Ontario and Nova Scotia have agreed to let their residents buy alcohol directly from the other’s province, part of the premiers’ ongoing work to bolster interprovincial trade.
Producers of beer, wine and spirits can start applying Tuesday to the province’s liquor corporation for authorizations to do the direct-to-consumer sales, a process the premiers say will only take a matter of days.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford says strengthening interprovincial trade is a way to counter the effects of U.S. President Donald Trump’s economic attacks on Canada.
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston says his goal is to have free trade countrywide and this agreement is a stepping stone toward that.
Houston says knocking down interprovincial trade barriers is “a bit like whack-a-mole,” but that direct alcohol sales is a great one to tackle because it is so visible for consumers and producers.
Currently, Ontario consumers can only buy alcohol from another province if it is listed by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario, through the LCBO’s private ordering program or if they were in another province and brought some bottles home.
MORE TOP STORIES
