The provincial-run liquor store on Tillicum Road has been fined $7,500 by the province for selling to minors after it was busted by the province’s own undercover “Minors as Agents” program.
A spokesperson said the B.C. Liquor Store, at 2955 Tillicum Rd., was found to have sold to someone under the age of 19 through the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch’s Minors as Agents program. The program employs minors, and has them attempt to purchase alcohol at public and private liquor stores, restaurants and bars.
“No one wants to see liquor sold to underage youth – and we expect everyone that sells or serves liquor, including government and private liquor stores, grocery stores selling wine-on-shelves, bars and restaurants – to follow it,” the LCLB said in an email to Saanich News.
In the program’s 2013/2014 run, the branch conducted 33 inspections of B.C. Liquor Stores and logged six sales to minors.
“At B.C. Liquor Stores, we take our responsibility to minors and communities extremely seriously, which is why we set our targets for ID-checking at 100 per cent,” reads a new statement from B.C. Liquor Stores. “The expectation for our store teams is clear: every person who looks 30 years old or younger must be asked for two pieces of ID, every single time.
“In light of this issue, we are reinforcing our expectations with all B.C. Liquor Store teams in order to prevent this from happening again. Nothing less than 100 per cent compliance with ID-checking requirements is acceptable in our stores.”
Following this most recent bust, the Liquor Distribution Branch said all regional managers were instructed to reinforce their ID-checking requirements. Fines go into a consolidated revenue fund for public services such as health care and social programs.
jacob.zinn@saanichnews.com
