Buck-a-Beer

Ontario PC Party announces Buck-a-Beer at Barley Days Brewery

A packed press room and a sizeable crowd of protesters were on hand at Barley Days Brewery on Tuesday to greet Ontario Premier Doug Ford for his announcement about the return of Bucka- Beer to Ontario. Ford was joined by Minister of Finance Vic Fedeli and Minister of Government and Consumer Services Todd Smith for the announcement. Effective August 27, the province of Ontario will lower the minimum price to $1 for any beer with an alcohol content below 5.6 per cent. The last time the minimum retail price for a beer was $1 was in 2008, when the previous government decided to ban Buck-a-Beer by setting a higher minimum price of $1.25. Ford was quick to jump on the soap box and reiterate to the public that he keeps his promises.

(L-R): Kyle Baldwin from Barley Days Brewery with Premier Doug Ford, Minister Vic Fedeli, and Minister Todd Smith on the brewery canning line.

“We were elected on a promise to reduce red tape and put the people first. This included a promise to bring Buck-a-Beer back to Ontario. Today I am proud to say, promise made, promise kept. The days of the government putting its hand in your pocket each time you buy a two-four or six-pack is over. Instead, we’re going to do what we said we would do and put Ontario consumers first,” said Ford.

To encourage brewers to lower their prices, the Premier formally launched the Buck-a-Beer Challenge: any brewer who agrees to lower their prices on or after August 27 will receive LCBO promotional considerations such as limited- time discounts, in-store displays on end aisles and shelf extenders. Participants in the challenge may also see advertising in LCBO flyers and newspaper inserts.

The Finance Minister started his time at the mic with a bit of humour.

“Every now and then in government you find yourselves facing a very tough day. Days that require really tough decisions. Well this is not one of those days. We’re delighted to be here and announce the answer to a question we have received the most since our start in office. ‘When are you bringing back Buck-a- Beer?,’ said Fideli.

During the question and answer period the Premier refused to answer any questions that weren’t directly related to the Buck a Beer announcement. Questions regarding finance and marijuana were dismissed quickly and Ford told the press to keep the questions on the subject at hand.

When a press member asked about the relationship between lowering beer prices and public safety, the Premier had this to say.

Sarah Burn, one of the many protesters outside Barley Days Brewery, hoping to get her message across.

“We’re going to roll this out smartly and responsibly. We trust Ontario beer drinkers and other consumers to make their own smart, mature and responsible choices,” said Ford.

Kyle Baldwin of Barley Days Brewing Company was not able to divulge any specific info on their involvement with the program, but did say that Barley Days was incredibly excited to be a part of the program and to look for an announcement about which of their products will be discounted in the near future.

The crowd of protesters occupied both sides of the street outside of the Barley Days Brewery, holding signs and chanting about Doug Ford’s poor choices as Premier. The other sentiment among the protesters was that this Buck-a-Beer Challenge is just a distraction from the myriad of issues facing the province today. Lowering the beer price floor by a quarter should not be as big a news item as it has become. But in the days of smoke-and-mirror politics, these good-news stories can be considered victories in the political landscape.