Nearly 10,000 unionized employees of the LCBO walked off the job on July 5, shuttering stores across the province and leaving consumers scrambling to find places to purchase not just their favourites, but any boozy beverages.

While stores like Wine Rack, the Beer Store, some grocery stores and local breweries have proven viable alternatives for customers and are happily accepting the uptick in business from the strike — the first in the LCBO's history — some are already, predictably, running out of product.

Unbeknownst to some city dwellers, though, there are hundreds of specially licensed LCBO outlets that actually remain open during this time, as they aren't the same as your average branch.

An LCBO agency store in the Muskoka Region that was busy with shoppers over the weekend of July 13.

Though all of the chain's workers represented by The Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU) are currently participating in the labour action, the Crown corporation also helps independent variety stores sell alcohol in more remote parts of the province through the LCBO Convenience Outlet program.

While your local dedicated LCBO is closed, these small agency locations with LCBO signage, prices and stock are open, operated by their own staff rather than unionized employees. They are found in more rural areas, and are popular around cottage country.

As the company told blogTO over email, "the LCBO Convenience Outlet Program provides socially responsible beverage alcohol retail access to communities that do not have otherwise convenient access to an LCBO store. Under the Program, the LCBO authorizes independent local retailers to sell beverage alcohol in conjunction with other goods."

Some neighbourhoods which shall remain anonymous...
The number of cars... 7 days a week waiting for the lcbo to open...winter, summer, weekdays, every day...

A lot of people will be emptying out the small variety stores in cottage areas that have an lcbo wall within the store.

— ginadibee (@ginadibee) July 9, 2024

Unfortunately for locals served by these locations, it seems that quite a few are also now running low on bottles — in part thanks to out-of-towners heading up north.