New Edmonton liquor store exploring alternative suppliers amid U.S. trade war

A new liquor store in Southwest Edmonton’s Windermere neighborhood opened its doors on Wednesday. Willow Park Wine and Spirits celebrated the grand opening of its first location in the city.

Customers eagerly lined up to be the first to walk through the doors, with many carefully selecting their liquor while keeping an eye on the latest developments in the U.S.-Canada trade war.

“Oh, it’s terrible, it’s like kids fighting,” said one customer at Willow Park Wine and Spirits.

Back in March, Alberta stopped importing American liquor in retaliation to U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff threats. While Willow Park Wine and Spirits stocks Kentucky bourbon on its shelves, they know that supply is limited.

“It’s been a very interesting three months,” said Peter Smolarz, director of fine wine and purchasing at Willow Park Wines & Spirits. “Every morning, we’ve had to readjust and make decisions.”

The purchasing director hopes the dispute will be resolved quickly, stating that maintaining a broad supply is important for the brand. He added that they are exploring more Canadian options and hope the trade war will lead to changes at home with interprovincial trade barriers.

“It’s another avenue for us here in Alberta to grow our economy, and hopefully, spread things around from coast to coast,” said Smolarz.

Shoppers at Willow Park Wines & Spirits say they’re glad Canadian producers are getting more attention due to the push to buy local.

“Canadians, you know, they’ve got just as many products as the U.S.,” said one customer at Willow Park Wines & Spirits.

“Now that we’re not looking south, it’s much easier to seek out opportunities that we might not have considered earlier,” said another customer at Willow Park Wines & Spirits.