(Files by Brendan Pawliw-MyPGNow)
According to the Liquor Distribution Branch, BC residents bought more alcohol during March and April as the pandemic started to take shape.
The wholesale value of alcohol sold in the province increased to 605-million during the two-month period, a spike of nearly 22% from the 498-million two years ago.
The volume of beer, spirits, wine, and other alcoholic beverages also went up from just under 66-million litres in 2018 to 76.6 million litres this year.
This includes purchases at nearly 700 private liquor stores, 197 government-run liquor stores and 8-thousand licensees like restaurants, bars, and stadiums.
The BC Government declared a provincial state of emergency on the coronavirus in mid-March and made liquor stores an essential service a few days later.