Kickstarter for movie to tell Ontario's alcohol story

[atomeyes]

looks interesting.
again, people who don't think this will be a major election issue are mistaken. it isn't Ontario's most pressing issue, but Joe Shmo may choose to vote based on this and not an economic platform.

[TheSevenDuffs]

Interesting.

I am not sure that I agree that this will be a 'major election issue'. Aside from us beer nerds, and those in the craft beer industry, most people that I talk to don't seem to be informed or to care about this all that much once I inform them of the issue. The average 'joe schmo' just cares that he can get his 2-4 of Canadian or Coors light and doesn't care if he has to go to the Beer Store vs. a corner store to get it.

[groulxsome]

Looks like a pretty interesting documentary project, not only from a political point of view, but also one that might deal with the history of prohibition in Ontario in an interesting way. Something like the political aims of the "Beer Wars" documentary with hopefully some of the context of something like Ken Burn's "Prohibition" series.

Dan Malleck's (he's listed as a contributor to the doc) book "Try to Control Yourself: The Regulation of Public Drinking in Post-Prohibition Ontario, 1927-44" (2012) has been on my office bookshelf for the last year, but I've yet to get around to reading it. And since Scott Thompson's "Punched Drunk: Alcohol, Surveillance and the LCBO, 1927-1975" (2009) is still relatively recent in the academic memory, this documentary - at least in academic terms - seems fairly timely. (Craig Heron's "Booze" being the classic social history).

So a somewhat politically engaged documentary that actually talks about Canadian prohibition laws (which are still mostly believed to not have existed in comparison to the American case) and the genesis of our system would be great. If that has any political pick up into opening up sales of beer, that's a bonus.

[saints_gambit]

I'll go one step further: This should not be a wedge issue. I write inflammatory things about it, but to be honest, it's less important than just about everything else. If this ever interferes with Health Care, we should all be ashamed.

Ideally, what we want is to force reform without making it a voting issue. We want all of the political parties to be forced to do something.

[Cass]

I'll go one step further: This should not be a wedge issue. I write inflammatory things about it, but to be honest, it's less important than just about everything else. If this ever interferes with Health Care, we should all be ashamed.

Alas, this is why things simply don't change here. You're correct that health care and other big picture issues are important. But unless it becomes a political issue then the status quo will remain, as it has for 80 years.

Now if Ontarians really had balls we would simply start breaking the law to force the issue (e.g. a bar starting to sell bottles to take home, a brewer starting to sell at events, etc.) but that'll never happen. I love the story about how Sam Calgione started a brewery in Delaware although it was illegal. It would be cool to see that kind of moxie in Ontario.

[atomeyes]

I'll go one step further: This should not be a wedge issue. I write inflammatory things about it, but to be honest, it's less important than just about everything else. If this ever interferes with Health Care, we should all be ashamed.

Alas, this is why things simply don't change here. You're correct that health care and other big picture issues are important. But unless it becomes a political issue then the status quo will remain, as it has for 80 years.

Now if Ontarians really had balls we would simply start breaking the law to force the issue (e.g. a bar starting to sell bottles to take home, a brewer starting to sell at events, etc.) but that'll never happen. I love the story about how Sam Calgione started a brewery in Delaware although it was illegal. It would be cool to see that kind of moxie in Ontario.

it's not because we're beer geeks that i think it will be an election issue. there has been a lot of talk and press dedicated to it lately.
how many editorials in the past 2 months vs the past 5 years?
what was one of the first questions Wynne answered on Reddit?

you guys will see. never underestimate voters and politicians. no one wants to hear about money going to foreign companies. more people want to keep it local. everyone likes to read about the small guy versus the big guy.

remember: most of us live in a city where voters chose a mayor based on baseless claims of "gravy". most voters don't want nor cannot comprehend the true election issues. if they could, the Liberal government would have been smoked out of Queen's Park years ago for all of their lies and waste.

[groulxsome]

Now if Ontarians really had balls we would simply start breaking the law to force the issue (e.g. a bar starting to sell bottles to take home, a brewer starting to sell at events, etc.) but that'll never happen. I love the story about how Sam Calgione started a brewery in Delaware although it was illegal. It would be cool to see that kind of moxie in Ontario.

OK, well, how about someone starts doing runs to some breweries in the Toronto area, re-selling beer (safely and responsibly) our of their well lit and well organized garage (or one of the innumerable just-off-the-street ally garages), and then get a kickstarter together to cover their legal fees? That'd kick up some fuss in the press and maybe point out some of the hypocrisies in the system. Plus I could get some of those fresh Johnny Simcoe cans without the subway and bus out to Etobicoke.

[rejtable]

no one wants to hear about money going to foreign companies. more people want to keep it local. everyone likes to read about the small guy versus the big guy.

I agree that this is where real traction has to come from. Most people don't care about getting their Keith's from the Beer Store or Loblaws, but a lot of them do care when they hear that they are being beat down by evil multinationals.

[Bytowner]

Given the advent of brewery-to-door delivery services, and the refusal of the government to pick a fight over it (quite the opposite with the Beau's charity service) I think the writing is on the wall.

Everyone really should make a point of going to all-candidates meetings and asking pointed questions. Also doesn't take much to email your MPP with party leaders and nominees from other parties cc'd. It's damn hard to defend the Beer Store when faced with someone who knows their shit.

[atomeyes]

Given the advent of brewery-to-door delivery services, and the refusal of the government to pick a fight over it (quite the opposite with the Beau's charity service) I think the writing is on the wall.

Everyone really should make a point of going to all-candidates meetings and asking pointed questions. Also doesn't take much to email your MPP with party leaders and nominees from other parties cc'd. It's damn hard to defend the Beer Store when faced with someone who knows their shit.

sadly, i live a 5 minute drive from Wynne's office. not like she's ever there. and it's not like logic talks to these people. money/donations do.

i think the twitter battle and the strange Star article show that the Beer Store knows that something is up.

[JeffPorter]

Not that it shouldn't be an election issue, but given this today...

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/pol ... e16980608/


I think all the parties will have bigger, um, bottles to uncork...or, documents to destroy...

[atomeyes]

FYI, from today's Sun.

http://www.torontosun.com/2014/02/19/on ... -macs-exec

Tom Moher, vice president of Mac’s operations for central Canada, predicted provincial politicians will be pressed by Ontarians during the next election to explain why they are not allowed to purchase alcohol in more retail locations.

Although Premier Kathleen Wynne recently ruled out beer and wine in convenience stores, Moher said he believes there is momentum for change.

“She will continue to be asked because Ontarians will continue to demand this opportunity,” Moher told a Toronto Sun editorial board Wednesday. “A great thing about a democracy is when the people speak and the people continue to put something forward, eventually political parties need to act in the best interest of Ontarians.”

their poll:

POLL
Putting beer and wine in corner stores is...
89%
...a good idea whose time has come.
496 votes

11%
...just staggering down a dangerous path.
61 votes

500 votes in an article published at 7 PM yesterday.

[Bytowner]

In other Sun poll news, as of February 14th, 88% of voters would vote PC if an election were held today. I know you've vented about your views on The Star elsewhere atomeyes, but, seriously, regular Sun consumption will result in a very unhealthy relationship with reality.