WHEREAS liquor agency stores were established to provide residents of, and visitors to, small communities with similar access to the purchase of alcoholic beverages as residents of larger markets and at the same cost of alcohol products as branch stores of the Liquor Distribution Branch; AND WHEREAS the independent commercial liquor stores and beer and wine stores are not required to provide consumers with the same competitive pricing enjoyed by consumers served by branch stores of the Liquor Distribution Branch: THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Union of BC Municipalities urge the Province to direct the Liquor Distribution Branch of British Columbia LDB to amend its regulations to permit the licensing of one liquor agency store in each small community where the LDB does not itself operate an outlet, such permitting to include communities served by a single, commercial liquor retailer.
MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND SOLICITOR GENERAL The rural agency store RAS program is intended to provide access to beverage alcohol in communities too small to warrant a government liquor store. Beverage alcohol service is not intended to be the core focus of the business in which the RAS is located the economic viability of a RAS operation is secondary to its primary purpose as a general merchandise store, although it may enhance the existing business. The physical location of a RAS must be a minimum of 10 kilometres driving distance from the nearest existing government liquor store, licensee retail store or RAS, where access is by all-weather road. Government is not considering any changes to the RAS program at this time.