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The Beer Store has been involved in a fierce war of words with the group that represents convenience store owners in Ontario.

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association wants the ability to sell booze at corner stores and gas stations. But the Beer Store’s campaign, called Ontario Beer Facts, has been met an online army of critics saying the foreign-owned Beer Store is just trying to protect its Ontario quasi-monopoly.

But the latest ad, which has been called “fear mongering” and “propaganda” by critics, unleashed a new level of mockery on social media against the Beer Store’s campaign.

Newton, however, referred to the backlash as “public dialogue.”

“The purpose of the ad was to engage in the public dialogue that’s going on around this issue,” he said. “You talk to Centre of Addiction and Mental Health, MADD…and they tend to agree that this type of change [selling alcohol in corner stores] would not be without consequence.

“We think it is important to get that information out there so that people when they have to make a decision, are making that decision on the basis of facts and good information.”

The controversial ad

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association called for an apology from Beer Store President Ted Moroz for “trying to belittle all small businesses in Ontario” after the controversial Beer Store ad was posted on YouTube.

“What a sad day for the Beer industry in Ontario, assuming Beer drinkers are stupid and attacking [convenience] stores to keep the monopoly is wrong!” the OCSA wrote on Twitter.