Saskatchewan has lifted personal limits on the amount of alcohol residents can bring into the province.
Trade and Export Development Minister Jeremy Harrison said the change is effective immediately.
“Our government is committed to the removal of unnecessary trade barriers to allow the free flow of goods between provinces for the benefit of industry and consumers,” Harrison said Tuesday in a statement.
“This change will mean Saskatchewan residents can bring beverage alcohol home with them from another province or territory in Canada for their own personal use without restrictions.”
People buying alcohol from other provinces and bringing it into Saskatchewan has been happening for years, Harrison said.
“The Alberta border’s an hour away from where I live. I would suspect that you would find most citizens didn’t even know there was a restriction on personal importation limits already,” he said.
“We actually have tried to find the last prosecution for over-limit importation and we can’t actually find one.”
Previously, Saskatchewan residents could bring in nine litres of wine, three litres of spirits and just under 25 litres of beer, coolers or a combination of the two.
Saskatchewan joins Alberta, Manitoba, and Nova Scotia as provinces with no limits on the volume of alcohol that can be brought into a province for personal use.
WATCH (April 2019): Ottawa to allow more movement of alcohol across provincial borders
Canadian premiers agreed in principle last year to reduce trade barriers regarding the transportation of alcohol across provincial and territorial borders.
The Canadian government introduced legislation in April that, if passed, would remove the federal requirement that alcohol moving from one province to another go through a provincial liquor authority.
The change in Saskatchewan does not affect the duty-free allowance limit for bringing alcohol back from another country, which is set by the federal government.
– With files from the Canadian Press
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