Service Alberta Minister takes aim at discounted 4-litre vodka jugs

Alberta's minister responsi‐ ble for liquor, gaming and cannabis says either he or the provincial regulator will review how a large plastic jug of vodka landed on liquor store shelves sell‐ ing for less than $50.

"I don't think a four-litre plastic jug of vodka adds to the quality of the distillery in‐ dustry we have in this province," Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Min‐ ister Dale Nally said at a news conference on Monday. "I don't think that it is re‐ sponsible pricing to price it like that."

Pictures of plastic jugs for sale in an Edmonton liquor store were posted Friday night on social media, la‐ belled "Value Vodka," and priced at $49.95.

Nally said the packaging complied with provincial rules and regulations.

Nally made the comments hours before he tabled an omnibus bill that would give the minister the power to regulate liquor prices in Al‐ berta.

Nally said if the bill passes, he'd be able to act upon his concerns quickly. If the legislation doesn't pass as proposed, Nally will ask Al‐ berta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) to look into the product and pricing, he said.

But the jugs may not be around for long.

In a statement late Mon‐ day afternoon, St. Albertbased T-Rex distillery said it is halting production of the four-litre format in response to public feedback, which was a mix of concern and praise for the product.

The T-Rex owners, who did not attach their names to the statement, said they've heard nothing directly from Nally, the government or the AGLC about the product, which has been on the market for about a year. They said the AGLC approved their pricing.

Sunny Bhullar, co-owner of Super Value Liquor, said the four-litre vodka bottles have been on sale at his stores since April 3 and are normally around $65. The sale price continued on Mon‐ day.

He said he was surprised by the minister's concerns because beer is sold in packs of 36 cans and wine is avail‐ able in four-litre packages. It's up to the consumer to use the product responsibly, he said.

Bhullar said he hopes the province doesn't get into the business of setting retail prices for alcohol. The AGLC establishes wholesale prices.

"It will take away the beauty of the Alberta model," Bhullar said. "We're not in Ontario. We're not in Saskatchewan."

T-Rex's statement said craft distillers have "suffered from a lack of responsible pricing" since the AGLC elimi‐ nated a rule in 2020 that re‐ quired craft distilleries to produce 80 per cent of their spirits in-house. The state‐ ment said the change forced distilleries to lower their prices to stay in business, and called on the govern‐ ment to reverse the decision.

Omnibus bill allows more courthouse digiti‐ zation

Nally tabled Bill 16, the Red Tape Reduction Statutes Amendment Act, in the legis‐ lature on Monday. It pro‐ poses amendments to 12 ac‐ ts in 10 provincial ministries.

If passed, proposed changes to the Gaming,

Liquor and Cannabis Act would also allow minors to pass through casino gaming spaces with an adult, if they are trying to access other amenities, like a restaurant, hotel, or sports facility. Nally said the current rules have left kids' sports teams staying at hotels with casinos unable to get to restaurants within the buildings.

The bill would also elimi‐ nate the requirement for cannabis store workers to have criminal record checks. Nally said the AGLC was spending 1,300 hours a year on this task, and finding criminal convictions in just a fraction of a per cent of cases. Store managers will still need the checks.

Bill 16 also proposes a change that Didsbury veteri‐ narian Dr. Gordon Krebs has been advocating - extending the statute of limitations for the Crown to file charges for a provincial offence, such as a traffic violation, to 12 mon‐ ths from six.

Officials said that would bring Alberta in line with oth‐ er jurisdictions, and the statute on less serious crimi‐ nal code offences.

Krebs, who was also at Monday's news conference, said the RCMP assured him a driver would be held respon‐ sible for causing a 2022 colli‐ sion that left his adult son, Cody, paralyzed. He said the police missed the deadline by nine days, and the Crown could not proceed with charges.

Krebs said the time exten‐ sion was a good first step to protect victims' rights, "And hopefully prevent another family from going through what we've gone through."

Other changes that are proposed or enabled by Bill 16 include:

Amendments to allow more virtual court sittings, as were used during the COVID19 pandemic.

Allowing parties to submit evidence to court digitally.

Allowing citizens to enter pleas to provincial violations and receive court dates on‐ line or by email.

Allowing for increases in income support payments to people fleeing domestic vio‐ lence, and raise payments to parents living in shelters with more children. The current $357 monthly payment would rise to between $594 and $1,000 a month depend‐ ing on the number of kids.

Amending the Public Lands Act to make it easier for business owners to renew lease agreements.

Give library boards the flexibility to include four communities in an intermu‐ nicipal board, up from three.

Amend the Traffic Safety Act to authorize the govern‐ ment to permit pilot projects using off-highway vehicles and driverless vehicles on designated roads.