Back track to late May in 2005. I'd just packed up and moved to Toronto from Montreal on the promise that the French language was non-existent in this town. After a 6 hour drive and lots of unpacking, I decide there's only two things in the world that could feasibly end the day in any sane way; pizza and beer. Shortly after discovering that the concept of 2 for 1 pizza hadn't made the trip down the 401, I walk out with a large meat lovers and decide to pick up the pork soda on my way home.

I went to four different depanneurs with no luck. Everyone just looked at me funny when I asked them where the beer was.

Had I gone insane? Did I move to a dry county?

--
Of course, Toronto does in fact sell beer. Hell, go down to The Beer Store and you'll find Toronto sells approximately 3000 different kinds of it. But I'm not a picky guy, I just wanted some Ex. In Montreal, you can damn near walk into a Toys 'R Us and pick up a 6er, but not in this town.

Thank gawd, this might be changing soon. Citynews is reporting that Queen's Park is considering making alcohol legally available at your nearby Daisy Mart.

There is the potential downside that minors might easily be able to purchase alcohol with fake IDs, something that is difficult, to say the least, when going through and LCBO.

Funny, you can still use that fake ID to buy a pack of Peter Jacksons pretty easily.

Premier Dalton McGuinty says "[The system] ain't broke." I'm of the mind that the readily accessible alcohol in Montreal made high school way more interesting than it must be for students in Ontario.

Still, I'm not everyone. Where do you guys stand on this? Should convenience reign supreme? Or should convenience store owners not be trusted to sell to minors after the lottery fiascos? What about the wineries, both local and importers? The breweries? What's best for them?

Lovely portrait of me taken by, umm, who the hell was in my house on Sunday...