Party leader calls for action to help battered B.C. wine industry

Feb 6, 2024 | 3:00 PM Pete McIntyre

The BC United Party is calling for the B.C. government to take immediate steps to help the province’s hard-hit wine industry.

Leader Kevin Falcon said in addition to the recent cold weather that killed crops and vines, the sector is now facing “an unprovoked assault” by the Alberta government which is banning direct-to-consumer sales of B.C. wines.

“Successive BC Liberal, now BC United, governments have nurtured the sector with supportive tax and regulatory policies and, as the sector now faces a difficult 2024 and beyond, it is vital that the current government facilitates supports to ensure B.C. wine can continue to thrive for generations more,” Falcon said.

Falcon said impacted vineyards may lose their entire 2024 vintage, and producers are facing the possibility of a 100 per cent replant which means minimal or negligible cash flow for several years.

BC United MLA Ian Paton, the shadow minister for agriculture, said the true impacts of the cold snap will be known in the coming months, but everything points towards a terrible situation for B.C. wine this year.

“Couple that with reckless policies coming out of Alberta that seek to stop all direct-to-consumer B.C. wine sales into their province and you have a perfect storm,” Paton said.

“It is shocking how David Eby and the NDP have done absolutely nothing on this vital issue that impacts so many families in agriculture-dependent communities.”

The Alberta government is implementing a ban on direct-to-consumer wine sales “to protect the interests of Alberta retailers and liquor agents,” according to the province’s Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission.

If B.C. wineries do not comply, the commission says it will refuse shipments for their products to be stocked in Alberta’s restaurants and liquor stores.

BC United is calling on the provincial government to:

Immediately create an emergency working group with the B.C. wine industry and federal government to develop solutions and identify the level of financial support necessary for local wine growers and producers to survive the shortage expected to last for the next three to four years.
Prioritize the creation of a Canadian Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) certification. Temporarily expand the existing tax incentives for wines with 100 per cent B.C.-grown grapes to include wines produced in B.C. with 100 per cent Canadian-grown grapes.
Work with the Ontario government and Ontario wine producers to reduce any barriers to importing Ontario grapes and juice so as to prevent the need for imports from Washington State.
Immediately schedule a meeting with Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to resolve the issue with Alberta actively harming the B.C. wine industry with no legal basis.

Rolly Russell, the Parliamentary Secretary for Rural Development and NDP MLA for Boundary-Similkameen, acknowledged the challenges facing the wine industry in a news release issued Monday, Feb. 5

He said the government will continue to support and stand up for grape growers, winemakers and the British Columbia wine industry.

“We’re supporting growers with the climate-related challenges they’re facing,” Russell stated. “For example, our government has taken action to provide financial assistance for income loss due to crop failure. Last year, approximately $27 million in production insurance claims were provided to growers who lost crops due to last winter’s freeze.”