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The dark past of SeaWorld? Oh yes, there is certainly a dark past to this industry that, surprisingly... and very conveniently for SeaWorld... doesn't seem to be in the public eye. Is this past surprising? It shouldn't be, After all, SeaWorld is a corporation. It's Big Business. It's about the almighty $. Yet, somehow, their bad behavior and discretion has been buried. In the days of industries like Big Tobacco, having to pay the price (you may have seen their "confession" recently, which was mandated by the government... admitting to secretly and deliberately designing cigarettes to maximize addiction), SeaWorld appears to have gotten a pass, with no apologies and no confessions. Well, I say it's time to shed a bit of light on this subject. The public is ready for it. Movies such as Free Willy have certainly helped get the ball rolling (although Hollywood doesn't get a pass on this either, as I will explain in a few minutes), and then we had "Blackfish", which really pulled back the curtain, for us to see. Yes, SeaWorld has done the right thing now. No more breeding of orcas in captivity. They want us to say "Great job! Thank you, SeaWorld!". And yes, we should say that. However... let's be clear that $ was the reason... not a sense of decency. Nevertheless... they have made the move to slowly eliminate the torture of innocent, highly intelligent and social orcas through lifetime imprisonment. They've finally done the right thing, their reasons, notwithstanding. We move forward to better times for our beautiful black and white giants of the sea.But... I'm not giving them a pass by continuing to leave their dubious past in darkness. We need to know more about this, so that future legislation and sneakiness does not cause a backslide. Allow me to shed this light with a little history of the incarcerations of cetaceans. I won't go back to ancient history, as it's somewhat irrelevant right now. We are all aware of man's penchant for capturing wild animals for our enjoyment. We've always done it, and will probably continue to do it. It's man's nature. So let's focus on the relatively recent times, beginning in the 19th century.Boston Aquarial Gardens in 1859 and pairs of Beluga Whales in Barnum's American Museum in New York City museum—dolphins were first kept for paid entertainment in the Marine Studios dolphinarium founded in 1938 in St. Augustine, Florida. It was here that it was discovered that dolphins could be trained to perform tricks. So, okay... that was the 1800's. Ignorance about dolphins and whales abounded. Curiosity was the reason we captured these bright animals. We learned a tremendous amount about them, despite the fact that this was the beginning of worse things to come for our seaborne friends. But... now we know better, so we must do better, right? That wasn't to be for quite a while yet. In the 1800's there were a few places that profited off these dolphinariums. It was a curiosity and people flocked to see them. This continued as a novelty for about a hundred years, on a fairly small scale. But then... and here it comes... Hollywood played their card and changed everything. As a matter of fact, it happened the year I was born. 1963. Out came a very popular movie titled Flipper! And because of the popularity of this movie, it wasn't long before dolphin dollars grew bright in the movie executive's eyes, and out came the TV series named Flipper. I grew up on Flipper! It was awesome! Flipper the dolphin was the star. Flipper was the aquatic equivalent of Lassie and Mr. Ed. Oh, how we delighted, laughed and clapped, watching Flipper the dolphin go through his weekly adventures, always helping his human friends, and doing his famous tail-walk across the water. There was even a very popular song that some of you may remember, to start the weekly program.They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,No-one you see, is smarter than he,And we know Flipper, lives in a world full of wonder,Flying there-under, under the sea!Everyone loves the king of the sea,Ever so kind and gentle is he,Tricks he will do when children appear,And how they laugh when he's near!They call him Flipper, Flipper, faster than lightning,No-one you see, is smarter than he,And we know Flipper, lives in a world full of wonder,Flying there-under, under the sea!Yes, the Flipper theme song. We sang along. We marveled at how this fascinating fish... what? It's not a fish? Okay, whatever... We marveled at how the fish... err... animal... wait--what exactly is it, if it isn't a fish? Okay whatever... We marveled at how this fish was always smiling and laughing. Gosh, it would be great to work with this animal! So, there began the world's love of dolphins. Boy, that was one happy fish! Suddenly... dolphin dollars again lit up in the eyes of entrepreneurs across the country, and this is when the era of Dolphinariums... no, let's stick with Aquariums... began to take off! But to cash in on this craze, we need dolphins! Now the boat captains couldn't cast their nets quick enough, to capture dolphins for all the aquariums sprouting up all over the place. They couldn't shoot adult dolphins quick enough to capture the baby dolphins quick enough (those adults... they were really against being captured! We'll take em if we can get em, but if not... a rifle-shot will do, and then we can scoop up the young ones). A whole bunch of dolphins were taken by hook and by crook to fill the demand. Because... you know... Flipper! People would shell out the cash to see these remarkable animals in swimming pools. Kidnapped out of the deep blue sea, so we could watch them play volleyball with the trainers and splash us all that were brave enough to sit in the front row. Show time was fun time! What happened behind the scenes wasn't really known.But... it wasn't long before a few of us actually DID wonder how they got these animals to do all these tricks. And where did they come from? What kind of life did these animals live... in the ocean... and in the pools? Slowly, it started to become a social issue. Not a big one, but activists did begin to chip away at the social conscience. The inhumane way that these animals were captured… the murdering of entire pods and families in order to get one good one... yeah, some began to notice. In fact, these early activists did a pretty good job, under the circumstances. They did make a difference. Meanwhile, the giant among the public aquariums... SeaWorld, began to get nervous and angry. This was their main meal ticket! So they fought back. This went on for a while, and the activists made some progress, but eventually they hit the wall of corporate profits, and all the lawyers, and finally a compromise was reached. It wasn't completely satisfying for the animals rights people, but... it was something. They scored a major victory with the passing of the 1972 Marine Mammal Protection Act in the United States. This was big news! People... people who were ignorant to the real story, began to understand, and these aquarium acts began to suffer due to public opinion. Marine Mammal Protection Act had repercussions around the world as people's eyes were opened to the intelligence of these perpetually smiling creatures, as they learned that those weren't smiles of happiness. Dolphinariums and aquariums began to close all over the world. From many hundreds, we went to many dozens. But then it stopped. The many captured dolphins were released or killed, or the shows continued with less profits. This was the best that the activists could do, it seemed. People still loved to see them, but at least the worst of the collection methods were now made illegal. This made things very tough for places like Seaworld. They still needed dolphins, and... orcas! Orcas could be trained too! Namu taught us that, after being the first orca to be captured and sold for public display.So, before we go on, let's go back a bit and find out more about the introduction of orcas onto the stage and into the limelight. In fact, allow me to give you chronological history of capture events, for both orcas (Killer Whales) and dolphins, that occurred during this heyday of public aquariums, and what SeaWorld's and the other aquarium's involvement was all about:[1]1961, November ~ Marineland of the Pacific, south of Los Angeles, discovers a single orca feeding alone in nearby Newport Harbor. They corral the female Killer Whale, finally hoisting it onto a flatbed. When the orca is introduced into the tank, she smashes head-on into the wall. Frank Brocato, Marineland's head animal collector at the time, recalls: "We'd suspected the animal was in trouble because of its erratic behavior in the harbor...But the next day, she went crazy. She started swimming at high speed around the tank, striking her body repeatedly. Finally, she convulsed and died." The autopsy reveals she suffered from acute gastroenteritis and pneumonia.1962, September ~ Frank Brocato, Marineland's head animal collector, and his assistant, Boots Calandrino, bring their 40-foot collecting boat, the Geronimo, to Puget Sound, Washington, to search for another killer whale for the aquarium. After a month of searching, they found a mature male and female orca in Haro Strait, off San Juan Island. "The female, who seemed to be chasing something, headed straight for the boat. At that moment, Brocato saw a harbor porpoise cross the bow and skirt the ship...The porpoise was followed by the female orca, in hot pursuit." The two animals circled the boat, the little porpoise apparently using the boat as a shield. "'I reeled there was a good chance to use the lasso,' said Brocato, remembering he incident. 'So I put my partner out on the bowsprit and told him to watch for that porpoise... because the orca might be right behind it. And it was. He slipped on the lasso. We had her. But then everything started to go wrong.' The cow cut sharply and dived under the boat,...its last few turns caught the heavy nylon line and wound it around the propeller shaft, immobilizing the boat. ...The female ran the end of her 250-foot-long tether and surfaced at the edge of the mist. Then Brocato heard screaming high-pitched piercing cries coming from the female. ...the big male appeared out of the mist a few minutes later, and together, the two animals started swimming at great speed toward the boat. They charged several times, turning away only at the last instant but thumping the boat with a sound thwack of the flukes as they passed. ...Brocato grabbed his 375-magnum rifle and started shooting. He put one bullet into the male, who then disappeared. But it took 10 shots to kill the female. ... That night, Brocato towed the carcass to nearby Bellingham to have the animal weighed and measured. ...Brocato took the teeth as souvenirs, and the animal was rendered for dog food.1964 ~ Moby Doll, the first live orca exhibited in captivity. Harpooned as a sculptor's model, he survived for three months in a makeshift pen in Vancouver harbor. Vancouver Aquarium collectors had harpooned him off the coast of British Columbia.1965 ~ Namu is accidentally snared in a fisherman's gill net near Namu, British Columbia, Canada. Ted Griffin, the young owner of the Seattle Public Aquarium buys Namu for $8,000 cash. The bull killer whale is the first captive orca to perform for the public. Namu dies in July 1966 - 11 months later- due to an infection from polluted water in his pen.1966-early 1970s ~ Don Goldsberry and Ted Griffin develop a netting technique for capturing orcas in Puget Sound, selling the animals mostly to Sea World. By the early 1970s, Goldsberry has captured more than 200 orcas. About 30 were sent to various aquaria. The rest went to SeaWorld.1970 ~ Penn Cove, Washington, killer whale capture. 80 killer whales are corralled by the Seattle Public Aquarium's collectors. Several orcas die during the capture. Their bellies are slit and they are weighed down with steel chains. A few of these orcas wash ashore and cause public outcry against killer whale captures in Washington's waters.1970, August 8 ~ A four year-old killer whale named Tokitae was brutally taken from her mother in the Puget Sound and brought to the Miami Seaquarium where she was placed in a 35 foot wide tank and renamed 'Lolita." In the waters of the Puget Sound of Washington State, a pod of killer whales were attacked and rounded up by a group of killer whale herders, led by Ted Griffiths and Don Goldsberry. Using speedboats, an airplane and releasing explosives in the water, they forced the orcas into Penn Cove. The juvenile orcas were separated from their mothers, as the infants were prime candidates to be sold to aquariums, while the adult orcas were released and free to leave. However, the adult pod would not leave their offspring and refused to swim free, vocalizing human-like cries, until the last baby was pulled out of the water, never to return again. One adult and four infant orcas were killed during this capture. The industry, in an attempt to keep the orca deaths from the public, instructed the herders to slit open the bellies of the dead animals, fill them with rocks, and sink the creatures with anchors, hoping they would never be discovered. It is because of the large number of violent orcas captures by the marine park industry in Washington State waters, that an entire generation of orcas was eliminated, and as a result, this orca population is now considered an endangered species.One of the orca infants captured was a 4 year old named Tokitae, who was sold to the Miami Seaquarium. She arrived at the marine park on September 24, 1970, where she was renamed ‘Lolita’ and has lived there ever since. She performs tricks during her scheduled shows, and has done so for the past forty-six years. She lives in a small swimming pool.1976 ~ Washington State waters are closed to killer whale captures, in the aftermath of the notorious Budd Inlet killer whale capture of the same year. The whale roundup and capture was witnessed by Ralph Munro, an assistant to Washington State Governor Dan Evans. Munro happened to be sailing in Puget Sound at the time. He reports that SeaWorld's captors were using aircraft and explosives to herd and net the killer whales; a clear violation of the terms of their collection permit. When Washington State Governor Dan Evans learned of this, he sued SeaWorld. All of the killer whales were eventually released, and a Seattle district court ordered SeaWorld to give up its permit-granted right to collect killer whales off Washington. Washington State waters became an unofficial sanctuary for killer whales, and so far, no organization has ever again applied to capture killer whales from these waters.1976 ~ With Washington state waters off limits, SeaWorld turned to Iceland for its killer whale captures. After Puget Sound, SeaWorld did not want to be officially involved, but Don Goldsberry agreed to unofficially assist W.H. Dudok van Heel, zoological director of Holland's Dolfinarium Harderwijk, and Jon Kr. Gunnarsson, director of Saedyrasafnid, an aquarium near Reykjavik. During the fall herring season, they netted two young orcas, and airlifted them to Holland. One of these was forwarded to SeaWorld in San Diego after six months. The following October, the same consortium captured six orcas. In October 1978, Goldsberry and Gunnarson caught another five. In just two short years, SeaWorld had nine new killer whales, and at this point, reportedly dropped out of the picture.1976-1979 ~ According to Gunnarson, 21 Icelandic killer whales, mostly young ones, were sent to aquariums from 1976-79. Besides SeaWorld's nine, two each went to Dolfinarium Harderwijk, Marineland of France, Canada's Marineland, and Kamogawa SeaWorld in Japan. Single animals were sent to new aquariums in Hong Kong and Switzerland.1980 ~ Hardy Jones captures on film Japan's dolphin drive fishery. It is broadcast worldwide and international outrage brings an end to these drives for a few years.Mid-1980′s ~ The drive fisheries start up again, but with a new twist. The fishermen drive in false killer whales and dolphins as before, but now they set aside the most beautiful ones for sale to aquariums and to the U.S. Navy and then slaughter the rest.1989 ~ The last capture of killer whales in Iceland's waters (four orcas caught).1993 ~ Marine World Africa USA of California is challenged by animal protection groups over the park's import permit for false killer whales from Japan. They cite the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, which requires documentation that the marine mammal captures were humanely conducted. The National Marine Fisheries Service denies Marine World's import permit for Japanese-caught false killer whales because, in essence, the park violates the terms of its own import application, and had no observers present to document that the capture was humane. (Letter from NMFS Acting Administrator of Fisheries, Nancy Foster, to Michael D. Demetrios, President of Marine World Africa USA, dated May 7, 1993):"Your application described a seine-net capture method to collect animals swimming past the coastal bays and inlets of the Taiji area. ...The actual location of the capture (Iki Island) and the actual capture method (drive fishery) are not those described in your application. ...You ...also stated that no one associated with Marine World Africa USA was present during the capture of these animals" and thus don't "have the firsthand knowledge necessary to conclude that the capture operation was `humane' and conducted in a manner consistent with that described in your application."Many public aquaria and marine theme parks as well as the U.S. Navy had already acquired dolphins and false killer whales from Japan's drive fishery.July 16, 1993 ~ The movie "Free Willy" is released. Public awareness begins its most recent groundswell regarding the inhumanity of captive performing cetaceans.1996, October 17 ~ Futo, Japan"During October 1996 fishermen and others chased into Futo Fishing Port, on Shizuoka Prefecture's Izu Peninsula, over 200 bottlenose dolphins, a number over three times the allotted quota, and about 50 false killer whales, for which there was no quota at all, and began selling them to aquariums, in addition to slaughtering and butchering [them] for sale as meat. ...Ten aquariums in Shizuoka Prefecture and nearby prefectures were involved in this capture, but only six of those facilities actually received dolphins; ... The order in which aquariums chose dolphins on this occasion was apparently decided by drawing lots, ...the surrounded dolphins were of course in a state of panic, and gradually sustain more injuries in their quest for an escape route because they crash themselves into boat hulls and the wall, become entangled in nets, and scrape their underbellies on the rocky bottom in shallows. Dolphins also collide forcefully with one another as they flee about. ...Because many aquariums were involved, and because they all wanted uninjured females from 1.5 to 2 meters in length, those appearing to be the best were chased around the harbor many times. Owing to this repeated chasing and surrounding with nets, as well as the panic it caused, many dolphins were exhausted and sank to the harbor bottom." Because they had caught more than their permitted quota, the fishermen were required to release 100 of the bottlenose dolphins they had captured. On October 22 and 23, the Futo Branch of the Ito City Fishing Cooperative sold 26 bottlenose dolphins and six false killer whales to aquariums. The aquariums were forced to release these six false killer whales, as there had been no permit to capture them." (The above is from "A Report on the 1996 Dolphin-Catch- Quote Violation at Futo Fishing Harbor," by Sakae Hemmi,Elsa Nature Conservancy, Institute for Environmental Science and Culture.")February 7, 1997 ~ Taiji, JapanJapanese fishermen capture a pod of killer whales. In all, ten killer whales are rounded up and driven into the shallow water bays of Taiji. Five whales are taken to Japanese marine parks. To date, two of these killer whales have died, a female and her calf. Japanese and international animal groups continue to press for the release of the remaining three killer whales.July 16, 1997 ~ SeaWorld Inc. is issued public display import permit for one adult beluga whale from Vancouver Aquarium.August 14, 1997 ~ Dallas World Aquarium, Inc., has applied to import four Amazon River Dolphins from Venezuela, according to the Federal Register. However, it states: "The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has included the species in the 1996 IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals under the category `vulnerable,' i.e., taxa believed likely to move into the endangered category in the near future if causal factors continue operating. population data concerning Inia geoffrensis in Venezuela is limited and the application states that no census has been taken of the subject wild population/stock. Therefore, NMFS has concerns about the status and conservation of the dolphins in the Orinoco river system and the potential impacts of the permanent removal of four sub-adults from this population/stock. Additionally, NMFS is concerned that holding this species in captivity may involved a significant risk to the health and welfare of the animals held. Historically, study results conclude that due to a number of factors this species has fared poorly in captivity in the United States, with an average longevity of 32.6 months for the 35 animals for which data was available." (Source: U.S. Federal Register, August 14, 1997)2013 ~ The movie "Blackfish" is released, enraging a new generation, regarding orca captivity.2013 ~ Some scientists suggest that the "unusually high" intelligence of dolphins means that they should be recognized as "non-human persons". In 2013, the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forests prohibited the captivity of dolphins on these grounds, finding it "morally unacceptable to keep them captive for entertainment purpose".2015 ~ The House of Commons of Canada passed Bill S-203, Ending the Captivity of Whales and Dolphins Act, and sent it to the Senate of Canada. Two facilities would be affected, Marineland of Canada and the Vancouver Aquarium. In 2018, Progressive Conservatives in the Senate were accused of using procedural obstruction to keep the bill from moving to a vote. In June 2018, such senators added amendments intended to exclude Marineland and the Vancouver Aquarium from being covered by the bill. After three years, the eventual outcome is not yet known in October 2018.That brings us up to the present, and the fight continues. SeaWorld has gotten on board, as public pressure was too intense and they were losing money. Ending the captive breeding of orcas will also be a tremendous blow to their profits, but it was the lesser of two evils, as far as potential profits were concerned.Meanwhile:[2]Lolita’s tank is the size of a hotel swimming pool. Lolita is the oldest living killer whale in captivity, in the smallest orca tank in the country.[2]It is now known that killer whales are incredibly intelligent, sentient and social creatures. Resident killer whales from the Pacific Northwest, which Lolita is classified as, stay with their mothers their entire lives. Lolita's mother, known as L25, is still alive today at approxinaltey 90 years old, and is photographed regularty by scientists and conservation organizations. Lolita currently lives alone with no other killer whale companions. When not performing in her show, Lolita floats listlessly in her tank. In the wild, killer whales swim hundreds of miles a day, diving as deep as 500 feet. In her tank, she swims in circles inside the 35 foot wide area and can only go as deep as 20 feet, in a small area in the center of the tank.For information on Lolita, her proposed release plan and how to get involved, please contact the Orca Network at:[email protected] Lolita | Raising Awareness for Lolita the OrcaIf you’re interested, there is a bit more information here: Stefan Pociask's answer to What animal would you ban from zoos?If nothing else, this all is proof that activism does work. Don’t be disheartened by slow progress. If nobody cared enough to join with the small voices, we would never hear them turn into big voices, and wonderful creatures like orcas, whales and dolphins would be in a far darker place with no hope for their future. Don’t be afraid to spread the word and get involved. It works.If you’d like to know how the movie star Flipper the dolphin died (her real name was Suzy), it’s right here. It would be hard to believe if it wasn’t coming right from the actual, and regretful, trainer who worked with her all those years: Dying to make us happy: The bloody truth behind the dolphinariumPLEASE RESHARE AND ASK OTHERS TO, AS WELL. VISIT THE LINKS. YOU REALLY CAN HELP.CITATIONS:[1] PBS Frontline Other Captive Orcas - Historical Chronology[2] Save Lolita | Raising Awareness for Lolita the Orca*** Feel free to contact SaveLolita.org to see how you can help.

Can a person freely paddle a kayak or a small boat around Manhattan any time they feel like it?First, are random people allowed to kayak around Manhattan? Yes, they are. Technically, in New York City you are supposed to have a permit issued by the Parks Department.Kayak, Canoe, and Boat Launch Application Rules and Recommendations : NYC ParksBut in the 20 years or so that I have put in around NYC no one has ever asked me for the permit.Also technically you’re supposed to only launch at authorized locations.New York City Water Trail AssociationNow this I have had someone question. I had a park ranger at Floyd Bennett field tell me to put my boat back on the car and go to an official launch spot.But the more important question is can a random person physically kayak around Manhattan any time they feel like it. The answer is no, absolutely not, especially if you mean literally “around” Manhattan.Manhattan’s waters have the triple threat of heavy currents, heavy tides and heavy boat traffic. Add onto that a long fetch on the entire west side of Manhattan and you have challenging and potentially very dangerous conditions.It is only feasible to circumnavigate Manhattan in a human-powered boat at very particular times in the tide and current. Kayak clubs in the city plan well in advance for any circumnavigation as a result. There are often current conditions and locations in which a human-powered vessel actually can’t make any forward progress and will, indeed be swept backwards. Probably not literally “out to sea” as it’s a long way from Manhattan to open ocean but being swept “downstream” would mean being pushed out into the open harbor and “upstream” means into the vast Hudson or the difficult stretch of Spuyten Duyvil.If you just mean paddle around in the waters surrounding Manhattan I can’t recommend it for a casual paddler. There are some areas that are somewhat protected but in general they are very small and a few yards of incautious paddling can bring you into the path of a speeding ferry that can’t even see you or some other potentially fatal hazard.In general, the waters of NYC are like that: everything is a few yards from something that is out of the safety zone for casual paddlers. Jamaica Bay is probably the least hazardous area but you still have to keep an eye out for garbage barges and crazy power boaters.While I am the first person to extol the virtues of solo kayaking, for most Manhattan paddling I would definitely recommend finding a local club unless you’re experienced and well equipped (including marine radios) and even then only in a team that is well-versed in self-rescues.

Liquor store in Canada are government operated in most provinces. There is almost no inter-province trade Permitted from British Colombia to the Atlantic provinces, much less to Newfoundland Province .For yet another year, France was awarded the most Best in Show medals, receiving a total of 12 medals for wines from Bordeaux, Champagne, Alsace, Burgundy, Provence and the Loire. Italy claimed second place, receiving eight medals for this prestigious accolade followed by Australia with six Best in Show wins. Close behind, Portugal received five and Spain four.USAAlpha Omega, ERA, Napa Valley, California, USA 2017Domaine Serene, Mark Bradford Vineyard Pinot Noir, Dundee Hills, Oregon, USA 2016Trefethen, Cabernet Sauvignon, Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley, California, USA 2017ArgentinaColomé, Lote Especial Tannat, Calchaquíes, Salta, Argentina 2018One of the more surprising countries to prove itself among the top tier of wine producing countries was Moldova, winning two Best in Show medals. Other unexpected wins came from Switzerland, Hungary and Slovenia, each winning a place in the top 50 for sweet white wines.Interprovincial trade barriers are choking Canada’s burgeoning wine, beer and spirits industry: it’s time for ministers to act…!Canada is home to world class wine, beer and spirit producers, yet due to antiquated interprovincial trade measures, they are prohibited from selling to the vast majority of Canadian consumers. Ontario vineyards, for example, are free to sell their goods overseas, but are legally prohibited to directly sell to consumers in neighbouring Manitoba.CROWN ROYAL/ NORTHERN HARVEST RYE 2016 Best in the worldCrown Royal Northern Harvest Rye combines the distinctive flavor of Canadian rye grain with the unmistakable smoothness of Crown Royal for a truly exceptional Canadian whisky.Crown Royal Northern Harvest Rye is the first Canadian Whisky to earn World Whisky of the Year in Jim Murray’s Annual Whisky Bible 2016.The Crown Royal property stretches over 360 scenic acres with 51 warehouses (which house more barrels of whisky than there are people in Manitoba) and one stillhouse (which serves as a landmark from the lake so fisherman can return safely to harbor). The distillery employs roughly 76 people who distill, mature, blend and run Crown Royal’s 24 hours a day, 7 days a week operation – oftentimes following in the footsteps of generations of family members who made Crown Royal before them. They’re passionate in the craft of whisky-making and they’re proud to share the smoothest, finest Canadian whisky adorers have come to know and love since 1939.According to the Canadian Vintners Association, small wineries in the United States generate up to four times more revenue than their Canadian counterparts as a result of the allowance of direct-to-consumer selling of alcohol. By cutting small businesses off from accessing lucrative markets – within our own country – policy-makers block channels for growth which impacts consumers, the economy and business competitiveness.Only that powerful interaction of vineyard-specific soil, climate and human touch could be responsible for making such indelible wines.Though the DRC has been co-owned by the Aubert de Villaine family since 1912, Aubert de Villaine grew up around cattle, not grapes. He later spent time in the States working for a wine importer and, once back in France, was partly responsible for putting Napa Valley wines on the world’s radar as one of the judges at the 1976 Judgment of Paris tasting. Having become the domaine’s co-director in 1974, Villaine was responsible for the ’79 La Tâche that Daniels so vividly recalls. Humble as he is, Villaine takes a pass on the credit. “Our efforts are aimed at making wines that reflect their specific terroir, whether it’s Romanée-Conti, Échézeaux or Montrachet. The most important factor is always respecting the mysterious alchemy that constitutes a terroir.”His success has made him a leader for vintners throughout Burgundy and beyond. Beyond, in his case, extends to the New World, where he’s partnered with winegrower Larry Hyde (his wife’s cousin) in the Hyde de Villaine vineyards, in the town of Napa. In such sites, where cool winds from San Francisco Bay offer a distinct advantage,OTTAWA, April 9, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade, highlighted plans to eliminate the only remaining federal barrier to trade in alcoholic beverages within Canada, taking the first step to give Canadians better access to Canadian products without restrictions.For too long, Canadians have been frustrated by the restrictions on the sale of Canadian beer, wine and spirits between provinces and territories. The proposed legislative amendments would remove the only remaining federal barrier to trade in alcohol, and the onus will be on provincial and territorial governments to change their own regulations, paving the way for direct-to-consumer alcohol sales from across Canada. Removing barriers to trade between provinces and territories fosters economic growth, reduces the regulatory burden on our small and medium-sized businesses, and creates good, middle-class jobs across the country."‑ The Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal TradeCanadian consumers don’t like this so-called protection either, for alcohol or for any other goods: A recent poll found three out of four Canadians agree we should be allowed to bring any amount of beer or wine across provincial or territorial borders, while 87 per cent think we should be able to order any legal product from anywhere in the country.Increasing trade is good for both consumers and business. Nova Scotia, British Columbia and Manitoba have already allowed direct-to-consumer delivery of wine within their own provinces, while also seeing significant growth of their local industries. Sales of Canadian wine in Nova Scotia have since grown by 88 per cent, B.C. by 17 per cent and Manitoba by 24 per cent giving producers a new means to meet the demands of their consumers. (And, simultaneously, offering provincial governments a meaningful increase in tax revenues.).On April 9, 2019, almost a year after the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision, the Minister of Intergovernmental and Northern Affairs and Internal Trade highlighted plans to eliminate the remaining federal barrier to trade in alcoholic beverages within Canada.[1] As outlined in the 2019 federal budget and Bill C-97, the Government of Canada has introduced legislation which will remove the federal requirement that alcohol moving from one province to another go through a provincial liquor authority.This federal requirement is contained in the Importation of Intoxicating Liquors Act (the “Act”), which will now be amended to limit its application to the importation of intoxicating liquors into Canada, rather than into and throughout (i.e., inter-provincially) Canada.Once these changes enter into force, the Government of Canada will have lifted all federal impediments to alcohol moving across borders within Canada. The only remaining barriers fall under provincial and territorial jurisdiction. As a result, it will be up to the provinces and territories to amend their own laws in order to allow the free movement of alcohol, including direct-to-consumer shipping across Canada.Due to the minimum alcohol pricing introduced by the Canadian government, the country has avoided any havoc caused to provincial government budgets. However, there is a huge variation across Canada in the way minimum prices are set. To complicate the liquor business it is very difficult to sell or wholesale as a distributor across the province border alcohol from another province. If you do not have all the permits the truck will be seized. There are no free trade liquor agreement within Canada Province making trade almost impossible any inter province trade. Also you can import liquor from the USA, but the taxes are as high as the US cost if not more. The liquor business in Canada is a State-Province monopoly that controls all the high taxes to each province advantage. Between Quebec SAQ monopoly Societe des Alcohols du Quebec and the Ontario Liquor board the price difference is rarely above 15% .The same applies to New Brunswick versus Quebec. New Brunswick versus Nova Scotia. Every province holds a very strong Tax unflexible monopoly on alcohol. My comments will exclude the beer business as there is lots of production in many Provinces.Wine Production in Canada: Very strong in British Colombia and Strong in Ontario. Some ciders in Quebec.OFFICIAL WINE REGIONS (GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS):Okanagan ValleySimilkameen ValleyFraser ValleyVancouver IslandGulf IslandsThompson ValleyShuswapLillooetKootenaysOFFICIAL SUB REGIONSGolden Mile BenchOkanagan FallsNaramata BenchSkaha BenchCowichan ValleyNUMBER OF VINEYARDS:929 vineyards with more than 10,260 acres of planted land(wineries and independent growers)RATIO OF WHITE TO RED: 49% to 51%THE BC WINE INDUSTRY CONTRIBUTES $2.8 BILLION ANNUALLY TO BRITISH COLUMBIA’S ECONOMY.Each year, BC’s wineries welcome more than 1,000,000 visitors.BC VQA Wine continues to be the second-best selling category in BC, with greater than 19% of the market (litre sales), behind only British Columbia non-VQA wine (i.e. includes 100% BC wines, and International Blend from Imported and Domestic Wines).NUMBER OF WINERIES:280 licensed grape wine wineries in British Columbia (total 370 licensed wineries)178 are members of the BCWIBCWI membership represents 94% of BC VQA Wine sales in British ColumbiaThe sad realty is for quality there wines are in Canada way more expensive than the California, French, Spanish, Italian, Portugal, Chili and Argentina first class winesThe other reality is than there almost not available in Canada other provinces without a special case of 12 bottles order.They needed a mechanism to control sales and distribution. Thus, one by one, each provincial government set up its own liquor board and required that all retail transactions take place through it. This gave each board remarkable power as the sole customer for producers and their sales agents and, simultaneously, the sole retailer to consumers.Only the province of Alberta has abandoned government-run stores in favour of the private sector. Despite the resulting increases in tax revenue there, other provinces are reluctant to follow suit.Governance of beverage alcohol in Canada has a complex history that involves every province and territory. Even though they have sole authority over distribution and sales through their various control boards, it is the federal government that is responsible for all aspects of its manufacture.EXPLAINING CANADA’S COMPLEX LIQUOR LAWSOffer expert advice and tastingsThe type of liquor store you operate will depend on the demographics of thearea,and the kind of regulars that come to your store. If you’re based in a city or an affluent area, then consider stocking high-end wine or specialist spirits on your shelves.The Canadian confederation of 10 provinces and three territories, 13 different bodies are responsible for regulating sales and distribution of alcoholic beverages. The rulebooks can be long, convoluted and difficult to interpret, and enforcement is decidedly inconsistent.In most provinces there are government-owned stores that have a monopoly to sell spirits and in some provinces The Beer and wine is sold by the government distributing agency.The province you desire to operate a liquor store will dictate who your competition is. For example, four years ago, the state of Ontario allowed beer to be sold in hundreds of grocery stores; whereas in Nova Scotia, beer, wine and spirits are only sold at provincially-owned liquor-store outlets.The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO) operates what it calls a ‘consignment warehouse’. Sales agents may instruct LCBO to order products that are not regular LCBO stock items, which are delivered by the producer directly to the consignment warehouse.The agent, working as a go-between, is free to take orders from restaurants, bars, and theoretically from individuals. The LCBO consignment warehouse then releases the product to the agent for delivery to the customer.In Quebec the SAQ government sales and distribution controls 99% of the sales. Only liquor imported from a travel is out of control of the SAQ:On tthe Pacific area British Columbia is slightly different. There, a hybrid system operates with government stores, (called BC Liquors) and private retailers working side by side. Restaurants, particularly, benefit by serving wines that are not generally available elsewhere. They source these from private stores. SMWS whiskies are not stocked in government stores, so are purchased privately by ‘SMWS partner bars’ via the government Liquor Distribution Branch.Private stores and restaurants must purchase all of their stock at a premium through the government monopoly British Columbia Liquor Distribution Branch (BCLDB). Private stores succeed because they offer longer hours of operation than the government stores, and a much better selection.Quebec is a government big controlled monopoly. Beer and cheep wine is sold in most grocery storesHowever they have over 5,000 high priced wines from all over the world. Spirits and whiskey are present at the government controlled price witch is about 50% more than the USA prices due to the high liquor taxes. This is a monopoly on prices and distribution.New BrunswickIn New Brunswick they control the beer , wine and spirits salesCBC.caThey don't seem to follow any rules': Report into NB Liquor could shed light on many que1-Explaining Canada’s complex liquor laws | Scotch Whisky2-How to Run a Liquor Store3-how alcohol is sold in different Canadian provinces.4-Price will increase on more than 1,800 SAQ products on Sunday5-https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/nb-liquor-fiscal-year-1.51507986-BC Wine Industry Quick Facts | Wine BC Indistry9-Access to Interprovincial Trade in Alcohol Improving – Perley-Robertson, Hill & McDougall LLP/s.r.l10-Canada acts to eliminate barriers to interprovincial trade in alcohol11-Opinion: Interprovincial trade barriers are choking Canada’s burgeoning wine, beer and spirits industry: it’s time for ministers to act12-Best in Show: The top 50 wines of DWWA 2020 - Decanter14-From Cabernet to Rosé: The 16 Best Wines