American alcohol has temporarily returned to the shelves of some Manitoba Liquor Marts after the products were warehoused for months amid the trade war with the United States.
Dozens lined up outside the Madison Square Liquor Mart in Winnipeg near Polo Park on Wednesday ahead of opening.
The store is one of seven in Winnipeg where U.S.-made alcohol products will be back for sale to the public from Wednesday until Dec. 24.
Five more stores, in Brandon, Dauphin, Thompson, Steinbach and Portage la Prairie, will also sell American liquor ahead of Christmas, the province previously said.
Manitoba yanked millions of dollars worth of U.S.-made alcohol earlier this year in retaliation for U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to levy tariffs on Canadian goods that aren’t compliant with the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement.
The province started a temporary lift on the cross-border booze ban, beginning with selling to private retailers, restaurants, lounges and other businesses, on Monday.
The government planned to sell about $1 million worth of American liquor, but Premier Wab Kinew said about $1.9 million was snapped up within the first four hours.
Proceeds from the sales will go to charities, including the Winnipeg Cheer Board, Brandon Cheer Board and organizations in Thompson, Kinew has said.
John Creelman spent more than $1,500 at the Madison Square Liquor Mart on Wednesday on alcohol for his family and three others.
While he wanted to restock on U.S. products ahead of the holidays, including California wine, Creelman said he was motivated to buy them because revenue is going to charities.
“That was a big instigator,” he said. “Any time they can do better to support charities and local food banks … it’s a great way to bring Manitobans together.”
Carol Ryrei lined up to buy American alcohol on Wednesday for a similar reason.
“The proceed are going to charity.… There was absolutely no way we would be putting a cent into the American economy otherwise,” she said. “I would be willing to go without it for the next 10 years.”
Manitoba is following the steps of Nova Scotia, which also began temporarily selling its remaining $14-million inventory of U.S. booze last week, with net profits of about $4 million going to Feed Nova Scotia and other community groups.
Manitoba’s ban on American booze only applies to products made in the U.S., not to U.S.-based brands, such as Budweiser, that are brewed in Canada.
