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Ontario and Manitoba Sign Trade Agreement, Target Alcohol Sales Reform by June 30

The provinces commit to removing trade barriers and enhancing goods and labour mobility as part of a broader national effort supported by pending federal legislation.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford, second from left, speaks to reporters with, from left to right, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston, and Quebec Premier Francois Legault, as Canada's premiers hold a press conference to close the Council of the Federation meetings in Halifax on Wed., July 17, 2024.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, left, shakes hands with Ontario Premier Doug Ford before signing a Memorandum of Understanding at Queen’s Park in Toronto on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Laura Proctor
Ontario Premier Doug Ford.

Overview

  • Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew signed a memorandum of understanding at Queen’s Park on May 14, 2025.
  • The agreement includes a pledge to finalize a bilateral deal enabling direct-to-consumer alcohol sales by June 30, 2025.
  • The MOU aims to dismantle interprovincial trade barriers, improve the flow of goods, and enhance labour mobility between the two provinces.
  • This initiative is part of a larger national push to harmonize regulations and create a seamless internal market in response to U.S.-imposed tariffs.
  • Prime Minister Mark Carney has committed to introducing federal legislation by July 1, 2025, to address remaining barriers to internal trade and labour mobility.