BC Wine Institute to seek injunction to protect BC wineries from Alberta ban
For Immediate Release:
February 21, 2018
KELOWNA – Today the British Columbia Wine Institute has notified the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) that it will challenge the constitutionality of the ban imposed by the AGLC.
The ban, imposed on February 6, is severely harming BC wineries and grapegrowers, many of which are small, family-owned operations.
“The BC Wine Institute regrets having to resort to legal action to protect our industry and the families that rely on it for their livelihoods. We need to end this prohibition of BC wines,” said Miles Prodan, President and CEO of the BC Wine Institute.
With 276 wineries and 923 grapegrowers, the BC wine industry is an important contributor to the local economy, jobs and quality of life. These businesses employ more than 12,000 people whose livelihood is now at risk.
The ban also highlights a larger issue – the importance of free interprovincial trade.
“We believe it is unconstitutional to prohibit the import of Canadian goods into another province based solely on where they come from. All Canadians should be concerned, because if wine can be prohibited based on its province of origin, so can any product from any other province,” added Prodan. “We hope that the AGLC will take this opportunity to end the unfair targeting of the BC wine industry.”
Consumers should be able to purchase the wine of their choice, yet provinces are divided on permitting direct-to-consumer shipments of alcohol sales. Changes to the restrictions would protect our industry from being unfairly targeted by provincial governments engaged in unrelated disputes.
Free interprovincial trade would positively impact the economy across the country. Industry research reveals that for every $1.00 spent on Canadian wine in Canada, $3.42 in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is generated across the country.
The negative impact of the ban also extends to BC’s wine tourism industry. According to a wine industry study, one million tourists visited BC wineries in 2015, generating $452 million in direct and indirect revenue for the broader British Columbia economy in 2015.
Prodan explained, “The BC wine industry has always had a strong and positive relationship with Albertans. Many visit our wineries each year and our wines have long been appreciated by consumers. Our provinces share a long history of collaboration, strong economic ties, resilience, and pride for the products we grow. Because of the ban, that friendship is being tested.”
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About British Columbia Wine Institute
Since 1990, the BC Wine Institute has played a pivotal role in taking BC’s wine industry from a vision to an internationally recognized niche region producing premium wines and providing exceptional wine tourism experiences. The BC Wine Institute markets the wine and regions of BC; delivers quality trade, media and consumer tastings; and acts as the voice of BC’s wine industry by advocating to government on behalf of industry that contributes $2.8 billion in provincial economic growth annually.
The BC Wine Institute represents all wineries in British Columbia to grow the premium market share for the Wines of British Columbia, while driving awareness of our world-class wines and tourism product – currently drawing 1,000,000 visitors with $600 million in tourism and tourism employment related economic impact every year. For more information about BC Wine Institute’s programs and services, please visit: WineBC.com.
For details on BC VQA Wine and the Wines of British Columbia, go to WineBC.com (consumer) or WineBC.org (media), like the Wines of British Columbia Facebook page and follow @WineBCdotcom on Twitter.
MEDIA CONTACTS
LAURA KITTMER
Media Relations Manager
British Columbia Wine Institute
T. 250.762.9744 ext.108
M. 250.317.8688
LKittmer@WineBC.com
VERONICA RIVAS
M. 778.996.2845
VRivas@blueprintpr.ca
LISA BRAZEAU
M. 613.807.0663
Lisa@blueprintpr.ca
