Premier Kathleen Wynne says some Ontarians may have a thirst for beer and wine in the corner store but they can forget about it.

Wynne says the current alcohol retail system in Ontario — the LCBO and the foreign-owned Brewers Retail — is here to stay regardless of pressure from the Ontario Convenience Stores Association to sell Ontario wines and craft beer in their stores.

“We have a terrific distribution network,” Wynne told reporters Tuesday at Centennial College, where she announced $26 million refurbish an existing facility in Downsview to house the college’s aviation program.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa said the government has already moved on making Ontario wines and craft beers more readily available in boutique LCBO stores and grocery stores.

“We are going to improve the network and accessibility and more importantly than that we are also going to be socially responsible,” he said.

With the LCBO continuing to transfer record profit into government coffers — $1.67 billion in 2012-13 — governments of all stripes are resistant to share the wealth.

“What we are trying to do is provide the best value taxpayers and ensure we have access and distribution for the public and we’re doing that,” Sousa said.

Wynne did say her government is revisiting the regulation that created Brewers Retail in 1927, which effectively gives the now foreign-owned beer company a corner on the retail market.

“That is something we are in conversation with the beer industry right now. I’m not suggesting that there don’t need to be some changes in the arrangement,” she said.

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association continued Tuesday its campaign of forcing the government to relent and finally allow the sale of beer and wine in the so-called corner store.

The latest wrinkle has the association — which includes Avondale, 7-11, Mac’s, Petro-Canada, Imperial Oil and Canadian Tire — making a solemn promise to designated 30 per cent of designated shelf space to Ontario wine and craft beers if the government ever changes it tune.

Dave Bryans, CEO, Ontario Convenience Stores Association, said the pledge would “provide a significant boost the Ontario wines and craft beer industries in Ontario.”

Bryans emphasized that study after study has proven that Ontario residents want to modernize the alcohol retailing system in the province.

However, Bryans acknowledged his association had not even contacted the Ontario Craft Brewers or the wineries.

John Hay, executive director of the Ontario Craft Brewers, said while the convenience stores offer is interesting, the OCB is more focused on offering more varieties in new self-serve Beer Stores and in LCBO outlets.

“They have a long ways to go with this idea,” Hay said.

“If this was a credible, thoughtful, compelling proposal we would have expected to hear about it first,” Hillary Dawson, president of the Wine Council of Ontario, said in an email.

“They might have consulted with us to talk about how it would work and whether their plans would conform to the realities of our model. This feels improvised and certainly is uninformed,” Dawson said.

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The Progressive Conservatives have released a white paper calling for the expansion of beer and wine sales to privately-owned retail outlets.

The New Democrats supports the LCBO provides, arguing that it provides good services and product selection in a socially-responsible manner.

Beer, wine and spirits are sold in some Ontario convenience stores already. There are 219 LCBO agency stores in communities that aren’t large enough to support a regular liquor store.

-- with files from The Canadian Press

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