Carrying alcohol across provincial borders may seem like an innocent move, but going over a certain amount is illegal.
Many provinces restrict interprovincial booze runs.
“I don’t think a lot of people are even aware of it,” said Mark Heise, president of Rebellion Brewing.
Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister is calling on other provinces to eliminate the restrictions on moving alcohol between provinces. It’s a topic he plans to bring up when the premiers meet in New Brunswick later this week.
Craft brewers in Saskatchewan think the change is long overdue.
“It’s just kind of one of those old antiquated laws that should have been removed a long time ago,” Heise said.
Currently, a Saskatchewan resident can import up to three litres of spirits, nine litres of wine or 24.6 litres of beer — translating to 12 bottles of wine or close to 72 beers.
“I’d like to see a level playing field where there are no tariffs or trade barriers across the provinces inside of Canada,” Walter Martin, assistant brewer at District Brewing Company, said.
The provincial government says it’s looking at changing the restrictions, but doesn’t want to eliminate them completely.
“A lot of this is finding the right balance,” said Jeremy Harrison, Minister of Trade and Export Development. “I think there is room to be reasonable, and having faith that members of the public are going to be reasonable as well.”
A 2016 report from the Senate on Trade said internal trade barriers reduce Canada’s gross domestic product by $50 billion to $130 billion.
Harrison said the laws exist to protect provinces, but they may need to be changed.
“I think the public are further along on this and further ahead than politicians are when it comes to liberalization of that trade,” he said.
In April, the Supreme Court upheld a New Brunswick law that fined a man $240 for bringing home a trunk full of beer and liquor from Quebec.
Based on a report by CTV Regina's Colton Wiens
