The need to buy your preferred brand of alcohol from outside of Ontario only through LCBO was done away with on July 21, when Ontario signed a pact with eight provinces for direct sales.
Until now, and prior to the March 2026 direct-to-consumer (DTC) alcohol agreement between Ontario and Nova Scotia, Ontario consumers were only permitted to purchase alcoholic beverages from another province if the products were listed by the LCBO, ordered via the LCBO’s private ordering program or bought in another province and transported by the purchaser to Ontario for personal use.
Under the agreement signed Tuesday, producers in participating jurisdictions can now seek authorization from the LCBO to provide consumers in Ontario with direct access to purchase their alcoholic beverages of choice via online merchants and have those beverages delivered directly to their homes. Consumers located in the other provinces will also have the same ability to make purchases from Ontario producers.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford along with premiers of eight other Canadian provinces — British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador — signed the agreement that will allow direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales of alcoholic beverages between their individual jurisdictions for personal use.
Only Quebec remains outside the DTC pact.
$200 Billion Opportunity
“In the face of [U.S.] President Trump’s latest tariffs, it’s more important than ever that Team Canada work together to build a more united, resilient and self-reliant Canadian economy,” said Premier Ford. “Today’s agreement will open new markets and new choice and convenience for producers and customers in Ontario and across Canada, while helping unlock more than $200 billion in untapped economic opportunity that is currently being held back by internal trade barriers.”
Since October 31, 2024, Ontario consumers have been able to buy beer, wine, cider, coolers, seltzers and other low-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages at all participating convenience, grocery and big box stores across the province.