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Brewer’s Retail, the non-profit that runs the Beer Store, was established in the wake of prohibition and was a cooperative of different brewers. Over the years and after a series of mergers, acquisitions and the like, the ownership has been whittled down to three key, multinational players: Molson-Coors, Labatt (owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev) and Sleeman (owned by Sapporo).

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Thanks to what’s been called a “sweetheart deal” forged between the Beer Store and the LCBO — the details of which were made public in a recent Toronto Star article — who can sell what and where has been decided by the province. Only the Beer Store is allowed to sell 12 and 24 packs of beer, as well as kegs, affecting where both consumers and businesses can get brews. While small craft brewers can sell in on-premise bottle shops or directly to businesses, the rules mean private liquor stores are not allowed — and a lot of interested parties aren’t pleased.

One of those people is Michael Hassell, a Toronto-based lawyer and entrepreneur who’s gunning to open a chain of shops specializing in microbrews under the name Barge Craft Beer. Hassell has sent the province notice that he intends to ask a court to do away with the rules that prevent him from opening those shops.

His request, on the surface, is straightforward: he wants the line in Ontario’s Liquor Control act that authorizes “Brewers Retail Inc.” to sell beer to the public to change to “licensed beer retailers,” effectively opening the market to competition.