Nova Scotians who have been missing their favourite California Cabernet or Tennessee whisky will soon be able to buy them again.
The provincial government says it will sell off its remaining stock of U.S. alcohol, which is worth about $14 million.
According to a news release, the net profits — around $4 million — will be donated to Feed Nova Scotia and other local food organizations.
Nova Scotia originally pulled all U.S. alcohol from NSLC shelves on March 4 after President Donald Trump imposed tariffs. Premier Tim Houston said the province will not order any more American products once the current supply is gone.
Just last month, the province told CBC News it did not plan to sell its stockpile. But after a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Houston said the government has stayed in touch with negotiators working on the trade dispute.
He said removing American alcohol from shelves across Canada has been a “thorny issue,” and for a while, officials suggested keeping the stock stored in case it helped at the bargaining table.
“Recently, things have changed, and when we asked again, they told us to make the best decision for our province,” Houston said. “We’ve just been trying to be good members of Team Canada.”
Most of the remaining products are wine and spirits like whisky. They will be available at NSLC stores across the province starting Monday, and the government expects it will take a few months to sell everything.
Once the products are sold and expenses are covered, about $4 million will go back to the province. That money will then be donated to Feed Nova Scotia and other groups that help provide food in communities.
The release also noted that several other provinces and territories — including New Brunswick, British Columbia, and the Yukon — have already sold off their remaining American alcohol.
