Should alcohol flow freely across Canada?

A new federal law, Bill C-311, makes it legal to carry wine from one province to another, but it doesn't apply to beer, cider or spirits, and it doesn't supersede decades of complicated provincial law.

Provincial barriers to wine were brought down with Bill C-311, but what about beer and spirits? (iStock)"Canada's current liquor regulatory system is just completely out of step with the rest of the world in terms of Canadians' inability to purchase wine from another place within their own country," said Mark Hicken, a lawyer specializing in wine law.

The laws don't just affect consumers taking spirits over provincial borders but also small brewers trying to sell their products across Canada.

Steve Beauchesne, co-founder of Beau's All-Natural Brewing Company in Vankleek Hill, Ont., can't get his beer into stores or restaurants across the Quebec border, just 20 kilometres away.

"We're supposed to be one country here and it makes no sense that there's so [many] barriers to move from one province to the next," said Beauchesne.

Hicken says the patchwork of laws across Canada's provinces and territories is the legacy of Prohibition.

"You look at any regulatory structure in North America and if it was examined in a global perspective, you'd look at it in stunned disbelief, like 'What is going on here?' It really does go back to the Prohibition mentality of control, and the slow loosening of control over the years," he said.

"Today, the major reason for the continuation of those laws is money - the liquor boards want to maintain absolute control over all liquor in their jurisdiction so they can levy a liquor board markup on it," said Hicken.

The liquor boards may like it but some members of the CBC Community sure don't.

• "These monopolies generate massive profits for government, yet have little accountability in terms of operational process, customer service and selection. It's a pathetic holdover from prohibition and needs to be removed immediately," said Owen Meaney.
  
  
• "The problem is not exclusive to wine. My favourite single-malt whisky is available in every province but Ontario. Makes me furious," said Astena.
  
  
• "Canadian liquor laws vex me terribly. While wine sees easing of silly restrictions beer is completely ignored. Say I'd like to drink a Hopfenstark Kamarad Frederich Imperial Stout from Quebec or a Pumphouse Winter Warmer from New Brunswick but I happen to live in Ontario. Well I'm simply out of luck. The LCBO has no clue these beers even exist," said waxy56.

Would you like to see alcohol laws relaxed across Canada? Are there wines, beers or spirits from other parts of the country that you simply can't get? Should alcohol flow freely across Canada? Let us know what you think.



(This survey is not scientific. Results are based on readers' responses.)