Canadians across various industries—forestry, manufacturing, agriculture, and more—have witnessed firsthand how a single piece of legislation or a new tariff can upend business plans and threaten livelihoods. It’s frustrating to see hard-working people caught in the middle of international disputes, forced to deal with sudden policy shifts that are often beyond their control. While it’s necessary to address and adapt to these external pressures, we must not let them overshadow a problem that lies entirely within our own borders: the needless interprovincial restrictions that prevent Canadian wine from being sold freely across our provinces.
Each province in Canada has its own set of regulations and markups that make it nearly impossible for Canadian wineries to sell directly to consumers or retailers outside of their home province.
This system makes little sense in a country that prides itself on international free trade agreements but restricts its own domestic market. Why are we allowing provinces to block Canadian wine from flowing freely when we claim to be a united country?
If we truly want to strengthen the Canadian wine industry and provide consumers with greater choice, we must eliminate these provincial restrictions. The benefits of doing so are clear:
The Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in the Comeau case missed an opportunity to reaffirm true free trade within our country. However, provincial governments still have the power to come together and create a framework that allows Canadian wine to flow freely, just as beer and spirits do in some cases.
While the hardships from U.S. tariffs are understandably top of mind for many, focusing exclusively on external conflicts does a disservice to our own producers and consumers. The real challenge to our industry isn’t just at the U.S. border—it’s also the roadblocks we’ve built between provinces.
I have lobbied the governments of Alberta, BC, and Ontario on this issue, speaking to both the government and the official opposition, yet we still have nothing. The real issue lies with the liquor control boards—BCLDB, AGLC, LCBO, and SAQ—who operate like provincial fiefdoms, prioritizing excessive tax markups while protecting their own producers. If governments insist on collecting more than just sales tax on made-in-Canada wine, we could at least use Alberta’s model—but we need to act quickly.