In 30 seconds
- Budget 2026 proposes $176.9 million over three years, starting in 2027-28, to renew the Wine Sector Support Program.
- It is paid on litres of wine produced, and the Kelowna MP said the Okanagan would benefit most.
- It is a budget proposal. Parliament has not passed Budget 2026 yet.
| Figure | Value |
|---|---|
| proposed over three years | $176.9M |
| years, starting 2027-28 | 3 |
| of Okanagan production hit by the 2023 freeze, per a winery owner at the announcement | 56% |
What was announced
Kelowna MP Stephen Fuhr made the announcement at Sandhill Winery on November 13, with growers, winemakers and Wine Growers of B.C. The money renews the Wine Sector Support Program for three more years from 2027-28. The current payments, based on wine fermented in Canada, were set to end in spring 2027.
Because the program pays on volume, a winery's share depends on how much wine it makes. Fuhr said the Okanagan would benefit most. A winery owner at the event pointed to the 2021 heat dome, which cut production by an estimated 30 to 40 per cent, and the 2023 freeze, which hit about 56 per cent of Okanagan production.
What it is not
This is not a building grant. It does not pay for a new tasting room or a crush pad. It is support for wine production, and it still has to pass as part of Budget 2026.
For a winery planning upgrades, the useful question is what else it qualifies for. The free grant research in your business workspace looks for programs that match a business's work and location.
Where winery money goes locally
Wineries are steady customers for local trades: refrigeration and glycol cooling for tanks, electrical service for crush and bottling, stainless fabrication and welding, irrigation and excavation in the vineyard, and building work on cellars and tasting rooms. A better year for wineries is a better year for these trades. These are the trade businesses listed with us in those lines of work.
| Value | |
|---|---|
| Electrical contractors | 214 |
| Plumbing contractors | 174 |
| HVAC and mechanical | 138 |
| Metal fabrication | 136 |
| Excavation | 123 |
| Landscaping | 109 |
| Welding services | 66 |
Okanagan Trade Directory listings, approved businesses by category, read November 14, 2026. A business can be listed in more than one category.
- Most trusted and preferred HVAC contractors in the Okanagan
- Most trusted and preferred electricians in the Okanagan
- Most trusted and preferred excavation contractors in the Okanagan
How we did this
The announcement is from the Government of Canada's release and Castanet's report from the Kelowna event. The production losses are the estimates a winery owner gave at the announcement, not official statistics.
Trade counts are approved listings on this directory in each category, read on November 14, 2026.