Time for wine to flow freely across provincial borders?
Like many of us, Shirley-Ann George likes a glass of Canadian wine now and then. No problem there – unless, as George found out, you try to bring your favourite vintage across a provincial border. That's because it's actually illegal to transport even a single bottle from one province to another.
Realizing she couldn't bring back a bottle from her favourite B.C. winery or even join a local wine club that would have sent her a few mix-and-match samples every month, George wanted to fight back.
"If I read about some wine in a wine column, or visit a winery, I want to be able to go online and order their wine – right now," George told the Ottawa Citizen recently.
But thanks to the prohibition-era Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act bringing a few bottles back from out of province has actually been against the law for more than 80 years.
While the law obviously affects individuals, critics argue that it also has a negative impact on the hundreds of small wineries in Canada who could boost sales if they were able to cater to tourists or wine fans in other provinces. Tourists, for instance, would like to be able to ship purchases home so they didn’t have to crate it around on their trip.
In fact, wine clubs and vintners maintain that it’s easier to ship Canadian wine to the U.S. and other countries than it is to ship throughout Canada
That’s why George, along with the Canadian Vintners Association and the Alliance of Canadian Wine Consumers decided to endorse the efforts of Kelowna MP Ron Cannan who hopes to modernize Canada's archaic wine shipping laws.
His proposed amendment to the existing Act would create a "personal use" exemption so that Canadian wine lovers could legally move wine across provincial borders.
If you’re on board, you can support this effort by visiting the campaign's website at FreeMyGrapes. From there, you can also write your MPs, MPPs and MLAs, as well as sign a petition to argue against the "outdated and patronizing law that needs to change."
Would you support such an initiative? Are you a cross-border shopper when it comes to wines and spirits?
By Gordon Powers, MSN Money
Posted by: Hewitt | Feb 2, 2022 10:18:16 AM
Yeah ! You would think that all these well-paid politicians would be hard at work,looking over these laws to benefit all tax-payers.But even our political system is way out-dated.
Back in the days when we did not have: cars,trains,planes,electricity,roadways,phones,internet,Canada post,regional police forces,TV ...well you get the picture,right.Then we NEEDED to be represented.This "representation" is costing we the people an enormous amount of money and we are often misrepresented.All these people representing us seem to be only occupied by the next election.Think about it !
Posted by: Betty Anne | Feb 2, 2022 10:28:05 AM
I certainly support this effort 100%, as Canadians why should we not be able to enjoy the wines of all our provinces. It would be good for our economy as well, and help the small wine growers to be more successful
Posted by: Alex | Feb 2, 2022 12:04:43 PM
How dare theesse ungrateful people kritizizie zeir belofed goferment! This ish unkanadian!
Posted by: Kathy | Feb 2, 2022 3:04:22 PM
I wonder how many of our "illustrious" pliticians and their families & friends have actually broken this law unbeknownst to them. I kow of people who claim they transported wine and liquor across almost every provincial border in the country! Guess it's not very well monitored / enforced.
Posted by: To drunk to type | Feb 2, 2022 3:08:08 PM
I am thinking that this has more to do provincial taxes than anything else. Also, it is cheaper to buy alcohol in Alberta than BC...so I remember.
If the winery wants to sell outside the province, I am sure there are mechanisms in place to so. I see BC wine in liquor stores everywhere.
As for selling online, how do you check the recipient’s age?
Posted by: E. Tobermann | Feb 2, 2022 3:41:55 PM
Canada do away with your antiquated liquor laws. Treat your citizens like adults.
Posted by: Tom Mentrak | Feb 2, 2022 4:14:10 PM
As a recent immigant to Canada, I never thought that you could not buy wines or beer or what have you in one provence and bring them to another. I would agree that the law is outdated if that is the only impact. If there is a large (20% or greater) price difference, there might be a slight impact on a provences revenues initially. That would soon disappear once the novelty wore off.
Posted by: Doug Miller | Feb 2, 2022 6:03:52 PM
I enjoy wine from a couple of BC wineries that are too small to export to other provinces. I have no way to obtain their wine except to stock up when I visit BC. Anyone wishing to bear the shipping costs should be able to order any wine from any winery they wish. It's time a standing parliamentary committee was formed to review and bring forward changes to these archaic laws. Life is too complicated to deal with idiotic regulations that have no further use in society and just plug up the system
Posted by: Jeff | Feb 2, 2022 6:58:27 PM
I agree that this law is outdated and probably not really enforced, at least for the individual who is travelling by car across Canada. Since there are no border inspection points on provincial boundaries and I question as to whether the average police officer would even be aware of this law it needs to be updated. I do agree however with the one posted in referenct to Ms George's statement about ordering wine online. This would require specific controls to insure that those ordering the wine are of legal age.
Posted by: Clyde | Feb 2, 2022 11:01:45 PM
I always found that after a few cans of 'Club' or 'Beer Beer'... it all tasted like premium Canadian Beer. After a Seven-year binge, I stopped using the drug 'alcohol' .
I wish you all could see that you are paying the governments for the privialage of brain cell depleteion...
What a pathetic world I have to live in, where poeple can't face reality withought 0.5 of booze from whatevversource... suckmit up, baby
Posted by: Mary | Feb 3, 2022 1:41:12 PM
This law should be cancelled, we are in a free country, there is no such law in Russia or any communist country. How come we have it in Canada?
Everything is about taxes..soon we will have to pay tax to use the WC.
Posted by: Website Designers | Feb 8, 2022 6:03:34 AM
It's about time to abolish these anachronistic fossils of prohibition times. But nothing ever goes to fast in Canada eh - especially where government is involved?
Website Design
Posted by: don | Feb 8, 2022 11:17:06 AM
It is because of the taxes. It is the same with cigarettes. In all fairness if you change the rules for one you should change them for the other. They are both "controlled substances". Different provinces, different rules. We have way to much of this. We have more trade barriers between provinces than we do between countries.Good luck trying to ge tthe provinces to give up their money or the control of these types of products.
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