No deal for Yukoners after gov't lowers wholesale liquor price

Around 140 Yukon businesses with liquor licences will soon be paying cheaper wholesale prices for alcohol they purchase from the government-owned Yukon Liquor Corporation.  

The government is reducing the price by 10 per cent in February. Until now, licensees have paid the retail price that all Yukoners pay in government liquor stores.

Stacey Hassard, the minister responsible for the liquor corporation, says the change is not meant to lower costs for consumers, however.

"I don't think this announcement is so much about making it cheaper for the consumers, this is an announcement about helping small business and the bottom line is that it pays people's bills and keeps the lights on," Hassard says.

Peter Turner, the president of the Yukon Chamber of Commerce, says the lower wholesale price will help Yukon be more competitive with other tourist destinations.

"This change puts our hospitality industry on a more competitive footing with other jurisdictions such as B.C., where their hospitality industry has enjoyed a discount between 12 and 30 per cent off of retail for years now," Turner says.

Justin Munro, the co-owner of Earls Restaurant in Whitehorse, is downplaying the possibility of cheaper liquor for either tourists or local people.

"I think it's a little bit premature to make any sort of comment to that nature," Munro says.

"I think you need to give us a little bit of time to realize the benefit and to evaluate how to properly use that."