Okanagan wineries eligible for $177 million in federal funding

Feds offer wineries funds

Photo: WineBC

The federal government is offering $177 million over the next three years to support wineries across the country.

Okanagan wineries, many which were hard-hit by January's cold snap and last summer’s wildfires, can apply for non-repayable grants through the Wine Sector Support program.

"The BC wine industry is one of the pillars of agriculture and tourism in British Columbia,” said Miles Prodan, President and CEO of Winegrowers British Columbia.

“Having endured extreme challenges over the past few years, today's announcement of long-term support for our growers and producers is certainly welcome so that we can continue to provide exceptional quality 100% BC wine and remarkable tourism experiences for both local and international visitors alike.”

B.C. wineries will have to compete with wineries from right across the country for the funds, as illustrated by the federal government making identical announcements of the program in all the nation’s winemaking regions of B.C., Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

The federal government says since July 2022, 207 of the 365 wineries in B.C. have received financial support through the Wine Sector Support program.

The application intake period for wineries for 2024-2025 will open on April 8, 2024 and close on May 24, 2024.