Toronto·UpdatedThe province says it will allow serving and drinking alcohol on large quadricycles, better known as pedal pubs, starting July 1 in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Toronto, Ottawa and Windsor.Change would apply to conveyances in Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ottawa and Windsor Naama Weingarten · CBC News · Posted: Jun 27, 2025 10:41 AM EDT | Last Updated: 17 minutes agoThe province launched a 10-year pilot program for pedal pubs back in 2022, but they were not allowed to serve alcohol up until now. (Pedalpub.com)The Ontario government has announced it will allow alcohol to be served on large quadricycles, better known as pedal pubs, starting on July 1. The change would apply to pedal pubs with an alcohol license in Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ottawa and Windsor with room for twelve or more people, according to a news release from the Attorney General of Ontario issued Friday.Pedal pubs are only able to operate in municipalities with bylaws that allow them, the release said. Municipalities can set local rules, such as having specific routes or hours of operation, to make sure they don’t cause disruptions or worsen traffic. Toronto mayor Olivia Chow said she has no concerns about the move at an unrelated event Friday.”People were saying that drinking in parks is going to be terrible. I see no dramatic negative impact, other than people having a good time or that they don’t have to hide it in a paper bag,” she said, referring to the city’s move to permanently allow drinking in some parks last summer. The province launched a 10-year pilot program for pedal pubs back in 2022, but they were not allowed to serve alcohol up until now. The release says the move is meant to support small businesses and encourage local tourism in the face of U.S. tariffs and economic uncertainty “Beginning this summer, Ontario is supporting a unique opportunity that will not only stimulate tourism and bring communities together, but also protect local jobs, our economy and small businesses across the province,” Attorney General Doug Downey said in a statement. The alcohol license application process will open next month and is one of several recent moves by the Ford government to boost the alcohol industry. The province allowed alcohol to be sold in convenience stores in September and announced plans in May to spend hundreds of millions to support grape farmers, wineries, distilleries and craft breweries.ABOUT THE AUTHORNaama Weingarten is a reporter with CBC News based in Toronto. You can reach her at naama.weingarten@cbc.ca or follow her on X @NaamaWeingarten.
Ontario to allow alcohol on pedal pubs starting in July
