Nova Scotia Signs Direct-to-Consumer Alcohol Sales Deal
A new agreement signed today, July 21, allows Nova Scotia producers to sell their wine, beer and spirits to consumers in seven other provinces. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
Nova Scotia has reached another milestone in its efforts to remove internal trade barriers, signing a direct-to-consumer agreement on beverage alcohol with seven more provinces.
The agreement allows Nova Scotia producers to sell their wine, beer and spirits to consumers in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador. It also means that Nova Scotians will be able to order beverage alcohol from producers in those provinces.
Premier Tim Houston and premiers from the participating provinces signed the agreement today, July 21, at the Council of the Federation meeting in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. It follows an agreement Nova Scotia and Ontario signed in March that was the first direct-to-consumer agreement of its kind. Ontario is also a signatory to the broader deal.
“We aren’t just planning for the future; we are fighting back right now. The Trump administration has thrown global trade into chaos, and we refuse to let Nova Scotians pay the price for Washington’s politics. That is why I have aggressively been pushing free trade, and this is a good step toward that,” said Premier Tim Houston. “Nova Scotians have told me they want to have more choice and more access to buy and support Canadian-made products.”
The agreement applies to all types of beverage alcohol. Quebec and the Yukon have indicated their support for the initiative and are anticipated to sign at a later date.
Nova Scotia is one of Canada’s leading winemaking regions and produces a variety of beer, coolers, cider and distilled products.
Quotes:
“Nova Scotia and Ontario have been the leaders in direct-to-consumer wine sales, and I commend Premier Houston and Premier Ford for taking that lead. I’m happy to see that this is paving the way to a free market in Canada as we have so many wonderful wineries, breweries, distilleries and cideries. I have been most impressed by the ease of the remittance process and the interest in our wines from Ontarians. We hope to grow our direct-to-consumer sales across Canada as part of our five-year plan.”
— Karl Coutinho, President and Operations Manager, Avondale Sky Winery and Restaurant
Quick Facts:
- under the agreements, Nova Scotia consumers must be 19 or older to order beverage alcohol for personal use
- producers from other Canadian markets must be authorized by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. (NSLC) to sell directly to Nova Scotians; Nova Scotia producers must be authorized by regulators in the other provinces
- applications open today on the NSLC website
- consumers in Nova Scotia will be able to buy in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador; British Columbia expects to have their system in place for all types of alcohol by February 2027
- there are about 120 licensed beverage alcohol producers in Nova Scotia
Additional Resources:
More information on direct-to-consumer alcohol sales: https://novascotia.ca/direct-to-consumer-alcohol-sales/
News release – Nova Scotia, Ontario Sign Direct-to-Consumer Alcohol Sales Deal: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2026/03/02/nova-scotia-ontario-sign-direct-consumer-alcohol-sales-deal
News release – Agreements to Remove Trade Barriers in Key Sectors: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/11/20/agreements-remove-trade-barriers-key-sectors
News release – Province Removes Barriers on Direct-to-Consumer Alcohol Imports: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2025/06/27/province-removes-barriers-direct-consumer-alcohol-imports