Quebecers buying BC wine to show support amidst west coast pipeline dispute

Quebecers are showing their solidarity with British Columbia by purchasing the province’s wine after Alberta Premier Rachel Notley announced that her province will halt any BC wine imports.

The move comes following a dispute between BC and Alberta that began with the BC government announcing restrictions on bitumen transports – a decision that would stall the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline expansion.

In response, Notely announced Alberta would be halting BC wine imports.

Now, Quebec environmental activists and those siding with BC are showing their support for the West Coast on social media with the hashtag #QCLovesBCWine.

The movement was started by Anne Celine Guyon who posted this picture on her Twitter account on February 7.

Défi : ACHETER du vin du CB et prenez vous en photo. Ajoutez la photo sur twitter en utilisant les hashtag #QClovesBCwine #QCaimeLeVinCB ET TOUJOURS ASSOCIÉ À #StopKM @patbonin @Ch_Simard @Karelmayrand @s_guilbeault @SidneyRibaux pic.twitter.com/rHSWNfRMuj

— Anne-Céline Guyon (@acguyon) February 7, 2018

“Challenge: BUY BC wine and take a picture of yourself. Add the picture on Twitter using the hashtag # QClovesBCwine # QCaimeLeVinCB,” she wrote in her tweet.

The movement has since caught on with other Quebecers.

In Montreal and Quebec City, people went to the SAQ to support BC wines & affirm their solidarity to the opposition to Kinder Morgan, and to Indigenous leaders asserting their rights and defending our climate #QClovesBCwine #QCaimeLeVinCB #toastthecoast #PinotNotPipelines pic.twitter.com/87c9bICL3A

— Aurore Fauret (@uneaurore) February 7, 2018

🏔🍇> Alberta boycotts British-Columbia wine in reaction to BC opposition to Trans Mountain #KinderMorgan pipeline 🚫>> Équiterre raises its glass in solidarity!🍷Do the same #PinotNotPipelines #ToastTheCoast #QcLovesBCWine #QCaimeleVinBC #StopKM #polcan pic.twitter.com/aJN69ioicV

— Équiterre ONG (@equiterre) February 7, 2018

The #BCWine industry has my full support, sipping #SeeYaLaterKM with hints of climate responsibility and diverse economic flavors🍷
#CdnPoli #ToastTheCoast #SauvOurCoast #BoycottABWhine #Pipewhine #PinotNotPipelines #TheAnswerIsStillNo #QClovesBCwine #bcpoli #DontMessWithTheWine pic.twitter.com/layI1uQ4db

— Anna Gerrard (@_AnnaGerrard) February 8, 2018

Any BC wine to recommend? East = party animals, not fans of pipelines. 🤓😬 #QClovesBCwine #winenotoil

— Élyse Caron-Beaudoin (@ElyseCaronB) February 7, 2018

Hey @jjhorgan, how about a trade mission, apparently #QCLovesBCWine. Merci mes amis!

— mpkirkland🇱🇸 (@mpkirkland) February 8, 2018

Supporting BC’s unfairly targeted wine industry is great, but what’s better is supporting the Tsleil-Waututh Nation sacred trust initiative to #stopKM: https://t.co/1SoOJcaaUc Cheers from Québec 🙌🍷 #QCLovesBCWine #ToastTheCoast #PinotNotPipelines #cdnpoli pic.twitter.com/CObP2KciUm

— Sarah El (@sarah_el6) February 8, 2018

Following Alberta Premier Rachel Notley’s BC wine boycott announcement, the hashtag #PinotnotPipelines also began trending as many poured a glass to toast their support for the West Coast.

Notley has called on Trudeau and the federal government to intervene in the conflict.

“The wine industry is important to BC,” Notley said on Twitter. “Not nearly as important as [the] energy industry is to Alberta and Canada, but important nonetheless.”

Notley estimated that roughly $70 million per year in sales is paid to BC wineries from Alberta.

“This is one good step to waking BC up to the fact they can’t attack our industry without a response from us,” tweeted Notley.

With files from Eric Zimmer

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