Ontario town holds full-on funeral for closure of 75-year-old Beer Store
The Beer Store has been gradually shuttering locations across Ontario, scaling back its retail operations under the province's amended alcohol sale rules that opened up the market to thousands of new competitors last year.
And, while some residents celebrate the end to TBS's perceived monopoly of the industry or simply wonder where the heck they will now take their empty alcohol containers, others are more downcast about the development, with members of one community so upset by the recent closure of their local outpost that they held an entire goodbye ceremony for it.
Even if it was just a stop on the way to a social outing or during a weekly errands run, the Beer Store #3407 in Bala, Ont., was quite an iconic one, holding on to its 1980s-era orange-and-white signage while other locations modernized, and remaining a fixture of the cottage-country town since 1950.
Its long tenure as a reliable go-to for beers and seltzers is why so many were sad to hear that it was, along with 10 other TBS outlets, closing down permanently on Sunday, Sept.28, 2025.
As staff sold off the store's final bottles and cases that day, shoppers gathered to pay their respects with a unique and epic send-off: a funeral of sorts that will likely resonate with other Ontarians who have already had to, or will soon have to, bid adieu to their own neighbourhood Beer Store.
The Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce shared a few videos to social media over the course of the day that showed dozens of citizens of all stripes convening outside of the squat brown building to commemorate the shop's decades of service.
In one clip, those on the scene raised beers and seltzers as staff members delivered a closing speech, saying the location would be "gone, but never forgotten."
"May your bright orange lights shine forever brightly in beer heaven!" they declared from the store's front steps as shoppers cheersed at the location's "time of death."
Chamber of Commerce members even snapped a photo of the Bala store's last sale ever at 4 p.m., showing local Chris Davis high-fiving the cashier on duty.
Many jumped in to reminisce on years of memories in the comments, while in-person, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Norah Fountain says the mood was bittersweet but all-around cheerful, more of a true celebration of life than a sombre affair.
"It was about saying goodbye to a fixture in our community for 75 years. I was even surprised when I got there: people were jovial, dancing, smiling, buying a beer and popping it open in the parking lot," Fountain told us over the phone on Monday.
"Everybody was just in good spirits with the understanding that change happens."
Though she adds that the loss is "a lot" given the store's history and significance, she also says that Bala is not only doing just fine regardless, but is in the midst of a bit of a renaissance, with tons of events on the go and many thriving and up-and-coming businesses, including some that will help fill the void left by the Beer Store.
Beer lovers can head to nearby breweries like Clear Lake Brewing Co., and retailers such as Bala Fresh Mart and Glen Orchard General Store, the latter of which is not only now selling alcohol, but also has an empties return program in place.
On the topic of empties, residents also have options, such as non-profits like the Port Carling Lions Club, which collects bottles and cans through the Eveleigh Road Transfer Station.
Resident Tim Ogilvie, who worked at the store in his youth and whose father managed it at one point, with handmade sign. Photo from Norah Fountain.
"Is it sad? And were we at first very concerned? Yes. But there's a level of acceptance," Fountain continues in describing the Beer Store's farewell party, which included handmade beer wreaths, vintage cars, costumes for the occasion (a grim reaper, for example), and many honks paying homage from those driving by.
She also says that a huge part of the gathering was the fact that, over the years, the business has employed so many members of the town. "That's another part of it: We all know somebody who worked there or there. So this event was kind of Bala doing what Bala does best, 'hey, let's all get together and say bye to the Beer Store!'"
The phased rollout of alcohol sales in convenience and big box stores was made in an effort to, in the government's own words, "improve choice and convenience" for customers, and brought an early end to Ontario's decade-long contract giving TBS reign over a segment of the industry.
The terms of the new legislation threw the future of the chain into question, setting a threshold for how many Beer Stores were required to remain open at certain points of the process — a number that declined over time, from at least 386 on July 1, 2025, to 300 by Dec. 31, 2025.
After this date, there is no minimum number, with the company being "entitled to close any retail location as determined in its sole and absolute discretion."
TBS stated last spring that it was "planning to adapt and thrive" to the new landscape, with a focus on distribution after already downsizing in the years leading up to this major shift.
Muskoka Lakes Chamber of Commerce
