'It shouldn't be so hard': Booze producers on board with P.E.I. government removing trade barriers

Stephen Brun · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 10, 2025 5:14 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 hours ago

Alcohol producers connected P.E.I. volition conscionable with provincial officials this week astir removing commercialized barriers connected booze wrong Canada, a determination galore of them support. 

The national authorities precocious reached a woody with the bulk of provinces to let intoxicant to travel much freely crossed the country, conscionable arsenic U.S. brands are bring pulled from liquor store shelves successful effect to U.S. President Donald Trump's commercialized war. 

All provinces but P.E.I. and Newfoundland and Labrador person agreed to region the obstacles preventing their intoxicant from being sold successful different jurisdictions.

Robert van Waarden, the CEO of Red Island Cider successful Charlottetown, said helium hopes the state sees the "common sense" successful dropping the barriers. 

"There's decidedly country wrong liquor authorities crossed the state to inquire questions astir 'why does this exist?' and get the reply beyond… 'This is conscionable the mode we bash it,'" van Waarden said. 

"I deliberation determination whitethorn beryllium immoderate consciousness successful the mode they're going astir it and making definite that we tin person immoderate input connected this earlier they determine connected what we person to do." 

'100% connected board'

Alcohol producers connected the Island look respective challenges selling things similar beer, wine, cider and spirits straight to customers successful astir different provinces — not to notation this one. 

WATCH | Domestic commercialized barriers are coming down:

For example, van Waarden tin lone merchantability his products astatine the Red Island Cider location, astatine provincial liquor stores, oregon to bars and restaurants done the P.E.I. Liquor Control Commission. 

"It tin beryllium frustrating for america because, for example, if there's a shaper successful Montague, they mightiness person to nonstop their merchandise to Charlottetown to get their merchandise backmost to Montague," helium said. 

"It's precise hard for maine to cognize who's buying Red Island Cider successful their edifice without going into that restaurant…. We're not getting that information from the liquor commission." 

Add to that, laws successful astir different provinces forestall the institution from making the P.E.I. cider disposable for acquisition and shipping done a website. 

It's those direct-to-consumer barriers that astir of the different provinces person pledged to drop.

'Fully committed'

Although P.E.I. has not acted yet, the province's concern curate has said the authorities is committed to pursuing suit astatine immoderate point. 

"At the astir caller federal-provincial committee connected interior commercialized meeting, it was stated that P.E.I. was committed to eliminating interprovincial commercialized barriers for the merchantability of alcohol. We had requested immoderate clip to person conversations with stakeholders," Jill Burridge said successful a connection past week. 

"But, fto maine beryllium wide — I americium afloat committed to moving with Minister [Darlene] Compton to [remove] these barriers conscionable similar different provinces and territories are." 

Jared Murphy, co-owner and CEO of Lone Oak Brewing Co., said he's "100 per cent connected board" with removing commercialized barriers connected intoxicant due to the fact that it helps businesses reinvest successful their companies and, successful turn, the provincial economy. 

"Any avenue for a section shaper to person an enactment to merchantability your merchandise astatine a higher borderline is advantageous for us," Murphy said.

"If we're capable to usage that peculiar income exemplary to make an further gross watercourse and unfastened ourselves up to caller radical crossed the country, I would lone deliberation that that's a affirmative thing."

Seeking support space

Another contented facing P.E.I. companies is getting their products listed with liquor stores successful different provinces. 

Scott Beamish, operations manager astatine Deep Roots Distillery successful Milton, said with U.S. booze coming disconnected shelves crossed the country, liquor commissions could unfastened immoderate of that abstraction to producers from different parts of Canada. 

"Whenever we conflict these companies for support abstraction [at] our ain liquor stores, we person to conflict with higher costs and a tougher clip to truly marque it a viable merchandise for us," helium said. 

"We truly privation to marque definite that we tin get immoderate of the Canadian-made products connected shelves each crossed Canada. It shouldn't beryllium truthful hard that we're taking thing similar our vodka oregon a liqueur… and person to conflict [for] the Canadian support abstraction with non-Canadian producers."