LCBO refuses to say what U.S. liquor is in its cellar — citing 'cabinet confidence'

Colin Butler · CBC News

· Posted: Nov 03, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: November 3

The Ontario authorities is aggressively withholding cardinal details astir its ample stockpile of American intoxicant products, valued astatine astir $79.1 cardinal astatine cost, that were pulled from store shelves arsenic an enactment of retaliation successful the ongoing Canada-U.S. commercialized dispute.

In August, CBC News filed a freedom-of-information petition to the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), seeking the fate, size and disposal plans for U.S. intoxicant products removed successful March. The LCBO took 64 days to respond — 34 days longer than the 30-day bounds allowed by law.

When the documents were yet released, they spanned 50 pages, but were heavy redacted. Most of the accusation astir however overmuch inventory is astatine hazard of expiring, however overmuch has already been destroyed and the full outgo to taxpayers remains hidden.

The LCBO's secrecy stands successful opposition to provincial liquor authorities successful Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, wherever details astir the destiny of their U.S. liquor stockpiles person been released to the public.

Among the fewer details contained successful the LCBO documents was the estimated $2.9-million inventory proviso successful its 2024-25 fiscal statements arsenic an "early appraisal of expiring product." That means the Crown corp enactment speech that magnitude to screen expected losses from products it believed would expire oregon different suffer worth earlier they could beryllium sold.

However, the underlying information that would let the nationalist to independently verify the estimation oregon recognize the standard of imaginable discarded fell nether "cabinet confidence."

"In the look of President Trump's unjustified tariffs and tariff threats taking nonstop purpose astatine our economy, our authorities directed the LCBO to region U.S.-made intoxicant from their shelves," Colin Blachar, the manager of media for Ontario's Finance Ministry wrote successful an email Monday.

"Products stay disconnected LCBO shelves and are presently held successful retention until further notice. As the immense bulk of intoxicant products person a agelong support life, precise minimal merchandise has expired."

A 'bizarre and outrageous' secret

James Turk, a researcher astatine Toronto Metropolitan University, says furniture assurance is meant to support interior discussions among ministers arsenic they statement and make argumentation — truthful they tin research ideas freely without fearfulness of nationalist scrutiny.

"To assertion that what their inventory of American vino and liquor is simply a 'cabinet confidence' is bizarre and outrageous," said Turk, who is an adept connected censorship, restricted entree to accusation and authorities transparency.

He says the rule is meant to let ministers to person open, "blue-sky" discussions astir argumentation options. Once a determination is made, it is nary longer expected to beryllium confidential.

James Turk is the manager of the Centre for Free Expression astatine Toronto Metropolitan University. (Submitted by James Turk)

What's antithetic successful the lawsuit of the accusation withheld by the LCBO, Turk says, is that it includes regular operational information, specified arsenic the magnitude of intoxicant successful warehouses oregon the inventory removed from store shelves.

He says it's a wide misuse of the conception due to the fact that inventory details aren't portion of deliberations. That is factual information, helium says, and helium doesn't judge determination is simply a morganatic crushed to assertion it is confidential.

"They person nary competitors," helium said. "In Ontario, they person exclusive rights to booze. I mean, it's conscionable ludicrous."

Turk characterized the LCBO’s absorption arsenic portion of a broader inclination successful the provincial government.

He highlighted the Ford government's anterior refusal successful 2018 to merchandise the premier's mandate letters for his ministers, which outline yearly priorities.

The secrecy by the LCBO stands successful opposition to provincial liquor authorities successful Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, wherever details astir the destiny of their U.S. liquor stockpiles person been released to the public. (Jonathan Migneault/CBC)

The authorities fought the disclosure for years, claiming it fell nether "cabinet confidentiality," a justification Turk argued was utilized to shield basal argumentation absorption that different Canadian governments routinely marque public.

Still, Canada's highest tribunal ruled successful Ontario's favour successful the dispute. All 9 justices agreed the Ontario authorities did not person to disclose its furniture mandate letters, saying they were besides considered furniture confidence.

Turk besides cited the Greenbelt ungraded and the caller deficiency of transparency surrounding a $2.5-billion occupation grooming fund, wherever the minister’s bureau reportedly intervened to grant wealth to vendors who were poorly ranked but allegedly had governmental ties to the government.

Part of broader signifier of secrecy, NDP says

"This is simply a authorities that has been precise resistant to being transparent astatine all," Turk said. "If they're trying to screen implicit thing arsenic insignificant arsenic this, past what astir important things?"

During a halt successful London, Ont., connected Friday, NDP Leader Marit Stiles (centre front) said the LCBO making its holdings of U.S. intoxicant products a substance of 'cabinet confidence' is portion of a broader signifier of secrecy by the Ford government. (Colin Butler/CBC News)

"It's truly a terribly worrying motion that they're unwilling to beryllium transparent adjacent astir thing arsenic straightforward arsenic this."

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who was successful London, Ont., connected Friday, told CBC News the 50 pages of mostly redacted documents released by the LCBO are portion of a broader signifier of secrecy by the Ford government.

"We arsenic the absorption and regular Ontarians person a close to cognize what the government's decisions are being based connected and again and again we find they are hiding this accusation from people, they're blacking it retired connected the pages.

"What are they acrophobic of? Why truthful overmuch secrecy?"

CBC News has filed an entreaty with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario's Office regarding the determination by the LCBO to redact the interior documents.

Read the LCBO's interior documents for yourself, beneath oregon astatine this link.