N.S., Ontario ink deal allowing customers to buy alcohol across borders

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

The Nova Scotia and Ontario governments have signed an agreement aimed at allowing people to buy alcoholic beverages made in each province.

The “direct-to-consumer agreement,” according to the province, will allow people in Nova Scotia to buy wine, beer and spirits directly from producers in Ontario, and people in Ontario to buy directly from Nova Scotia producers.

Premier Tim Houston announced the deal alongside Ontario’s Doug Ford during Houston’s trip to Toronto.

“Nova Scotia is committed to dismantling internal trade barriers, piece by piece, but my goal is to have free trade, nationwide,” said Houston. “This agreement is a stepping stone that will give our local producers more access to Ontario markets and open a broader customer base.”

Consumers have to be 19 years old to order alcohol, and it must be for personal use.

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“Wine Growers Canada applauds Nova Scotia and Ontario for their leadership in launching a reciprocal direct-to-consumer wine agreement between two of Canada’s leading wine-producing provinces,” read a statement from Dan Paszkowski, President and CEO of Wine Growers Canada. “This is an important step toward building a pan-Canadian DTC marketplace – strengthening our domestic wine industry, supporting rural economies and expanding wine tourism opportunities across the country.”

Alcohol producers in Ontario will need to be authorized by the NSLC and those in Nova Scotia by Ontario’s LCBO.

Applications open on Tuesday and can be found on the NSLC and LCBO websites.