Alberta Premier Rachel NotleyB次元官网网址檚 political spat that has pitted bitumen against sauvignon blanc doesnB次元官网网址檛 appear like it will have a direct impact on Vancouver Island wine producers, at least for now.
Notley announced on Tuesday that her province will stop the import of wine from B.C. until the NDP government suspends its efforts to place restrictions on the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.
The Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission is expected to step up enforcement of wine sales from B.C., impacting larger industry producers such as those in Okanagan but not the dozens of others in the Cowichan Valley and elsewhere on the Island.
owner and general manager Andy Johnson said his Duncan-based winery ships upwards of a few hundred cases a year to private buyers in the neighbouring province.
B次元官网网址淲hether or not the attitude in Alberta will reduce the number of sales we make to Alberta, I have no idea,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t is a very quiet time of year for us so itB次元官网网址檚 really not making a lot of a difference. When we do the spring sale that happens in April weB次元官网网址檒l have a better idea of how things are going to go.B次元官网网址�
Vancouver Island wines also arenB次元官网网址檛 being sold in any Alberta restaurants.
B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nobody big enough (on Vancouver Island). You really have to be a good size to have an agency looking after your wine in Alberta. ThereB次元官网网址檚 no money in it for the small guys, thereB次元官网网址檚 no margin,B次元官网网址� Johnson added.
According to the B.C. Wine Institute, 30 per cent of all wine sold in Alberta is from B.C., with a retail value of $160 million. The province also accounts for 11 per cent of the BC VQA market.
Layne Craig, the owner of 40 Knots Vineyard and Estate Winery in Comox, said the ban wonB次元官网网址檛 have much of an impact over the short term but thereB次元官网网址檚 the potential for him to loose upwards of $100,000 if Notley was also to ban the direct sales of wine going forward.
B次元官网网址淲e have many, many customers in Alberta..if she does ban direct sales that stops all my wine club members from receiving their wine - thatB次元官网网址檚 a fair bit of cash for me right there,B次元官网网址� Craig said, adding that he ships a few hundred cases to the province annually and has ties to the Prairies. B次元官网网址淭he other thing this is going to be is that itB次元官网网址檚 going to begin to cannibalize the B.C. market because the closer you the better the profitability.B次元官网网址�
The InstituteB次元官网网址檚 president and CEO Miles Prodan said he was B次元官网网址渄isappointedB次元官网网址� with boycotting wineries B次元官网网址渙ver a yet-to-be-determined British Columbia government policy in a different sector.B次元官网网址�
B次元官网网址淎 working free-trade relationship between Alberta and British Columbia is imperative to securing economic well-being for Canada,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are disappointed that this political decision is threatening our progress and threatening the successes that have benefited small businesses in both the Alberta and BC economies.B次元官网网址�
The B.C. government has moved to place restrictions on the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion and has said it will restrict increased while it further studies the effectiveness of spill response and cleanup, as part of phase two in its oil spill response plan.
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion will triple transportation of oil from 300,000 barrels a day to 900,000.
NanaimoB次元官网网址檚 Matt and Natalie Riga operate , a five acre family-run winery and vineyard set against the backdrop of Mount Benson.
Operating as more of a boutique producer with buyers on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver, the Rigas arenB次元官网网址檛 caught up in the politics but were B次元官网网址渟hockedB次元官网网址� to hear the news and feel a ban hurts the industry as a whole.
B次元官网网址淚 think weB次元官网网址檙e a nation and we try to support everything as micro as we can but at the same time we are part of the same country and I think we should be working together rather than splitting difference,B次元官网网址� Natalie said.
B次元官网网址淚 think if anything itB次元官网网址檚 a shame for the people of Alberta because theyB次元官网网址檙e missing out on some really lovely wine and as an alternative theyB次元官网网址檙e probably going to be buying international which doesnB次元官网网址檛 help anyone in Canada.B次元官网网址�
Speaking to reporters on Thursday afternoon, Premier John Horgan said he wouldnB次元官网网址檛 be B次元官网网址渄istractedB次元官网网址� by the B次元官网网址渞etaliatory movesB次元官网网址� of the Alberta government.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not responding in any way other than saying IB次元官网网址檒l defend our wine industry. IB次元官网网址檓 here for B.C., not for Alberta,B次元官网网址� he said.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e spoken with the prime minister and the premier of Alberta. IB次元官网网址檝e made it clear to both of them that the interests of British Columbians are my priority, nor will I be distracted by the events happening in other jurisdictions.B次元官网网址�
Still, Johnson said he feels the optics of the dispute between neighbouring provinces isnB次元官网网址檛 positive.
B次元官网网址淚 think it says a lot for Canada, how bad we are that sheB次元官网网址檚 using those words B次元官网网址榳eB次元官网网址檙e banning the import of British Columbia wineB次元官网网址� just as if to say B次元官网网址榳eB次元官网网址檙e banning the import of American wine, or French wine or any other kind of wine. How can you ban something within a country?,B次元官网网址� he said.
