The beer monopoly owned by Molson, Labatt and Sleeman will open its ownership to small Ontario breweries, the company announced Wednesday. The Beer Store is a private business owned by the three big brewers. Today it said brewers with sales of less than 5 million litres a year will pay $100 for a preferred share in the company while those producing more than 5 million litres would pay $1,000. The new owners would be charged the same fees as Molson, Labatt, and Sleeman to list their products at the Beer Store. Premier Wynne is said to have threatened to dismantle the beer retailer unless more money was sent to the provincial tax collector and small brewers were given greater access.
