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BEHIND THE SCENES: Why Thorold needs a liquor store

ThoroldToday reporter Bernard Lansbergen talks about city council's efforts to lure LCBO back to town

City council is getting behind Councillor Nella Dekker’s proposal to send a letter to the liquor board to convince them to return to Thorold.

As ThoroldToday reported, for the past two years Councillor Dekker has been working with MPP Jeff Burch to try and bring an LCBO back to town.

The proposal was received enthusiastically during Tuesday’s city council meeting, but not every councillor is convinced they’ll be able to sway the opinion of the liquor board.

Video Summary

The residents of Thorold are looking to bring more businesses to their city, as it is the 8th fastest-growing municipality in Canada. City Councilor Dekker has been working with MPP Jeff Burch for the last couple of years to bring back the LCBO to Thorold. Thorold lost its LCBO back in 2009, but the revitalization of the downtown area and the growth of the population have created an opportunity to bring it back.

City Council has voted for the mayor to send a letter to the Liquor Board, informing them about the opportunities available in Thorold. The manager of economic development, Ken Scholtens, is also going to work closely with the local supermarket to reinstate their liquor license because it was taken away due to the pandemic. Councillor Henry D'Angela suggests a two-pronged approach to the LCBO situation, with a smaller version of the store being located in Rolling Meadows, where a lot of growth in newer homes is happening, and a full-blown store being located downtown.

There is some chatter online about opposition to the return of the LCBO, but it is unclear how significant this opposition is. Overall, the push to bring back the LCBO is part of a larger effort to revitalize Thorold and provide more amenities for its growing population.