Premiers uncork a wine deal

Ontario, B.C. and Quebec to allow online purchases from each other’s provinces

WHITEHORSE — Premiers made a small step toward freer interprovincial trade Friday with an agreement between Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec to allow online purchases of wine from each other’s provinces.

“We haven’t freed the grapes entirely, but they’re a little bit freer,” said B.C. Premier Christy Clark in making the announcement.

A deal to allow consumers to purchase wine online through each province’s government-controlled liquor monopoly may seem like small beer in the context of the overall agreement on free interprovincial trade the premiers were seeking at their Whitehorse meeting this week.

But Quebec’s Philippe Couillard said it was just the start.

“More will come,” he said. “We didn’t want to tie us down and wait until we work on the whole gamut of issues around our state-sponsored agencies.”

Couillard said that could take another two or three years. He added Nova Scotia, another wine-producing province, is interested in signing on to the deal.

The water-in-their-wine announcement was an indication of just how tough it’s proving to be to achieve a deal to allow Canadians to trade freely with their fellow citizens.

Alberta Premier Rachel Notley acknowledged that several provinces, including hers, are seeking exemptions for economic development initiatives.

“It’s really important that we open up trade across the country,” she said. “But it’s also important to ensure that where there’s a need for provincial governments to engage intentionally in economic stimulus or regional development that they’re able to do that.”

Alberta is planning to spend billions on infrastructure to energize an economy damaged by low oil prices and the Fort McMurray wildfire.

Clark said she still hopes an internal trade deal can be reached, especially after Donald Trump’s criticism of NAFTA during his speech Thursday night.