Prime Minister Mark Carney has asked provincial premiers to return U.S. alcohol to store shelves as a sign of good faith, but local business owners and consumers say some may have already moved on. Andrew Ferguson, owner of Kensington Wine Market in Calgary, said sales might pick up marginally. “On the one hand, it’s easy to put things back on the shelf in other provinces. Are they going to sell the way they did before? I think that’s unlikely,” Ferguson said. Ferguson added that American products have been in his store for months, but trying to sell them remains a challenge. “We’re still finding American wines of a bit of a hard sell,” he said. “I think some people have moved on. I mean, people have looked for alternatives. And I think we’ve seen a huge increase in people looking at Canadian wines differently that maybe weren’t giving them as much attention or time.” Alberta and Saskatchewan lifted their U.S. booze bans previously. Alberta lifted it following a three month pause in June 2025, though many stores have still decided against carrying our southern neighbour’s product. Give and take: expert Drew Fagan, a professor at the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, said Canada needs to concede in some places for a trade deal to be reached. “There’s no question that for a deal to be done, this has to be given up,” he said. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew urged Canadians to leave American products on the shelf. “If we put the booze back on the shelves, don’t buy it,” Kinew told reporters on Thursday. “Let it sit.” According to Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis, Alberta recorded $294 million in wholesale U.S. liquor sales between April 1, 2024 and the end of March 2025. That number dropped to $201 million the following fiscal year. Between April 1 and the end of July, 2026, $75 million worth of American booze has been sold in the province. As for Americans visiting Calgary, many say they understand the Canadian sentiment toward U.S. goods. “My Canadian friends and colleagues are not going to go back to purchasing American products,” said Fidel, one U.S. visitor. “In fact, I can’t get any of my Canadian friends to even visit me in the States right now.” Stori Bartle, a visitor from North Carolina, says she has noticed a visible absence of U.S. brands on display. “There’s a dearth of American products on the shelves,” Bartle said. “I see the signs everywhere to encourage people to buy Canadian products. I think it’s understandable. And it’s a smart reality that sends a signal.”
