A winery in Summerland, B.C., is done waiting for change — and it’s taking bold action to prove it.
Lightning Rock Winery has announced it will begin shipping directly to Ontario customers, even though current policies still make interprovincial wine shipping murky and limited. The move comes on the heels of a Memorandum of Understanding signed by British Columbia and Ontario to improve direct-to-consumer shipping.
But with no clear plan in place — and no action expected until at least 2026 — Lightning Rock says it’s time to act.
“We decided we are not going to operate in the grey area anymore,” said owner Ron Kubek. “We announced on Sept. 1 that we’re now shipping to Ontario.”
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The winery has launched a three-week marketing campaign targeting Ontario wine lovers, highlighting its award-winning B.C. wines and calling for fairness in cross-border access. “British Columbians can already order Ontario wines,” Kubek said. “Why can’t we make it the same way legally?”
That imbalance is frustrating for many in the industry. Jeff Guignard, CEO of Wine Growers British Columbia, says the current system stacks the deck against B.C. producers.
“In B.C., wineries like Lightning Rock pay a whole bunch of back-end markups to the government for wine they produce here. The logic is, when you send it over to Ontario, you shouldn’t have to pay all those markups and taxes again as though the wine was produced there.”
By pushing ahead with Ontario shipping now, Lightning Rock hopes to set a precedent — and pressure governments to speed up change.
“Premier Eby, pick up the phone and call Premier Ford,” Kubek said. “We don’t need to delay. Ontario wineries can advertise here — B.C. wineries should be able to advertise there.”
For Guignard, the move signals a growing impatience within the wine community.
“A lot of small wineries trying to build their customer base across the country simply can’t wait for government action on this,” he said. “You’ll probably see more people step up to the plate and take the lead.”
For Lightning Rock, the decision isn’t just about principles — it’s about potential. Kubek estimates Ontario sales could bring in between $100,000 and $300,000 a year. “For a small 3,200-case winery like us, that’s huge.”
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