Row between Canadian provinces escalates as BC seeks injunction against Alberta wine ban
The British Columbia Wine Institute is seeking an injunction against Alberta’s ban on BC wine, calling the move “unconstitutional”.
It has been estimated that wineries across the province have lost around $1m in sales in the past two weeks alone because of the ban, according to Miles Prodan, the industry group’s president.
“It’s clearly about prohibiting interprovincial trade. That’s really the bigger issue here,” he told CBC news. “We really think all Canadians should be concerned, because if wine can be prohbited based on where it’s from- the province of origin – then so can anyother product from any other province.”
Prodan said that the BC Wine Insitutute had notified the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission on Wednesday morning of its intention to challenge the ban, with the intention of filing for an injunction next week. Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced the ban on B.C. wine earlier this month, escalating a dispute with B.C. over plans for expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline. The B.C. government has said it is challenging the move under the the Canadian Free Trade Agreement.
Meanwhile, Alberta filed another salvo in the ongoing battle, taking out a full-page ad in the Victoria Times Colonist showing a map of Canada with B.C. breaking away from the rest of the country. "We used to be so close," says the the ad.
According to the B.C. Wine Institute, more than 12,000 people are employed in the wine industry in this province. About 20% of wine produced and bottled in B.C. is sold in Alberta, amounting to sales of about $70 million last year. Prodan pointed out that wineries also depend on visitors from Alberta during the warmer months of the year.
"We've always had a strong relationship with Alberta," he said. "We're concerned that this will continue on and lengthen out and impact tourism season."
Meanwhile, BC wineries are being forced to find new markets for their wines, by launching or expanding export operations. China has so far been the focus of many BC wineries, accounting for for over half – 55% - of the $9,464,485 worth of exports outside Canada.