The beaver?
I understand what you’re saying (and the legal policy is sound), but Matthew de Grood (the accused killer of five young people in Calgary) has about 20 witnesses to him stabbing five people. I understand why he needs to be referred to as the alleged killer or the accused, but I don’t think he will be acquitted.
I’m not going to be quite so quick to condemn de Groot to never becoming a lawyer. 
If he gets off due to his brain misfiring, but later recovers, then yes, I could see him becoming a lawyer.
As far as me quickly condemning de Groot, I am quite comfortable in coming to my own opinions. Sometimes I agree with a judicial decision, and sometimes I don’t. As far as de Groot goes, there is more than enough information out there for me to be comfortable hoping that de Groot is locked away forever. I don’t give a crap whether he is found guilty or found not criminally responsible because he’s a nutter. As far as actus goes, sure, the court must test the facts, such as there being several witnesses, the knives, being brought down by a police dog while fleeing, and his Megadeth posting (WTF is it with mass murderers like Gill and now de Groot and their thing for quoting Megadeth before they go off to slaughter innocents?). No wonder his parents (one of whom is a police inspector) are heartbroken. Of course the judicial system needs to do its thing, and if it raises anything new, I am open to reconsidering my opinion, but as it stands, I don’t want de Groot loose in society.
Sane people don’t go around stabbing other people to death. Something is obviously wrong with this guy from a mental heath perspective.
I hope he gets the help he needs.
Let me write this down.
At least I got the schooling part out of the way finally.
And in other news, it appears that Ontario’s Beer Stores have adopted a “Won’t somebody think of the children!” stand if alcohol is allowed to be sold in convenience stores. Unfortunately, its campaign is backfiring miserably–see the Tweets and comments.
Interestingly, this is the complete opposite of the attitude of the Beer Store when I worked for them twenty-some years ago. Back then, they welcomed the idea of beer in corner stores–it would demonstrate that the Beer Store was the best retailer in terms of selection, price, customer service, knowledge of product, and public safety (i.e. carding minors).
Yeah, that’s Ontario for you. We’re not smart enough to regulate alcohol sales to adults only without the help of foreign monopolies, or government agencies. Like convenience stores don’t already regulate tobacco sales in a perfectly legal manner. If they didn’t their licence would get pulled.
Spoons, you have experience in both provinces. What do you notice from a selection and price difference between socialist Ontario and conservative Alberta?
ETA: For alcohol, I mean. Fuck tobacco.
It makes sense for convenience stores to sell alcohol.
Look, skids hold up convenience stores for money and cigs already. If beer were sold there, it would mean more money for the skids, and a lot more convenience for them too by letting them hit the cash-cigs-booze trifecta.
(More seriously, even I, a non-drinker, think Ontario is wound too tight.)
In HK, alcohol is sold at 7-11 and Circle K. Also grocery stores. A person can buy it and then go outside and drink it while walking down the street. Could it be that people are treated like adults they might start behaving like adults?
The problem is, in Canada, we don’t typically walk away from 7-11s, we drive away. You’d be very, very blessed in Canada to have a 7-11 next door.
Drinking and driving is illegal for obvious reasons. A person standing on their front side walk with a beer in hand has no good reason to be illegal (although, as a non-drinker, it annoys the crap out of me. But then many other things do as well, few of which I would consider making laws against because they don’t actually physically hurt other people).
Each has its pros and cons. Just for fun, I’ll break them out, using the topics that I posted earlier (note that my comments will touch on alcohol sales as a whole, as we do not have anything like The Beer Store here):
Selection:
Ontario wins this one. Even your average suburban LCBO will have pretty much whatever you want, in whatever size you want it. If it doesn’t carry it, it can order it for you; and if the LCBO doesn’t carry it at all, it can do a “special order” for you if you agree to buy by the case.
In Alberta, everything is available somewhere, but not necessarily at your local liquor store. Alberta stores tend to stock themselves according to the neighbourhood demographic: a store in a blue-collar neighbourhood will have lots of beer, popular spirits only (forget Grey Goose and Ketel One, you’ll get Smirnoff), popular sizes (“Sorry, we don’t carry Gordon’s in a 40-oz bottle; but you can get a mickey and a 26er”), and a minimal selection of wines. Similarly, try finding a case of Bud at a high-end liquor store.
Price:
Everyday regular prices are roughly the same between Ontario and Alberta; but I’ll give Alberta the edge because it allows substantial savings on sales. It is not uncommon for Alberta liquor stores to issue flyers with the weekend paper, advertising sales on stock: “This week, 24s of Kokanee for $30, only at Liquor Barn!” In-store, such things are given pride-of-place, along with shelf tags that might say something like “Was $33, save $8, now $25!”
IIRC, when an LCBO has a “sale,” it is more like 25c off on a $12 bottle of wine.
Customer service:
It’s a tie. Both places have their share of pleasant store staff, and surly store staff. All transactions are efficient, and returns on unsealed product with receipt are possible. If there is an advantage, it will have to go to Ontario’s Beer Stores, and their carry-out program (I always seemed to have to do carry-outs on rainy days).
Knowledge of product:
This can be hit-and-miss in Alberta, so Ontario may have the edge. Certainly, Alberta’s high-end stores have extremely knowledgeable staff, but not all the others do. However, the LCBO has certified wine consultants in many stores; and knowledge is high even among regular staff.
IME, even as a lowly Beer Store clerk, I had to attend a training course on the different kinds of beer, ingredients in the various kinds of beer, the brewing process, and so on; in order to have some knowledge of our product. I was also encouraged (via free beer vouchers provided by the brewers) to try all kinds of product, so I could speak from experience if a customer had a question about a particular beer.
Public safety (i.e. carding minors):
Again, a tie. The laws are the same (no serving minors, intoxicated people, etc.). Penalties are severe, both for the retailer and for the clerk who made the sale. If there has to be a winner here, it may be Alberta, as most independent stores and chain stores are too small to be able to afford the lawyers that the LCBO and the Beer Store can in order to defend a “sale to minor” charge. So, they have to be even more vigilant and careful.
In fact, Alberta liquor store clerks (and even restaurant/bar staff) have to attend courses on how not to serve minors and drunks, how to cut down on shoplifting, and a number of other things. Once the courses are complete, only then can they start work.
And two more categories I did not mention above…
Consistency in pricing:
Ontario wins here. All prices are clearly marked, include all taxes and deposits (i.e. “all-in” with nothing extra charged at checkout), and are uniform across the province.
As can be inferred from the discussion on price, above; Alberta retailers can (and often do) differ on price. Further, some retailers have an all-in price, some do not include tax and deposit, some include tax but not deposit, and some offer a “Regular price $33 each, but buy six for $30 each” kind of deal. If you’re at a store you’ve never been to before, you can only ballpark what you’ll be paying; unlike Ontario, where you’ll know.
Convenience:
Alberta wins here. Competition means more stores, which means more locations. My nearest liquor store is a three-block walk away, beside the convenience store and across from the Pizza Hut. Or, I can walk a few more blocks, and go to a different liquor store. Or, if I want something really exotic, a ten-minute drive takes me to a high-end specialty store. Additionally, it is very difficult to find a supermarket that does not have a liquor store next door–not quite the same as having liquor sales in the supermarket, but better than having to do grocery shopping, then drive to a LCBO a distance away for a bottle of wine to have with your meal.
In another form of competition, hours seem to be longer in Alberta, also. Many stores are open until midnight, seven days a week; and some are open later than that. More convenience for consumers who may be shift workers and who want to pick something up on their way home, late at night.
Hm. On preview, I seem to have got a little carried away. Anyway, Leaffan, I hope this is the kind of information that you were looking for.
A beaver would make an awesome lawyer.
Famously hard working, able to gnaw through the hardest materials, and can escape predation by diving underwater … all fine lawyerly assets. 
That’s the best overall comparison I’ve ever gotten. Thank you Spoons.
As much as I dislike the government being in the business of selling alcohol, I don’t really see a compelling reason to change things in Ontario.
That’s crazy talk.
Plus, they’re really scary when they come at you! :eek:
You’re quite welcome.
As for change in Ontario, the only reason I can see is to make things more convenient. It is nice to have two liquor stores within walking distance, and that are open late. This convenience, I suspect, is what drives the demand for change in Ontario. No matter how well-stocked an LCBO is, and no matter how knowledgeable the staff, it is a PITA to have to get in the car and drive (say) 8 km to an LCBO or Beer Store when all you want is a six-pack of Bud.
Perhaps what the LCBO ought to do to quell the demand is to start giving consumers what they ultimately want when they ask for booze in corner stores and supermarkets: more locations open longer hours. They need not be full stores; they could follow Alberta’s example, and squeeze a store into a retail location that size-wise, would be more suited to a florist’s, a butcher’s, or indeed, a convenience store. Additionally, the smaller locations could stock brands and sizes that appeal to the neighbourhood demographic (anything the LCBO carries can be ordered in, if it is not on the shelf), and stay open as local demand indicates (e.g. in a neighbourhood of shift workers, stay open later).
It’s a simple solution, but I don’t believe it is even on the table for discussion. At any rate, it would allow the LCBO to maintain its monopoly and its claim that it is “protecting the children,”, while cutting down on consumer gripes.
You mean like LCBO agency outlets?
What I’d like to see besides beer in the depanneurs across Canada (One of Quebec’s other great contributions to Canadian Society) would be for Costco to be able to sell liquor like they do in the US. You have to be 18 (own a Costco card) so the ID check is practically built in.
Sort of, but not quite.
LCBO agencies tend to be found in small towns, at some distance from larger centres. They are a familiar sight in northern Ontario; less so in southern Ontario. They are a solution to putting in and staffing a full-scale LCBO where numbers do not warrant, and they work pretty well–at one gas station/convenience/agency store in a remote area of Ontario, I remember filling up the car with gas, getting some coffee, and buying a six-pack, all on the same transaction. But for some reason, the LCBO is reluctant to entertain the idea of agency stores in larger centres, perhaps because (to them) an LCBO/Beer Store is never too far away.
If so, that would be their opinion, but I would guess that it is not necessarily shared by consumers. No, what I’m talking about would be more like mini-LCBOs.
Ultimately, I think that’s what we’d all like. I’d certainly like to get groceries and add a bottle of wine to my shopping cart, rather than having to check out my groceries and make a separate trip to the liquor store next door.
But I also think that’s too much of a leap for some. They might not mind, however, if we take baby steps to get there.
Gotcha. Where I live, I have to drive everywhere, so the inconvenience is always there. When I lived in the city, it sure would have been nice to pop over to the Kwik-E-Mart for a six pack.