The two-week trade squabble between BC and Alberta appears to be over.
Two weeks ago, both provinces were at each other’s throats due to conflicting views on Kinder Morgan’s Trans Mountain Pipeline project leading to a ban on provincial wine products.
With the ban now lifted, Northern Lights Estate Winery owner Pat Bell says the whole situation was unfortunate.
“Northern Lights certainly sees Alberta as a potential market going forward but I think what’s really important here is that BC came to its senses, it had taken a very unreasonable position and Alberta really had no choice but to retaliate.”
Bell says the winery will need to complete a large expansion project within the next couple of years in order to properly supply the Alberta market.
He adds it was nice to Premier John Horgan soften his stance on Trans Mountain.
“To see John Horgan come to his senses and really balance his overall policy position on the Kinder Morgan pipeline was refreshing, Alberta was not likely to back down unless BC took the first step and it’s great to see that happen.”
“What’s interesting for me is that you have two NDP governments that are really ideologically opposed to the issue around energy and too see BC take this very strong position which is opposed to the idea of moving any significant volume of energy production and Alberta, of course, is reliant on that for their economies, I think it is important that Canada take a strong role in this decision and I’m glad to see it go to the Supreme Court.”
Last year, Albertans bought 7.2 million bottles of BC wine in their province, spending around $70 million dollars.
The trade war between the provinces only lasted for two weeks.
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