More than a year has passed since provincial governments committed to allowing direct-to-consumer alcohol sales originating from the rest of Canada.
While the federal government has removed all restrictions on alcohol crossing provincial borders, only Manitoba and New Brunswick have policies in place that allow the sales of beer, wine and spirits originating from every corner of the country.
The president and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business has called it a failure by the rest of the provinces in the face of the ongoing trade war and economic uncertainty.
“It is disappointing provinces have missed an important deadline on direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across borders,” Dan Kelly said.
Governments continue to say all the right things on internal trade, but we’re well past due time to see the action match the rhetoric, Kelly added.
Kelly said the inaction by most provinces on this trade promise doesn’t bode well for more complex issues like expanding mutual recognition to the service sector or harmonizing the construction sector’s health and safety requirements by the end of 2026.
If we can’t get this right when facing a massive trade threat from the United States, it will be our grandchildren’s grandchildren that will still be discussing this, he warned.
Provinces need to ensure their political sentiment is matched with tangible changes that help small businesses expand operations across provincial borders, Kelly said.
If not, it is time for the federal government to step in and use some of its powers to make things happen, he added.
A month ago, the federal government urged the rest of the provinces and territories to complete talks and implement direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol after a memorandum of understanding was signed by 11 provincial and territorial governments last year, which had a May 2026 target date.
Removing interprovincial trade barriers that create unnecessary costs and limit opportunities for Canadian business and consumers alike is critical to building a more competitive, integrated, and prosperous Canadian economy, according to a statement from Dominic LeBlanc, the minister responsible for internal trade.
Direct-to-consumer alcohol sales is a prime example of how we can make progress by giving Canadians the option to purchase their favourite wine, beer, or spirits directly from producers in other provinces, LeBlanc said.
A year ago, the federal government was removing all interprovincial trade barriers, and meaningful progress has been made by other provinces on bilateral agreements pertaining to booze sales.
Those include a deal signed in March between Ontario and Nova Scotia that allows wine, beer, and spirits producers to sell across provincial borders, as well as British Columbia’s pacts with Alberta and Saskatchewan.
“These actions demonstrate interprovincial cooperation and meaningful progress toward reducing internal trade barriers within Canada,” LeBlanc said.
