Legal Drinking Age in Canada
Posted on December 22, 2009 • 2 minutes • 263 words
Table of contents
I ran into an American last weekend while I was out drinking. We got into a conversation and he told me he was in town with a group of friends. They drove up to Halifax to take advantage of the younger drinking age and to visit some friends. I laughed and said “Right on!” I gave him my condolences, as 21 does seem pretty cruel. He was surprised when I told him that the drinking age changes from province to province. I couldn’t remember the drinking age in all of them, knowing they fluctuate from 18 to 19. The only one I was sure about was Alberta, and Quebec, on account of partaking in the exact same thing they were doing during highschool. So I figured I would help our fellow Americans, particularly those who live within driving distance to Canada, figure out where they can legally drink in Canada, and at what age. I’ve also made a map to help those who straight up suck at geography.
Click on Red Icons to show drinking age
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Canadian Provinces where the drinking age is 18
- Alberta
- Manitoba
- Quebec
Canadian Provinces & Territories where the drinking age is 19
- British Columbia
- Saskatchewan
- Ontario
- New Brunswick
- Nova Scotia
- Newfoundland & Labrador
- Prince Edward Island
- Yukon
- Northwest Territories
- Nunavut
As you can see, there are only a few provinces left in Canada where the drinking age is 18. I’ve heard rumours that even those few may end up at 19 sooner or later. So take advantage of Canada’s younger drinking age while you can. Drink responsibly.
