Vancouver city council votes to postpone pilot project to allow grocery stores to sell BC wine

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VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – You won’t be able to buy pinot with your pork chops in Vancouver anytime soon.

Despite a staff recommendation to go ahead with it, city hall has put off a one-year pilot project to allow five local grocery stores to sell BC wine.

Councillor Heather Deal says while there is support for the idea, there are also concerns from agencies like Vancouver Coastal Health.

“No decision has been made. Nothing has been rejected. There still could be a pilot project or a full-on implementation or no implementation — none of those decisions have been made. They will be made as part of the full liquor review, which will be happening early in 2016.”

Deal understands the pressure given provincial approval, but argues the city needs its own general policies and strategies around liquor.

“We have things that we’re very supportive of, such as expanding the hours of patios. We have other issues, such as the Granville Entertainment District, which causes some concern.”

Wine is now being sold in a handful of grocery stores in other Lower Mainland municipalities, like Surrey, Langley, and White Rock.

The Urban Fare on Alberni Street was granted a provincial license to sell wine shortly later changes to the liquor laws were announced, but has been waiting on municipal approval.

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