Nine provinces agree to allow direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across borders

What happened

• Nine provinces (Ontario, British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador) signed an agreement allowing direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales of alcoholic beverages between participating jurisdictions for personal use.
• The release says the agreement goes into effect immediately for the signatories.

What changed for Ontario consumers and producers

• Producers in participating provinces can seek authorization from the LCBO to sell and ship alcohol directly to consumers in Ontario.
• Consumers in the participating provinces can buy directly from producers located in other participating provinces.
• Before this agreement, Ontario consumers could mainly buy out-of-province alcohol only if listed by the LCBO, ordered through the LCBO’s Private Ordering Program, or purchased and transported personally.

By the numbers and timeline

• The release cites an estimated $200 billion in unrealized economic growth that the agreement aims to help unlock within Canada.
• British Columbia committed to have a DTC system in place for all alcohol types by February 2027.

Why it matters

• The change expands consumer choice and convenience and opens new domestic markets for Canadian alcohol producers (breweries, wineries, distilleries).
• The agreement builds on earlier pacts (including an Ontario–Nova Scotia agreement) and Ontario’s 2025 law that created a DTC framework.