Kelowna Chamber calls for immediate changes to regulations restricting BC craft distillery sales [Video]

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has sent a letter urging BC’s Solicitor General to makes changes to regulations governing the sale of BC craft spirits.

“The time is now,” said Maryse Harvey, president of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce. “We are facing unprecedented challenges with our neighbours.”

In the letter, the chamber stated, “the tariffs issue, combined with renewed emphasis on reducing barriers to interprovincial trade, have once again brought this issue to the surface.”

According to the chamber, most distilleries in B.C. are small and are struggling to compete against larger non-B.C. based distilleries that overwhelm the market.

“Now is the time to really ensure that we remove all the barriers to our economy,” Harvey told Global News. “We want to see some changes made.  We feel the time is now. We need to move forward with those changes.”

Okanagan Spirits Craft Distillery welcomed the chamber’s support.

“We are super happy to see the Kelowna Chamber reach …