Private liquor stores better

Re: The battle over the bottle, letter to the editor, July 10, and Give LCBO the boot, column by Ivonne Martinez, July 6

I couldn’t let letter writer Marc Lafleur’s comment on the abundance of riches provided by the LCBO go uncontested.

While the LCBO is the largest single purchaser of alcohol in the world that does not translate into the widest selection.

In Alberta, where the sale of liquor is in the private sector, the selection on offer is four or five times that offered in Ontario. Stores specialize in wines, beer and spirits.

One store in Edmonton offers over 1,000 varieties of beer alone. Another has over 100 different rums. Liquor stores are abundant and offer extensive hours.

The government has no reason to be a liquor vendor — it has more important things to do. Keith Brady, Empress, Alta.