Ron Kubek, owner of Lightning Rock Winery in Summerland, B.C., says smoke and ash from the Okanagan wildfires have caused the loss of his entire annual crop. He says his team is working to support foreign farmworkers and community members displaced by the fire.

According to official reports, the flames have become so high in and around the Okanagan Valley, one of Canada's foremost wine regions, that they have created their own weather systems.

"Over the past couple of days, wineries, growers and people from across our industry have stepped forward to help friends, colleagues and neighbours in need. ...While our immediate priority is supporting members directly affected by the fires, we are also working to ensure BC wine continues to have a strong voice and that visitors have accurate, timely information about where they can safely travel."

'Right now, the only priority is keeping people safe.'

Twenty-thousand people in Summerland B.C. were told to leave their homes in the early hours Saturday.

9 Canadian premiers have signed the agreement. Quebec producers say the province should too

Renaissance BioScience Corp., a global leader in yeast bioengineering providing solutions for environmental and industrial challenges in the agriculture, food, animal and human health, and energy industries, is pleased to announce a new Genome BC funded project to extend the reach of its yeast-based RNA interference (RNAi) biopesticide technology from above-ground insect pests to target soil-dwelling crop pests, beginning with destructive wireworms.

"It's clearly yielding results. It's clearly being noticed by the president. It's something very frustrating for him, and it's having very real economic effects on American producers."

Amid trade threats from U.S., Canada moves to ease interprovincial flow of booze

Corby Spirit and Wine Limited announced today that it will report its 2026 fourth quarter and year-end results after market close on Wednesday, August 26, 2026.

The US announced the new levies on Monday.

Premiers of eight other Canadian provinces signed a historic agreement that will allow direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales of alcoholic beverages between their individual jurisdictions for personal use.

The 13-week intensive wine and business training program, which begins in late August 2026, is designed to create pathways into management and leadership roles for aspiring IBPOC (Indigenous, Black and People of Colour) wine professionals across British Columbia. The fully-funded program combines education, mentorship, hands-on internship experience, and professional networking opportunities.

Wine Growers British Columbia welcomes an agreement reached by nine provincial Premiers to expand direct-to-consumer alcohol sales across Canada, calling it an important breakthrough toward a more open domestic market for Canadian wine.

Today premiers of nine provinces -- Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador -- signed a landmark agreement to implement Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) sales of alcoholic beverages between their jurisdictions. This agreement builds on the commitment in the June 2025 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on DTC Sales of Alcoholic Beverages.

The president's new tariffs on a top U.S. trading partner aim at gaining concessions, but the Canadian government, and the public, have been bracing for the escalation.

"We appreciate the administration's focus on this issue and hope that both governments can work urgently in the coming days to reach a resolution that prompts all Canadian provinces to follow the lead of Alberta and Saskatchewan in restoring access to U.S. wines. - Wine Institute

The smoke is pouring south from more than 800 wildfires in the Canadian province of Ontario and nationwide

Even as the smoke dissipates, Rich Mell, co-owner of Grape Escape Wine Tours in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., says he spent most of his Thursday taking calls from tourists asking to cancel upcoming bookings or looking at other options going into the weekend, especially for bike wine tours.