Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced that the province will allow for the sale of wine in up to 300 grocery stores, starting with about 70 supermarkets by this fall.

The initial grouping of 70 “universal” licences for grocery stores to sell wine and beer will be distributed this summer, with the goal to have wine in stores this fall. Grocers will not be permitted to sell wines for less than $10.95.

Of these initial licences for grocery stores, half will be restricted to selling only Ontario Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) wines for the first three years, while the rest will be able to sell Canadian and international wines as well. After three years, those stores’ restrictions will be lifted, and every three years the province would roll out a new tranche of Ontario-only licences in a bid to support Ontario wineries.

As with the beer licences allocated earlier this year, Ontario will accept bids from grocers interested in selling wine. Of the initial 70 licenses, 18 will be reserved for independent grocers, with the remaining 52 going to both large chain and independent grocers.

“At the end of the day, the government sets the framework and it’s our role to negotiate the best deal we can for independents,” says Gary Sands, vice-president of public policy with the Canadian Federation of Independent Grocers. “So within that framework, we’re happy to have 25% of the licences reserved towards independents.”

IHP Magazine has become media partner with the Third International Congress on Natural Medicine that will take place in Barcelona, Spain, through July 1-3, 2016. This Global Annual Conference will focus on the future of natural health care in the wake of increase consumer demand for access to natural medicine. This year’s topic is “Global Patient Care: Preventing Chronicity Naturopathically.”

Participants will have the opportunity to network with practitioners from over 50 countries and update their knowledge and skills from more than 40 internationally recognized keynote speakers & lectures.

“We believe it is a good thing for Natural Healthcare professionals from around the world to connect and share ideas on the healthcare challenges from a different perspective,” says Anne Marie Narboni, B.A.Com, ND, Executive Congress Chair. “The Congress is endorsed by more than 160 Organizations & Universities Worldwide.”

More information here.

Element Nutrition Inc. has recently appointed Bill Tyler as the company’s new VP of sales and marketing.

Tyler is an industry executive with over thirty years of experience in CPG/OTC industries. He has worked for large CPG companies such as Jamieson Laboratories, Dow Brands Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Canada, and Mead Johnson Nutrition.

“Bill and I were very successful working together at Jamieson Laboratories,” says Stuart Lowther, President and CEO of Element Nutrition. “Through strategic planning and execution, he has built a long-standing track record of success in building brands into market dominant players. Bill brings many positive synergies to Element Nutrition and is a great addition to our executive team.”