The Manitoba Liquor Control Commission has introduced restrictions on the amount of liquor customers can buy in Thompson.
 
Consumers can now purchase a maximum of four 375-ml bottles per day in the northern Manitoba city. On 750-ml bottles, a limit of 12 has been imposed.

The restrictions took effect June 1.

Jason Gray, manager of the Thompson liquor store, says the changes were made to control two problems: excessive drinking in the downtown area, and after-hours and out-of-community bootlegging.

"A lot of these bottles were being utilized for off-sales," he said. "We have limited hours during the weekdays and weekends. And essentially, if the bottles are hitting remote communities … they're being sold for an exorbitant amount of money and people are profiting."

So far, Gray said, reaction to the change has been positive.

"I was happy to notice that [for] individuals that we did talk to, it was handled with tact and respectfully," he said.

"I think the response was reciprocal," he added. "Basically, they knew that there was a restriction and that they would follow it. So far, so good."

Excessive drinking is a widely acknowledged issue in the city of 13,000 about 650 kilometres north of Winnipeg.

The problem is so bad, the Thompson Chamber of Commerce has organized annual spring sherry-bottle collection drives to deal with the mess left behind by drinkers. In a typical drive, citizens pick up and return 16,000 bottles for the five-cent-per-bottle deposit.