{"id":101368,"date":"2017-06-08T09:30:43","date_gmt":"2017-06-08T13:30:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/depquebec.com\/?p=101368\/"},"modified":"2017-06-08T13:58:45","modified_gmt":"2017-06-08T17:58:45","slug":"andre-drolet-friend-and-hope-of-depanneurs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/depquebec.com\/en\/andre-drolet-friend-and-hope-of-depanneurs\/","title":{"rendered":"Andr\u00e9 Drolet: Friend And Hope Of Depanneurs"},"content":{"rendered":"

Did you know that in Quebec, convenience stores are still legally obliged to lock their beer fridges\u00a0after 11 pm<\/strong>\u00a0and to cover their cases of beer on the floor with a canvas with chains and padlocks?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Not only is this regulation in effect, but no convenience store in Quebec respects it, even among major retailers! And this doesn’t raise an eyebrow.<\/p>\n

This doesn’t make any sense.<\/strong> Fortunately, a man is about to put an end to such absurdities and possibly to boost the category of alcohol sales in convenience stores.<\/p>\n

This man is none other than Andr\u00e9 Drolet<\/a><\/strong>, a friend of depanneurs and a hope for the whole convenience store industry.<\/p>\n

Liberal member of Jean-Lesage – a riding within Quebec City – for nearly 10 years, the man is very friendly, engaging, listening and humble.<\/p>\n

But most importantly, he knows very well the convenience store industry and even lots of owners personnally, having worked 12 years as sales manager at Alex Coulombe Lt\u00e9e<\/strong> (Pepsi<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

He is most probably the key to finally bringing about a much-awaited modernization of the RACJ<\/strong><\/a>, for it was to him that Prime Minister Couillard entrusted this important mission that was always falling through the cracks.<\/p>\n

The RACJ<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>is the R\u00e9gie des alcools, des courses et des jeux<\/strong><\/a>. It exercises a strong control over the convenience store business because it has the upper hand on the sale of alcohol (issuance and revocation of permits, minimum price of beer, regulation of opening hours and others) as well as advertising contests. For 30 years now, this piece of regulation has not been reviewed and it shows.<\/p>\n

Because although there is consensus to act, there is always something more urgent to deal with.<\/p>\n

When the Liberals were in opposition, in 2013, Beauce-Sud\u00a0MP Robert Dutil proposed a private\u00a0bill, but because it came from the opposition, the PQ government at the time did not want to touch it.<\/p>\n

Then, once in power, the Liberals always had better\u00a0things to do.<\/p>\n

Against this backdrop, handing over this mandate to Andr\u00e9 Drolet<\/a><\/strong> was a stroke of genius, because he is greatly appreciated by his fellow MPs and he has the support of the industry.<\/p>\n

Thus, last fall, Mr. Drolet conducted a consultation with industry players (convenience store associations, companies, etc.).<\/p>\n

Then, in the last budget of Minister Carlos Leit\u00e3o, Quebec confirmed that it wanted to modernize the RACJ<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>to “change the institution’s institutional culture”<\/em> and, above all, “to revise the regulation and supervision of alcoholic beverages”<\/em>\u00a0which has been demanded for several years by the industry, as well as “ensuring better follow-up with industry on core\u00a0issues”<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Finally, last March, Andr\u00e9 Drolet<\/a><\/strong> presented his report to the caucus of Liberal MPs and indicated that he wanted to make it public in the following weeks, most probably in the coming days or weeks.<\/p>\n

For many years, the industry has been demanding several reforms:<\/p>\n