B.C. challenges Alberta’s ban on wine over pipeline expansion dispute
VANCOUVER — British Columbia has turned up the heat in a simmering trade dispute by launching a formal challenge against Alberta’s ban on its wines.
The B.C. government said Monday it notified Alberta that it is formally requesting consultations under the Canadian free trade agreement’s dispute settlement process.
The latest salvo is part of a increasingly bitter political tussle over the expansion of bitumen shipments through the Trans Mountain pipeline and the potential environmental consequences.
Alberta’s actions threaten the lives of families that have worked to build B.C.’s wine industry, said Trade Minister Bruce Ralston.