Concerned residents opposing a 7-Eleven liquor licence application say it could be the worst location

The Ontario government gave blanket approval for dozens of 7-11 stores to have beer and wine served with food.

Still, local tribunals, appointed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario, must finalize the suitability of each location.

"They have put in over 60 applications across Ontario and they have yet to be denied a liquor licence,” says Jeff Robinson. Robinson believes that if any 7-Eleven is going to be denied a licence it should be the one at the corner of Sarnia Road and Western Road. Through two days of tribunal hearings, Robinson believes opponents have made a strong case.

"We've called expert witnesses on addiction, sex trafficking, sugar daddies, the violence on campus,” he said. “Representatives from the university have got involved."

Robinson says they aren’t finished making their case, as the tribunal proceeding continues.

The 7-Eleven in question is just steps away from Western University, and a number of the university’s largest student residences.

File photo of sign in a 7-Eleven convenience store. David Heap is a Western professor and lives near the campus.

"This is not only their closest but basically their only convenience store,” says Heap as he gestures to residences on the east side of Western Road, directly across from the convenience store. “They don't always proceed with caution when they cross the street. Add alcohol to the mix, that doesn't get better."

City of London Ward 6 Coun. Sam Trosow has already been pressing for changes to the intersection, which often has uniquely high foot and vehicle traffic. He says that, and the fact that ambulances are constantly transporting medical emergencies to nearby University Hospital adds to the concerns.

"I think it's fair to say that if there's one application that should be denied, it should definitely be this one,” he said.

The concerned residents also note that the 7-Eleven in question, like most, attracts young children for big gulps and candy. They point out that two elementary schools are less than two blocks away.

Parent Muhammed Hamou worries that people will be exiting after a couple of drinks and no one will monitor to see if they’re getting into vehicles and driving away.

"Having my children go to school close by, and all the students here at this intersection, as busy as it is, it's very alarming,” he said.

Hamou also points out that many university students are not of legal age to drink or that they may have a driver’s licence that restricts them to having a zero-blood-alcohol limit. Again, he says, no one would be checking to see if they’re getting into a vehicle after drinking.

Two 7-Eleven liquor licence applications have already been approved in London, going mostly unopposed. One is on Wharncliffe Road North, just north of Riverside. The other is at the corner of Pond Mills Road and Commissioners Road.

Neither of the two approved sites in the city have started serving yet because they still have to renovate their stores for dedicated dining sections.

The next, and possibly the final, hearing date for the Western Road location is April 24.