TORONTO — Buck-a-beer has come into effect in Ontario, bringing the minimum price of a bottle or can of beer to $1 from $1.25.

Brewers are not required to charge less and the lower minimum price does not apply to draft beer, nor does it include the bottle deposit.

The policy was a highly publicized campaign promise for new Premier Doug Ford, but it was not seen as a positive by the province’s craft brewers. Some have said they could not afford to participate without sacrificing the quality of their product.

The Tories have said a return to buck a beer would see more competition in the beer market without affecting the province’s revenues from beer and wine taxes, which raised about $589 million in 2017.

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