Local Advocacy succeeds
NEWS April 12, 2018
Queens Park – In response to advocacy from the local community and MPP Lou Rinaldi, Member of Provincial Parliament for Northumberland-Quinte West, the LCBO is reopening their Orono location as of April 30.
Community partners including Wendy Partner, Clarington councillor representing Ward 4, and the Clarington Board of Trade have expressed concerns about the potential negative economic impact that the closure of the Orono store may have on the community and the issue this poses for residents who face mobility challenges. In response, we asked the LCBO to re-evaluate their decision to amalgamate the Orono and Newcastle stores.
During his time as MPP, Lou has been a staunch advocate for the alcohol beverage industry, recently passing Bill 107 – An Act to Proclaim Ontario Craft Beer Week, in collaboration with Ontario Craft Brewers (OCB), which officially proclaims the week commencing the second Sunday in June, annually as Ontario Craft Beer Week.
QUOTES
“I am thrilled to announce the reopening of the LCBO branch in Orono. We clearly heard from the citizens of Orono…’save our services’. As a life long advocate for our rural communities these are the announcements that mean so much to me.”
- Lou Rinaldi, MPP for Northumberland-Quinte West.
“With its tight-knit rural atmosphere, the Village of Orono is an important part of the Municipality of Clarington. Thanks to MPP Rinaldi’s relentless advocacy, the Orono LCBO will re-open to serve local residents. This initiative compliments our government’s investment through the Rural Economic Development program in Orono to help this community continue to thrive.”
- Granville Anderson, MPP for Durham
We’re really happy with the work that MPP Rinaldi did to keep the LCBO open in Orono. He listened and was effective in ensuring the right decision was made for Orono.
- Adrian Foster, Mayor of the Municipality of Clarington
“This is wonderful news for the Village of Orono! Bringing back a staple for all small communities is always a positive thing and I can’t thank MPP Rinaldi enough for his hard work on this file for us! Its wonderful to see this happen! I have worked so hard trying to get the powers that be in government to listen and Lou Rinaldi has certainly been that champion for us. It shows Lou is a man of integrity and keeps his word as when I approached him last summer when I heard this was about to happen he jumped on board with me and we work diligently on it. Now at the 11th hour that proved successful! MPP Rinaldi’s history of being a political pitbull when it comes to servicing his constituents is well known and I thank goodness that we here in Orono and Ward 4 have him in our corner!”
- Wendy Partner, Ward 4 Councillor of Municipality of Clarington
QUICK FACTS
- There are more than 80 OCB breweries located in 110 communities across the province.
- As of 2015, there were well over 1,500 direct brewery jobs (Full Time Employees)
- Since 2005, Ontario Craft Brewers have continued to experience growth in sales, consumer awareness, new brewery openings, capital expansions and general industry support.
Author: Pete Fisher
Has been a photojournalist for over 30-years and have been honoured to win numerous awards for photography and writing over the years. Best selling author for the book Highway of Heroes - True Patriot Love
