Ontario booze-by-mail challenges liquor delivery business

A Windsor, Ont., man who legally delivers liquor is worried about Canada Post entering the booze business.

Ontario launched its e-commerce and Canada Post delivery service on Tuesday, charging customers $12 plus tax to have booze delivered to the door.

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Ken Macleod has been doing that for 23 years through his company Wheelz Delivery. He specializes in delivering liquor and cigarettes to customers in a hurry.

Macleod is Smart Serve certified from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, and he is worried Canada Post carriers won't need to have the same credentials to deliver alcohol.

"It's just the government and the LCBO trying to take away from the small business guys," he told CBC News.

"A lot of guys do it all across Ontario, by [Canada Post] delivering it. My question is, who's checking ID?"

No certification for Canada Post workers

According to the AGCO, delivery services like Macleod's operate on behalf of the person ordering the alcohol, which means he needs his Smart Serve qualifications. To becomecertified, residents need to pass an online course that costs $39.49.

That program is controlled by the AGCO and is designed to control the sale of alcohol to people who are drunk and to prevent over-serving.

Because Canada Post employees will be working under the LCBO, they are not required to have that certification, the AGCO says.

In an emailed statement to CBC News, an LCBO spokesperson said Canada Post employees would be using the Check 25 standard, whichLCBO store employees have.

That means anyone accepting an alcohol delivery who appears to be younger than 25 will routinely be asked for ID.

Postal workers' union weighs in

Mike Palecek, the president of the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, said he still has questions aboutthe expectations placed on the workers, but he thinks they should be wellequipped for the task.

"We're still in the dark as to what this will look like," Paleceksaid. "In principle we already provide a lot of the same services that are required: checking IDs, verifying ages;there's no reason we can't do that for the LCBO as well."

Delivery now or in 3 days?

Despite his concerns aboutthe different certification standards, Macleod says he welcomes the competition with the LCBO and Canada Post.

"If you're ordering in advance [with the LCBO] it's going to take three days and cost $12. If you call us we'll get it in under anhour usually and our charges are only $9," Macleod said. "Most of our customers are people who want stuff now, not in three days."

"It's just going to make us busier," he said. "When they find out they have to wait that long, people are going to look in the phone book or go on the internet and find alternative ways to get it delivered."