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The Manitoba government is donating $2.6 million it raised through the sale of American liquor products to several community initiatives across the province.Â
Earlier this month, the province announced U.S.-made booze would start to line shelves again, with proceeds going to holiday charities. American alcohol had been pulled from stores in March after the U.S. government imposed tariffs on some Canadian goods.Â
Manitobans lined up outside select Liquor Mart locations on Dec. 10 to purchase the first U.S.-made bottles sold by the provincial retailer in months. The province previously said liquor from the U.S. would be available until Dec. 24.Â
On Friday, the province said in a news release it had raised $2.6 million for charity from those sales.
In the release Premier Wab Kinew says Manitobans “embraced this initiative with their typical generosity of spirit.” He said the province was happy to see U.S.-made bottles that had previously been sitting in storage help to “generate a little holiday spirit.”
The proceeds will be donated to several holiday initiatives, with $1 million going to the Winnipeg Christmas Cheer Board, $500,000 going to Harvest Manitoba and $500,000 going to Brandon-based charities, including the Brandon-Westman Christmas Cheer Registry, the province said.Â
The remaining money will be donated to the Helping Hands Centre of Brandon, the Boys and Girls Club of Thompson, and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc., according to the news release.Â
The government says it will continue to sell the rest of the U.S. inventory, with sales to be expanded outside the select Liquor Mart locations. The proceeds will continue to be donated to charitable causes, the release says.