Newfoundland selling off its U.S. booze for charity, joining Nova Scotia and Manitoba

ST. JOHN’S — Newfoundland and Labrador announced Tuesday that it will sell off its stockpile of U.S. booze and donate the proceeds to charity, following the lead of Nova Scotia and Manitoba.

The province was among many that pulled American liquor from store shelves earlier this year in response to tariff threats from U.S. President Donald Trump. Finance Minister Craig Pardy said the province won’t be restocking the product once it’s sold out.

“No, we are not,” Pardy told reporters in St. John’s. “With the internal trade dispute that is still ongoing, we align ourselves with many other provinces and refrain from (putting) the American product back on the shelves.”

Officials estimate sales of the $3.2 million worth of inventory will generate around $1 million in profits. That money will be given to the Community Food Sharing Association, a charity that warehouses food in St. John’s and distributes it to about 60 food banks across the province, Pardy said.

He handed association representatives a $500,000 cheque on Tuesday, saying the rest will be paid out as the proceeds roll in from the liquor sales.

Manitoba announced last week that it would put U.S. booze back on the shelves to sell off for charity, following a similar move by Nova Scotia.

Fred Marshall, chair of the Community Food Sharing Association’s board of directors, said demand at food banks is escalating as prices rise. Working people and seniors are now regular users of food banks, Marshall told reporters.

Newfoundland and Labrador’s new Progressive Conservative government was elected in October, and it promised to introduce a new poverty reduction strategy for the province. Pardy promised details of the plan in the spring.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 9, 2025.

The Canadian Press