Ontario considers plan to pull Russian vodka from Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton and Halton LCBOs
Published February 25, 2022 at 2:45 pm
The Ontario government could soon remove all Russian-made vodka from the shelves at more than 650 LCBO stores in Mississauga, Brampton, Hamilton, Halton and across the province as part of a larger effort to impose economic sanctions in the wake of the Ukrainian invasion.
Discussions between Premier Doug Ford and a high-ranking member of his Cabinet reportedly began late Thursday after government officials noticed calls for such a boycott were all over social media.
Additionally, the LCBO received comments from many customers who were concerned about the Russian-made products remaining on the shelves for purchase at the 660 Ontario locations.
Earlier Thursday, Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca wrote a letter to LCBO president George Soleas asking that several brands of Russian vodka be removed from shelves as a way to show support for besieged Ukraine.
Del Duca suggested that “any and all means,” both provincially and federally, of hurting Russia’s economy should be considered and acted upon.
The LCBO, which is owned by the Ontario government, imports six brands of Russian vodka and is one of the world’s largest buyers of alcohol.
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Last year, the liquor store in Ontario removed a specific vodka brand from its rotation based on complaints from the public that the product’s name resembled that of former Soviet Union leader Joseph Stalin.
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