Football fans planning their Grey Cup beer run may want to take note: seven more Beer Store locations in Ontario — including sites in Brampton and Barrie — are shutting their doors for good this weekend. The affected stores will close at the end of the business day on Nov. 16, giving customers one last chance to stock up before Sunday’s CFL championship game.
The Beer Store says the closures are part of a broader shift in Ontario’s alcohol retail landscape, where increased competition from grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations has cut into its business. The company previously announced that it would continue phasing out stores as it adapts to marketplace changes introduced under the province’s Early Implementation Agreement, which expands where beer and ready-to-drink beverages can be sold.
The seven locations closing this weekend include:
- Alexandria: 118 Main St. N.
- Barrie: 299 Blake St.
- Brampton: 374 Main St. N.
- Beaverton: 553 Mara Rd.
- Cornwall: 960 Brookdale Ave., Unit 7
- Gananoque: 580 King St. E.
- South River: 310 Hwy. 124
With these closures, The Beer Store will operate fewer than 320 outlets — just above the minimum 300 it is required to maintain until the end of 2025 under its agreement with the Ontario government. Beginning in 2026, the retailer will be free to close as many locations as it chooses.
Ozzie Ahmed, The Beer Store’s vice-president of retail, said the decision to close stores is not taken lightly. “Selling beer and collecting empties in Ontario is changing as part of marketplace expansion,” he said, adding that the company remains committed to meeting government requirements while adjusting to the evolving retail environment.
The union representing Beer Store workers, UFCW Local 12R24, says the closures are devastating for employees and bad for consumers. President John Nock warned that reduced locations could lead to higher prices and weaken the province’s highly successful bottle-return program. “People may have to drive long distances to return empty alcohol containers,” he said, noting that good-paying union jobs are disappearing without new ones being created.
Customers looking for alternate return locations can check The Beer Store’s website to find the nearest store still operating or use the province’s online locator to identify other alcohol retailers that accept bottle returns.
As more closures loom beyond 2025, this weekend’s announcements mark another step in the shrinking footprint of a retailer that once dominated Ontario’s beer market.