FreeMyGrapes applauds the Nova Scotia Government for opening their borders to permit inter-provincial wine sales and delivery, and in doing so, supporting stronger consumer demand for both Nova Scotian and Canadian wine.
FreeMyGrapes is the initiative of Alliance of Canadian Wine Consumers (ACWC), an independent, non-partisan, consumer group aimed at ensuring Canadians can buy Canadian wine directly from Canadian wineries. It was established i
n 2010, after years of frustration with the inability of Canadian consumers to buy direct from out-of-province Canadian wineries.
Until today, only British Columbia and Manitoba had fully recognized the spirit of federal Bill C-311, which became law on June 28, 2012, effectively amending the 1928 Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (IILA) and eliminating the fede
ral criminal offence for transporting wine across provincial borders. Nova Scotia passed its enabling law in December 2012, and FreeMyGrapes has since been encouraging Nova Scotia to take the final step of implementing regulations to permit direct ordering and delivery from Canadian wineries to Nova Scotia residents for personal use.
“I am so pleased to welcome Nova Scotia to the list of provinces that recognize that inter-provincial trade is good for the economy and consumers,” stated Shirley-Ann George, founder and President of ACWC and the FreeMyGrapes initiative. “Nova Scotia has a vibrant wine industry and Canadians should have better access to these products.”
FreeMyGrapes strongly urges the remaining seven provincial governments to open their borders to Canadian wine and reduce internal trade barriers. It is not only good for the economy, rural communities and tourism, but widely supported by voters, as evidenced by a Harris-Decima survey that found 82% of Canadians believe inter-provincial wine barriers are unreasonable.
“We strongly encourage Canadian consumers restricted from ordering Canadian wine to write their MPPs and MLAs and encourage them to follow the leadership that Nova Scotia, Manitoba and British Columbia have all shown on this issue,” recommended Ms. George.
For more information, or template letters to write provincial representatives, go to “What you can do” on the FreeMyGrapes website.