THE GOOD
On Wednesday, March 25th, New Brunswick stakeholders in the consumer-made wine industry were invited by the Health & Safety department of the provincial government to attend a fact-finding meeting in Fredericton.
The New Brunswick government is in the process of reviewing and overhauling their Liquor Act. This presents an opportunity for the inclusion of the in-store winery industry into the new legislation. Having the industry legislated is something we as stakeholders welcome with open arms. The advantages are many, the disadvantages are few.
The base objective of the meeting was to allow all stakeholders to have a say and be heard as to what should and should not be included into this new legislation.
At the end of our 2-hour meeting we all seemed to come away with a positive feeling that the government will act in the industry’s best interest. In general terms it was agreed that unlike other provinces, there would be no levy, tax or literage fee applied to finished product. It was also acknowledged that there would be a minimal licensing fee to store owners, that there would be no stipulations or prohibitive guidelines put on advertising or store configuration. Legislation had yet to be drafted but it seems it will be “business as usual.” Hopefully, the process of legislating in-store wineries will be painless and seamless to both the end-user consumers as well as store owners.
Kudos to the executive board of the Atlantic Fomenters Association ( AFA) who pro-actively worked with government representatives prior to the March 25th meeting, making the entire process much easier for all parties involved.
We as a group and as an association look forward to having the New Brunswick in-store winery industry recognized as a legitimate and bona-fide industry. Along with improving the industry’s visibility in the community, this new recognition will strengthen the business model of the industry, attracting new investors with new and fresh ideas. Legislation should create a win-win for all stakeholders
THE BAD
As mentioned in my February blog, Ross Harrington, owner of the Wine Kitz Halifax location, was scheduled to appear in court on April 2nd to defend himself against various alcohol related charges. These charges stem from Mr. Harrington’s attempts to introduce in-store winery services to Nova Scotia.
We were hopeful that on April 2nd the judge would render her decision and we would all now know the outcome, enabling us to move on in life and business. Unfortunately, after a short hour of listening to arguments from both the crown prosecutor and the defense, the judge has elected to postpone her decision until June 16th (hopefully 2009!). Two more long months! We once again wait with baited breath.
THE FUGLY
One of the charges laid against Mr. Harrington is “Selling alcohol without a license” (aka bootlegging). To the surprise of many, the crown prosecutor contends that, according to the Nova Scotia Liquor Act, a wine kit is considered alcohol, hence, Mr. Harrington should be found guilty on the above charge.
Holy wine corks Batman! If this is the case and the judge agrees with the crown prosecutor, it will not be long before all brew shops in Nova Scotia are driven out of business due to selling a controlled substance- alcohol. Additionally, big box stores, co-op stores, selected drug and convenient stores will need to cease and desist in their selling of wine kit products.
The most ironic part of this absurd scenario is that the competitor who filed the original complaint(s) now has the most to lose. As a stakeholder with five independent wine making locations throughout metro Halifax, he will also be forced to abide by the judge’s ruling. We often sow what we seed.
Several days back I read in our local newspaper that Nova Scotia had the lowest participation of all Atlantic Provinces in the recent Earth Hour. This should come as no surprise as many Nova Scotians are already aware that Canada’s Ocean Playground remains in the dark ages on many matters including alcohol regulations. Why else would other provinces such as New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island & Saskatchewan be welcoming the in-store winery industry with open arms while Nova Scotians are cheated of this service and industry players are intertwined in court battles?
Cheers!
Blair
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