It’ll be a little easier to find alcohol for sale in Quinte West this Christmas.
Quinte West council has approved a request by a pair of local gas stations to be permitted to sell alcoholic beverages on Christmas day.
The two gas stations that received approval are the Free Flow Petroleum locations at Carrying Place and Wooler Road.
Council voted to permit them to sell alcohol on Christmas day, despite the objection of Dr. Ethan Toumishey, acting medical officer of health and CEO of Hastings Prince Edward Public Health.
Dr. Toumishey sent in a written letter as public feedback on the request, urging council to deny the request. In his letter, Dr. Toumishey said that increased availability of alcohol increases users’ risk of several health conditions including cancer, heart disease and stroke, along with societal effects such as crime, violence, financial instability and housing issues.
After a short debate, the motion to allow the sale at these locations passed 8 to 4.
