Canadian MP moves to scrap law banning inter-province wine sales

An MP in Okanagan, Canada, has introduced a private member’s bill to amend the Canada Post Corporation Act in a bid to remove federal restrictions on DTC alcohol shipments between provinces. If successful the move will open up sales throughout the country.

British Columbia winegrowers are backing MP Dan Albas as he attempts to change a law curbing direct-to-consumer shipments of alcohol between provinces. As the Okanagan Valley wine region falls under Albas’ constituency, he has good reason to push the bill forward. Okanagan is home to more than 200 wineries, and accounts for more than 86% (4,419ha) of British Columbia’s total vineyard hectarage.

Painting a picture of Canada becoming more self-reliant on domestic wine sales than relying on export sales in international markets, Albas said: “We need to be our own best customers. This is a valid way to do that.”

The bill – C262 – was filed in Canada’s House of Commons on Monday 9 March, with Albas saying at a press conference that the bill would “allow Canada Post and other designated trusted carriers to be able to send anywhere with national consistent application from one province to another, full stop.”

He added: “This means that small producers would get a chance to compete for your business, and that your loved ones, when they go to an artisan distillery, craft brewery or small family winery, can send some of that wonderful product back home. And at a time when we say we should be focusing on things we can control, well, Parliament, this is something that is under our control. The Canada Post Act is a federal piece of law and we can get behind that.”

Canada Post roadblock

Conservative party leader Pierre Poilievre reiterated that the obstacle lies not with the individual provinces but with the Canada Post legislation itself. “It is currently against the law for Canada Post to deliver Canadian alcohol to Canadian consumers in six of 10 provinces. That is a federal law that Mark Carney [Prime Minister of Canada] refuses, so far, to change,” he said.

Currently, Canada Post only allows DTC shipments of beer, wine and spirits in four provinces: BC, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Nova Scotia. It means that presently, BC producers are able to sell their wines direct to American consumers, but not to a Canadian consumer in, for example, Ontario.

“It’s ridiculous that we even have to pass a bill to do this,” Jeff Guignard, CEO, Wines of British Columbia told Castanet News. “I spoke with Dan Albas last week and gave him our full support for this. I think this is an idea that’s time has come.” The drinks business has reached out to Wines of British Columbia for further comment and will update this article accordingly.

Not always neighbourly

However, neighbouring Canadian provinces have not always been friendly with one another when it comes to wine sales. In 2024, BC winegrowers were left reeling after Alberta threatened to stop selling BC wines in its stores and restaurants unless BC immediately ceased its direct-to-consumer sales to Alberta residents. The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission believed it was missing out on collecting tax on bottles sold directly to consumers, despite the DTC category accounting for less than 3% of BC’s total sales.

“It is disheartening for our local growers and producers, who have already suffered great financial hardships over this past year,” said Wines of British Columbia at the time.

Local opportunity

Canadian producers have been keen to capitalise on the rising demand for Canadian wines since Canada ruled in February 2025 that US wines must be removed from retail shelves in the wake of President Trump’s 25% import tariff. Consequently, according to data from the American Association of Wine Economists (AAWE), the value of US wine exports to Canada plummeted US$342.8 million between 2024 and 2025.

It’s good news for Canada producers in that consumers are being actively encouraged to “buy Canadian”. However, the downside is that Canada has found itself stuck with millions of bottles of unsold US alcohol, with the government struggling to decide out what to do with the stock. In December 2025, Ontario was reported to be sitting on CN$80million (£43.3m) of US alcohol it had withdrawn from public sale.

 

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