Alberta
Alcohol sales in grocery and convenience stores would benefit Albertans

From the Fraser Institute
By Alex Whalen
Earlier this year, the Smith government confirmed that a panel of MLAs has been exploring the idea of allowing grocery and convenience stores to sell alcohol. Since then, there’s been no new developments. But despite misleading claims from some groups resisting the move, greater retail access would benefit consumers.
Alberta’s fully-private retail market for alcohol is unique within Canada. Following privatization of alcohol retail in 1993, consumers in Alberta have benefitted from greater choice and convenience in the absence of government-owned retail outlets. However, the provincial government still controls which private operators can sell alcohol, and generally prohibits the sale in convenience and grocery stores.
But expansion into grocery and convenience stores simply makes sense. Individual retailers should decide where to sell (or not sell) alcohol to cater to consumer preferences rather than have terms dictated by government. As the footprint of government has expanded in Alberta, policymakers should remember what are the core functions of government, and what’s best left to the private sector. And there’s no good reason for government to dictate which stores can sell alcohol.
Again, some groups including the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives claim that Albertans pay higher prices for alcohol under privatization, yet this claim simply doesn’t add up.
First, these groups typically use average prices across Canada to support this claim. But average prices across Canada—which includes provinces with strict government controls of alcohol sales—are meaningless because the mix of products in Alberta has changed. In post-privatization Alberta, retailers and consumers come together in a market to set prices. Consumers may willingly pay more for alcohol in Alberta because they find higher quality products, more convenient locations and/or better store hours than in other provinces.
Rather, what matters are not “average prices” but minimum prices and the ability to find the product you desire at the lowest available price. One comparison of nearly 2,000 products between Alberta and British Columbia (which maintains a more government-controlled system of retail) using minimum prices estimated that 83 per cent of beer, wine and spirits were available at cheaper prices in Alberta.
Moreover, liquor store locations have also become more convenient for Albertans. In 2018 (the latest year of available data), 64 per cent of Albertans lived within a kilometre of a liquor store—by far the highest percentage of any province in Canada and much higher than the 26 per cent in Ontario, which has government-operated liquor stores. In the United States, three-quarters of Americans are served by a private liquor retailing system, and privatized states have 50 per cent more liquor stores per capita than those where government controls sales.
And Alberta’s liquor product selection has expanded from 2,200 in 1993 to more than 31,000 varieties of beer, wine and spirits today. By comparison, Ontarians have at least 6,000 fewer products available.
Finally, critics claim that privatization leads to increases in social problems that arise from alcohol consumption. However, the leading study of Alberta’s 1993 privatization found no evidence of increased social problems such as impaired driving or other alcohol-related offenses.
Alberta has led the way in promoting consumer choice in what is otherwise a strictly controlled market for alcohol in Canada. To strengthen this advantage, the Smith government should continue to remove unnecessary restrictions for the benefit of Albertans.
Author:
Alberta
Red Deer Justice Centre Grand Opening: Building access to justice for Albertans

The new Red Deer Justice Centre will help Albertans resolve their legal matters faster.
Albertans deserve to have access to a fair, accessible and transparent justice system. Modernizing Alberta’s courthouse infrastructure will help make sure Alberta’s justice system runs efficiently and meets the needs of the province’s growing population.
Alberta’s government has invested $191 million to build the new Red Deer Justice Centre, increasing the number of courtrooms from eight to 12, allowing more cases to be heard at one time.
“Modern, accessible courthouses and streamlined services not only strengthen our justice
system – they build safer, stronger communities across the province. Investing in the new Red Deer Justice Centre is vital to helping our justice system operate more efficiently, and will give people in Red Deer and across central Alberta better access to justice.”

Government of Alberta and Judiciary representatives with special guests at the Red Deer Justice Centre plaque unveiling event April 22, 2025.
On March 3, all court services in Red Deer began operating out of the new justice centre. The new justice centre has 12 courtrooms fully built and equipped with video-conference equipment to allow witnesses to attend remotely if they cannot travel, and vulnerable witnesses to testify from outside the courtroom.
The new justice centre also has spaces for people taking alternative approaches to the traditional courtroom trial process, with the three new suites for judicial dispute resolution services, a specific suite for other dispute resolution services, such as family mediation and civil mediation, and a new Indigenous courtroom with dedicated venting for smudging purposes.
“We are very excited about this new courthouse for central Alberta. Investing in the places where people seek justice shows respect for the rights of all Albertans. The Red Deer Justice Centre fills a significant infrastructure need for this rapidly growing part of the province. It is also an important symbol of the rule of law, meaning that none of us are above the law, and there is an independent judiciary to decide disputes. This is essential for a healthy functioning democracy.”
“Public safety and access to justice go hand in hand. With this investment in the new Red Deer Justice Centre, Alberta’s government is ensuring that communities are safer, legal matters are resolved more efficiently and all Albertans get the support they need.”
“This state-of-the-art facility will serve the people of Red Deer and surrounding communities for generations. Our team at Infrastructure is incredibly proud of the work done to plan, design and build this project. I want to thank everyone, at all levels, who helped make this project a reality.”
Budget 2025 is meeting the challenge faced by Alberta with continued investments in education and health, lower taxes for families and a focus on the economy.
Quick facts
- The new Red Deer Justice Centre is 312,000 sq ft (29,000 m2). (The old courthouse is 98,780 sq ft (9,177 m2)).
- The approved project funding for the Red Deer Justice Centre is about $191 million.
Alberta
CPP another example of Albertans’ outsized contribution to Canada

From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill
Amid the economic uncertainty fuelled by Trump’s trade war, its perhaps more important than ever to understand Alberta’s crucial role in the federation and its outsized contribution to programs such as the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).
From 1981 to 2022, Albertan’s net contribution to the CPP—meaning the amount Albertans paid into the program over and above what retirees in Alberta received in CPP payments—was $53.6 billion. In 2022 (the latest year of available data), Albertans’ net contribution to the CPP was $3.0 billion.
During that same period (1981 to 2022), British Columbia was the only other province where residents paid more into the CPP than retirees received in benefits—and Alberta’s contribution was six times greater than B.C.’s contribution. Put differently, residents in seven out of the nine provinces that participate in the CPP (Quebec has its own plan) receive more back in benefits than they contribute to the program.
Albertans pay an outsized contribution to federal and national programs, including the CPP because of the province’s relatively high rates of employment, higher average incomes and younger population (i.e. more workers pay into the CPP and less retirees take from it).
Put simply, Albertan workers have been helping fund the retirement of Canadians from coast to coast for decades, and without Alberta, the CPP would look much different.
How different?
If Alberta withdrew from the CPP and established its own standalone provincial pension plan, Alberta workers would receive the same retirement benefits but at a lower cost (i.e. lower CPP contribution rate deducted from our paycheques) than other Canadians, while the contribution rate—essentially the CPP tax rate—to fund the program would likely need to increase for the rest of the country to maintain the same benefits.
And given current demographic projections, immigration patterns and Alberta’s long history of leading the provinces in economic growth, Albertan workers will likely continue to pay more into the CPP than Albertan retirees get back from it.
Therefore, considering Alberta’s crucial role in national programs, the next federal government—whoever that may be—should undo and prevent policies that negatively impact the province and Albertans ability to contribute to Canada. Think of Bill C-69 (which imposes complex, uncertain and onerous review requirements on major energy projects), Bill C-48 (which bans large oil tankers off B.C.’s northern coast and limits access to Asian markets), an arbitrary cap on oil and gas emissions, numerous other “net-zero” targets, and so on.
Canada faces serious economic challenges, including a trade war with the United States. In times like this, it’s important to remember Alberta’s crucial role in the federation and the outsized contributions of Alberta workers to the wellbeing of Canadians across the country.
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