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Tomorrow 4,100 convenience stores across the province will finally be able to sell wine and beer. Not hard liquor, mind you, Ontarians are not mature enough for that, apparently (If you can explain why there's a steak dinner in it for you.)

In West End Toronto, there is a store called Marble Tuck Shop. On August 16th, this shop, clearly weeks before convenience stores were allowed to sell alcohol, was caught by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario selling booze before the official kickoff. As a result, the convenience store had its alcohol retail license and its lottery license suspended for 21 days. Clearly, the regulator caught them breaking the rules.

But my question is this: why do we have a two-tier model of compliance when it comes to alcohol sales in Ontario? And what do I mean by that? Well, going back more than a decade, when I was at the Sun News Network, we did a little test. We sent a 15-year-old into three LCBO stores to buy hard liquor, and three out of three times he succeeded.

Granted, he was wearing a burka. That's because we were tipped off that if you were underage and you wanted to buy spirits, beer or wine, just don Islamic religious wear, and you would be served, no questions asked. 

Three out of three times in York Region, the 15-year-old was able to successfully buy hard liquor. But here's the thing. In the aftermath of our report, what happened to the LCBO? Did those stores have their license suspended for 21 days?

Were there any employees who were disciplined or suspended due to these illegal alcohol sales? Of course not. That's because the LCBO is pretty much a government unto itself. In the media stories that ensued after our report, the LCBO head honchos simply shrugged and basically said, "We'll try to do better next time."

And if you're asking where is the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, the regulator? Well, folks, you're not going to believe this. In Ontario, the AGCO does not regulate the LCBO or the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. That's right. The two biggest purveyors of alcohol and the lottery are exempt from the act. Oh, I guess because they are government crown corporations, they already subscribe to a higher standard. But as we showed in our reports, that is not the case.

We did go into the tuck shop. The lady behind the counter did not want to come on camera. She seems a little rattled by the media attention that this little variety store has received. But again, I ponder, why is it that when it comes to the sale of alcohol and lottery tickets, it is one law for thee and one law for me? Shameful.