Winnipeg brewery owner says Manitoba-Ontario trade plans won't help beer producers

A Winnipeg brewery owner says promises to increase trade between Manitoba and Ontario do little to help Canadian beer producers hoping to see their product line shelves in other provinces. 

On May 14, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew and Ontario Premier Doug Ford signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to remove barriers on goods, services and workers flowing between the two neighbouring provinces.

"When it comes to interprovincial trade, we're willing to knock down these barriers," said Kinew at a press conference last week.  

"Manitoba, at the start of this process, was already one of the leaders with the fewest barriers, so we're willing to continue that good work and want to put out that warm and hearty handshake to all the other premiers to join us and do this work together."

Ontario has also signed trade MOUs with Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. 

Kevin Selch, owner of Little Brown Jug Brewing Company in Winnipeg, says the MOUs are "encouraging" but do little to help breweries looking to expand across provincial borders. 

"The MOUs are encouraging but every one of them … all talk about direct-to-consumer sales of alcohol, which doesn't really help the many, many beer producers in Canada," Selch said in an interview with Rosemary Barton on CBC News Network.

Direct consumer sales could work for wineries that ship single bottles of wine, but it won't benefit companies like Little Brown Jug who ship beer by the case or pallet, Selch said. 

"It's all about store shelves," he said.  

"A number of people have reached out to me because they see the MOU and they think that they're going to see our beer near them soon or it's going to be easier to access, but that's just not the case yet."

Selch told Barton he would like to see Manitoba breweries get greater access to liquor stores in Ontario to facilitate "true free trade in beer."

"I hope that the provinces can really come together and make an ambitious deal," Selch said.