KELOWNA, B.C. — The B.C. Wine Institute has notified the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission (AGLC) that it will challenge the constitutionality of the ban it has imposed on B.C. wine.
The ban, imposed on February 6, was imposed in response to the B.C. NDP government’s proposed restrictions on shipments of oil-sands bitumen, which has slowed the expansion of the Trans Mountain pipeline.
“The B.C. 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 B.C. wines,” says Miles Prodan, president and CEO of the B.C. Wine Institute.
The organization notes that this ban highlights 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,” adds Prodan. “We hope that the AGLC will take this opportunity to end the unfair targeting of the B.C. wine industry.”
