Summerhill Winery will lose 15 per cent of its business if B.C. wine exports are barred from Alberta, but CEO Ezra Cipes doesn香蕉视频直播檛 have sour grapes.
After considering Alberta premier Rachel Notley香蕉视频直播檚 wine ban, he spoke to the vineyard香蕉视频直播檚 bistro chef and asked him to source some grass fed Alberta bison for their menu.
It香蕉视频直播檚 a symbolic gesture, but one he hopes will resonate with both consumers and industry insiders who are being caught in a tug-of-war between politicians.
香蕉视频直播淚 think everybody within the wine industry is feeling disheartened. We consider ourselves to be Canadian. We sell Canadian wine and we love Alberta香蕉视频直播 number of wineries in B.C. are actually owned by Albertans,香蕉视频直播� Cipes said.
RELATED: BC SEARCHES FOR NEW WINE MARKETS
香蕉视频直播淚 just hope everybody is just appreciative of what香蕉视频直播檚 happening around them and the culture that香蕉视频直播檚 being created. We should choose to support each other.香蕉视频直播�
Consumer support is going to be increasingly important if Notley goes through with the wine ban.
LETTER: ALBERTA IS WINNING THE WINE WAR
Larger scale wineries that ship their goods to Alberta see crates of wine delivered to a central government-controlled distribution warehouse. From there all independent restaurants and retailers purchase what they need香蕉视频直播� so Notley is effectively pulling up the drawbridge and blocking $160 million a year in retail sales, according to a sales estimate from the BC Wine Institute.
She香蕉视频直播檚 also whipping up dissent that is affecting those who don香蕉视频直播檛 tap into the same market as the Summerhills of the industry and export to Alberta on a smaller scale.
Jak Meyer is the owner of Meyer Winery in Okanagan Falls, which is poised to lose about three per cent of business under current conditions.
RELATED: DID THIS START IT ALL?
香蕉视频直播淲e have had a few wine club members drop out just in the last few days, so those are people we were shipping wine directly to. I wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be surprised if, unfortunately, I saw a few more leave,香蕉视频直播� Meyer said.
Having lived 17 years in Edmonton before investing in the wine business, Meyer has many friends in the oil industry. His own father worked 50 years in oil.
香蕉视频直播淚 get why they are so upset, but I don香蕉视频直播檛 think this is the right tactic. They can get their point across without harming anyone, but I guess any Alberta businesses could argue that we are doing the same thing,香蕉视频直播� he said.
The wine war was sparked when B.C. Premier John Horgan announced Jan. 30 that his government would halt the flow of diluted bitumen through the Trans Mountain pipeline pending the outcome of what amounts to an environmental review. The pipeline expansion has an estimated worth of $7.4 billion and over the construction period is expected to add 15,000 construction jobs and 37,000 indirect and direct jobs.
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Beyond pinots and pipelines, B.C. and Alberta already have the two most integrated provincial economies in the country 香蕉视频直播� estimated at about $30 to $35-billion combined.
In addition to financial ties, there are strong cultural bonds with residents often living in B.C. and working in Alberta. A large portion of the Okanagan香蕉视频直播檚 real estate market is tied to individuals who do just that.
That inter-connectedness between Alberta and the Okanagan, as well as a little political opportunism is what likely put the wine industry in Notley香蕉视频直播檚 crosshairs, says a UBC Okanagan assistant professor of economics.
香蕉视频直播淥n the coast (of B.C.) they香蕉视频直播檙e sipping wine and not worrying about their jobs,香蕉视频直播� said Ross Hickey, from UBC Okanagan.
And that香蕉视频直播檚 why Notley is eyeing up the Okanagan and its exports, he said. There香蕉视频直播檚 not much she can do to influence change in B.C.香蕉视频直播檚 political hubs right now, but the Kelowna West riding is up for grabs Feb. 14香蕉视频直播攖he same day the wine ban goes into effect香蕉视频直播攁nd the disruption she香蕉视频直播檚 causing may be directly related to that.
香蕉视频直播淣otley knows that Horgan and Green leader Andrew Weaver need to win support and seats if they want stable governance,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淭hey can香蕉视频直播檛 rely on coastal voters for all of that and she香蕉视频直播檚 targeting pain where the B.C. government wants stability. This is a great time for Notley to do this.香蕉视频直播�
Hickey said he doesn香蕉视频直播檛 see it going much further, however. It香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播渇oolish and illegal香蕉视频直播� by his estimates. Alberta could face $5 million in fines for violating the New West Partnership Trade Agreement, and there are more agreements being stepped on, said Hickey.
香蕉视频直播淲ith the Trade, Investment and Labour Mobility Agreement, the provinces agreed there shouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be trade barriers of goods and services between Alberta and B.C.,香蕉视频直播� said Hickey. 香蕉视频直播淭he exceptions to that rule occur in the case of environmental protections. What the B.C. government is doing isn香蕉视频直播檛 prohibiting trade and flow of trade香蕉视频直播hey want to review environmental policy that would apply to the bitumen products that Alberta exports.香蕉视频直播�
Hickey said that the question at play is simply if bitumen were to spill from a future pipeline, who is on the hook to clean it up.
香蕉视频直播淥ur province has to be responsible and do its due diligence,香蕉视频直播� he said, adding if Alberta were to approach B.C. hat in hand and offer to foot the bill, the review process would go away.
香蕉视频直播淭he trade and labour agreement we signed with Alberta allows us to do that to protect our environment. What it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 allow us to do is ban Alberta beef because we香蕉视频直播檙e mad.香蕉视频直播�
Similarly, he said, it doesn香蕉视频直播檛 allow the Alberta government to say 香蕉视频直播渨e香蕉视频直播檙e unhappy so we aren香蕉视频直播檛 playing by the rules.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 foolish and childish,香蕉视频直播� said Hickey. 香蕉视频直播淭his is just a show. There is so much surplus being generated by the trade flow, that in the long term we will see the return of happy trade. 香蕉视频直播�
Hickey isn香蕉视频直播檛 the only one who thinks Notley香蕉视频直播檚 trade war is childish.
Josh Jamroziak is the manager of Blink Restaurant and Bar in Calgary and said he thinks the whole thing lacks merit and could even hurt local business.
香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 pretty childish. We do sell B.C. wines here, especially to tourists,香蕉视频直播� he said. 香蕉视频直播淏.C. wines have made such a big name for themselves worldwide, when the tourists come in they always want to try it. If we don香蕉视频直播檛 have that anymore then the opportunity is gone for us.香蕉视频直播�
