The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission (MLCC) was a

Crown corporation A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the governmen ...

mandated with regulating, distributing, and selling beverage alcohol in the

Canadian province Within the geographical areas of Canada, the ten provinces and three territories are sub-national administrative divisions under the jurisdiction of the Canadian Constitution. In the 1867 Canadian Confederation, three provinces of British North ...

Manitoba Manitoba ( ) is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population o ...

. In 2014, the Manitoba government merged MLCC with the

Manitoba Lotteries Corporation The Manitoba Lotteries Corporation (MLC) was a crown corporation that controlled and operated gambling in the Canadian province of Manitoba. It manages two casinos in Winnipeg: McPhillips Station Casino and Club Regent Casino. MLC also operated ...

to form the

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation The Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation (MBLL; french: Société manitobaine des alcools et des loteries) is a crown agency of the Manitoba government responsible for providing legalized gambling ("gaming"), distributing and selling liquor ...

History

Board of Liquor Control Commissioners

What came to be the MLCC was preceded by the three-member Board of Liquor Control Commissioners—established in 1889 under the ''Liquor License Act'', which banned the sale, distribution, or transportation of liquor without a

liquor license A liquor license (or liquor licence in most forms of Commonwealth English) is a governmentally issued permit to sell, manufacture, store, or otherwise use alcoholic beverages. Canada In Canada, liquor licences are issued by the legal authority ...

. Reporting directly to the Attorney General, the Board was in charge of issuing, denying, suspending, and revoking all liquor licenses within Manitoba, as well monitoring compliance with the ''Liquor License Act''. The Board would lose much of its function in 1916 with the passing of the ''Manitoba Temperance Act'', which banned most liquor sales within the province.Board of Liquor Control Commissioners
" ''Archives of Manitoba''.

Liquor Control Commission

In 1923, the ''Manitoba Temperance Act'' was repealed by the ''Government Liquor Control Act'', which permitted the sale of beverage liquor to the general public through government-owned and -operated stores, as well as through licensed vendors.Government Liquor Control Commission
" ''Archives of Manitoba''. For this, the Act dissolved the Board of Liquor Control Commissioners and formed in its place the Government Liquor Control Commission to act as the sole authority for the sale and distribution of liquor in Manitoba. The new Commission was composed of three

Lieutenant-Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a "second-in-comm ...

-appointed members and was mandated with implementing and overseeing the provisions of the ''Government Liquor Control Act'' (1923, 1928), including the operation of

liquor store A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence (i ...

s, as well as the regulation of liquor sales and use within Manitoba. In 1957, as part of the new ''Liquor Control Act'' (1956), the Government Liquor Control Commission became known as the Liquor Control Commission of Manitoba. The ''Liquor Control Act'' modernized liquor sales and regulation; however, the Commission retained its function of controlling Manitoba liquor sales, and reported to the Minister responsible for the Liquor Control Act. The ''Liquor Control Act'' empowered the commission to buy, import, and sell liquor; control the possession, sale, and transportation of liquor; and to establish and operate liquor retailers throughout the province of Manitoba.Liquor Control Commission of Manitoba
" ''Archives of Manitoba'' Beginning in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the commission's role was broadened to include greater emphasis on corporate

effectiveness Effectiveness is the capability of producing a desired result or the ability to produce desired output. When something is deemed effective, it means it has an intended or expected outcome, or produces a deep, vivid impression. Etymology The ori ...

, product

quality control Quality control (QC) is a process by which entities review the quality of all factors involved in production. ISO 9000 defines quality control as "a part of quality management focused on fulfilling quality requirements". This approach places ...

customer relations Customer relationship management (CRM) is a process in which a business or other organization administers its interactions with customers, typically using data analysis to study large amounts of information. CRM systems compile data from a ra ...

, workplace quality, and

social responsibility Social responsibility is an ethical framework in which an individual is obligated to work and cooperate with other individuals and organizations for the benefit of the community that will inherit the world that individual leaves behind. Social ...

. This brought on public campaigns for responsible alcohol consumption, and the implementation of

employee development Employment is a relationship between two parties regulating the provision of paid labour services. Usually based on a contract, one party, the employer, which might be a corporation, a not-for-profit organization, a co-operative, or any oth ...

programs, among other things. In 1980, the commission was renamed the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission.

Merger (2012–14)

In April 2012, the Government of Manitoba announced, through the provincial budget, a plan to merge the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission with Manitoba Lotteries, to form the

. In September 2012, the province held public consultations in six communities to discuss the merger: Arborg,

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

The Pas The Pas ( ; french: Le Pas) is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located at the confluence of the Pasquia River and the Saskatchewan River and surrounded by the unorganized Northern Region of the province. It is approximately northwest of the provinc ...

Brandon Brandon may refer to: Names and people *Brandon (given name), a male given name *Brandon (surname), a surname with several different origins Places Australia *Brandon, a farm and 19th century homestead in Seaham, New South Wales *Brandon, Q ...

Winkler Winkler may refer to: * Winkler (surname), people with the surname ''Winkler'' or ''Winckler'' * Winkler scale, also known as the heat summation scale for classifying climates * Winkler (crater), a crater on the Moon * 6473 Winkler, an asteroid * ...

, and

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada. It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers, near the longitudinal centre of North America. , Winnipeg had a city population of 749,6 ...

. The ''Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation Act'' and the ''Manitoba Liquor and Gaming Control Act'' came into effect on 1 April 2014, officially beginning the operation of Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation. At the same time, the Liquor and Gaming Authority of Manitoba was created to absorb the regulatory functions of the two former corporations.

Activities

MLCC was headquartered in

. At the time of its merger, MLCC employed approximately 1,200 full and part-time workers, all being members of the

Manitoba Government Employees Union The Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) is a trade union in Manitoba, Canada. It has over 32,000 members, and is one of the largest unions in Manitoba. The MGEU represents workers from different fields, including the civil se ...

. In October 2008, MLCC was named one of "

Canada's Top 100 Employers Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual editorial competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions ...

" by Mediacorp Canada Inc., and was featured in ''

Maclean's ''Maclean's'', founded in 1905, is a Canadian news magazine reporting on Canadian issues such as politics, pop culture, and current events. Its founder, publisher John Bayne Maclean, established the magazine to provide a uniquely Canadian perspe ...

'' newsmagazine. Later that month, MLCC was also named one of

Manitoba's Top Employers Canada's Top 100 Employers is an annual editorial competition that recognizes the best places in Canada to work. First held in 1999, the project aims to single out the employers that lead their industries in offering exceptional working conditions ...

, which was announced by the

Winnipeg Free Press The ''Winnipeg Free Press'' (or WFP; founded as the ''Manitoba Free Press'') is a daily (excluding Sunday) broadsheet newspaper in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It provides coverage of local, provincial, national, and international news, as well as ...

newspaper. At the time of its merger, MLCC had 56 Liquor Mart/Liquor Mart Express locations, 175 Liquor Vendors (partners with the MLCC), and 8 specialty

wine store A liquor store is a retail shop that predominantly sells prepackaged liquors – typically in bottles – usually intended to be consumed off the store's premises. Depending on region and local idiom, they may also be called an off-licence ( ...

s throughout Manitoba,Manitoba Liquor Mart Locations
Archived fro
the original
on 9 February 2012. Retrieved 23 February 2012. and its products included a total of 4,341 active product listings as of 2012. The MLCC's enforcement of liquor controls included inspections of licensed premises, sale permit functions as well as professional shoppers in liquor marts to ensure proof-of-age challenges.

Minister responsible for The Liquor Control Act

The Minister charged with the administration of The Liquor Control Act was a government position in

responsible for the implementation and maintenance of the former ''Liquor Control Act'', including the responsibility to oversee the Manitoba Liquor Control Commission and the

Rather than a full

portfolio Portfolio may refer to: Objects * Portfolio (briefcase), a type of briefcase Collections * Portfolio (finance), a collection of assets held by an institution or a private individual * Artist's portfolio, a sample of an artist's work or a ...

, it was always held by ministers with other

cabinet Cabinet or The Cabinet may refer to: Furniture * Cabinetry, a box-shaped piece of furniture with doors and/or drawers * Display cabinet, a piece of furniture with one or more transparent glass sheets or transparent polycarbonate sheets * Filing ...

responsibilities.

References

{{Authority control Canadian provincial alcohol departments and agencies Alcohol in Manitoba Defunct companies of Manitoba Alcohol distribution retailers of Canada Government agencies established in 1923 1923 establishments in Manitoba Companies disestablished in 2013 Former crown corporations of Manitoba Defunct companies based in Winnipeg