Should Ontario Pull a Nova Scotia and Sell Off Its $79M Stash of American Booze?

Published December 2, 2025

Nova Scotia just pulled the ultimate “when life hands you lemons… turn it into Chardonnay” moment — and honestly, the rest of Canada is watching.

The province announced it’s selling off roughly $14 million worth of American alcohol that’s been sitting in storage since the tariff drama. And here’s the feel-good twist: the estimated $4 million in profit is going straight to Feed Nova Scotia and other community food groups.

So basically:
Nova Scotia said, “Fine, we’ll drink it… but for charity.”
A very Canadian solution, really.

What’s Actually Happening?

If you’ve been missing your California Cab or Tennessee whisky, Nova Scotia is giving residents one last chance to stock up. The booze is legit, just sitting in warehouses — the kind of thing you’d find if you accidentally opened the wrong door at Costco.

Meanwhile, over in Ontario?
We’re sitting on $79.1 MILLION worth of American alcohol in LCBO storage.
Just… sitting there. Like it’s in time-out.

Ontario hasn’t announced any plans to sell it, donate it, or even crack it open for a province-wide tasting flight (which feels like a missed opportunity, honestly). All new purchases of U.S. spirits have also stopped.

Should Ontario Do the Same?

Short answer:
YES. Absolutely. Immediately. Yesterday.

Long answer:
Think of the possibilities!

Millions could go to food banks across the province.
Communities could benefit from essential programs.
And Ontarians might get access to some long-lost favourites that have been locked away like forbidden treasure at the LCBO.

Plus, let’s be real:
If Nova Scotia can pull this off, Ontario — the province with 14 million people and at least that many opinions on LCBO wait times — can surely figure out how to sell some wine and whiskey.