Following an announcement by Minister Rich Coleman last Thursday, British Columbians can now order wine from any province without having to worry about breaking the law or having to face provincial mark-ups.
“British Columbia is prepared to take the lead on opening up the Canadian marketplace for our world-renowned B.C. wineries,” said Coleman.
The announcement essentially means that British Columbians can now order wine from anywhere in Canada and have it directly shipped to them.
There are a few stipulations however, as the minister made it clear that in order for wine to be directly shipped, it must be 100 per cent Canadian wine, meaning it must be grown and produced in the province it is being shipped from. Also, the wine must be for personal consumption only.
As far as how much wine one is allowed to receive, the minister said there is no limit on the number of bottles that can be shipped, again, as long as it is for personal consumption.
Regulations restricting the amount of wine B.C. wineries can send to other provinces still remain in place however, as other provinces have yet to open their borders to direct shipping. The minister is hoping that by making this announcement and policy change, other provinces will follow suit.
“Today, we encourage other jurisdictions to take immediate steps to reciprocate by opening up their borders and allow all Canadians to order wine,” he said.
Bill C-311, which recently removed a number of restrictions previously placed on inter-provincial liquor transport and sales dating back to prohibition-era law, passed in a rare unanimous vote in the House of Commons early last month and recently received Royal Assent.