier Doug Ford and his government for their bold leadership and are committed to continued collaboration to ensure that we resolve these ongoing issues.

This Labour Day, let’s choose to support our communities. Let’s buy Canadian, buy local, and appreciate how far Ontario has come. But let’s also recognize that modern convenience should not stop at provincial borders. It is time for the rest of Canada to join the movement, support local businesses, and unlock the true potential of our national retail sector.

Anne Kothawala is the president and CEO of the Convenience Industry Council of Canada.

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