Yep, this is it. The LCBO hasn't bought any of it. It's sold on consignment, so the producer only gets paid once it sells. They're not losing any money here, and they're not throwing it out.
No, the provincial liquor control boards have enough buying power to negotiate the return of unsold inventory in their contracts. They don't bear the risk of not selling, so for something like this, they're contractually allowed to return all the unsold product for a refund (probably out the cost of shipping though).