Kamloops council allows Save-On-Foods to sell wine in about face

Owners of a Save-On-Foods in Kamloops will be popping corks in celebration after city council allowed them to sell wine in store, reversing an earlier decision.

Although the sale of VQA B.C. wine in grocery stores is legal, the Kamloops Save-On-Foods needed a variance to sell it because of its location, less than a kilometre from an existing store.

Council previously voted down the variance in May, five to two, but negative public response caused them to reconsider.

On Tuesday, they voted five to one to approve the variance.

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The meeting was a marathon, drawing many speakers for and against the variance.

"Voting against this application will significantly impact the sales of our local wineries," Trish Morelli of the Kamloops Winery Association said. "This offers Kamloopsians an opportunity to buy so many more of B.C.'s unbelievable VQA products that aren't really available, in totality, in Kamloops."

Others, such as Anita Sullivan, an employee of a government liquor store, opposed the variance, fearing it would lead to more alcohol consumption in the city.

"Wine is alcohol, but it's with a tuxedo," she said. "I see people that are sophisticated, functioning alcoholics come and purchase wine, and it does not belong in a grocery store."

Staff noted they received only four letters against the variance versus 138 for it.

During deliberations, councillors spoke of how earlier concerns about increased consumption and fairness of competition had largely been addressed.

The only councillor to vote against the variance was Denis Walsh. Mayor Peter Milobar and Councillor Arjun Singh recused themselves from the debate and vote because of conflicts of interest.

With files from Josh Pagé