Liquor Industry Update: July 7, 2022
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
Here's what you'll find inside today's update:
Update on Possible BCGEU Strike
ABLE BC Comment on Premier Horgan's Announcement
Update on Proposed Improvements to WorkSafeBC's Certificate of Recognition Program
PST Notice to Tobacco Sellers
The Fountainhead Pub Granted Approval to Double Capacity
Celebrating Our Industry!
Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars
Out and About with ABLE BC!
Join ABLE BC Today!
Find all past updates here.
Update on Possible BCGEU Strike
Over 90% of BC General Employees’ Union (BCGEU) members, which include BC Liquor Store and LDB warehouse employees, voted that they were prepared to strike on June 22, 2022. After this vote, negotiations began again on June 27, 2022.
After a few days of positive negotiations, talks began to break down on July 4, 2022 and the BCGEU is now planning strategic, targeted job action and finalizing essential services with the assistance of the Labour Relations Board.
We share your concerns about how a BCGEU strike may impact your business and are continuing to monitor the situation. We have been in talks with government and will provide updates and details on the strike as we are able.
We can assure you that government is invested in protecting the integrity of the supply chain and will take measures to ensure there are limited disruptions or negative effects on your businesses.
At this time, we are confident the supply chain will remain intact. However, members may wish to consider increasing their liquor inventory in the short term to protect against any potential disruptions to supply.
Please reach out to info@ablebc.ca if you have questions or concerns.
Click here to read a press release from BCGEU.
ABLE BC Comment on Premier Horgan’s Announcement
Last week, Premier John Horgan announced that he will not run again in the next election. He will stay on until a successor is chosen and remain the MLA for Langford-Juan de Fuca.
"I am proud to say I'm cancer free” said Horgan. “While I have a lot of energy, I must acknowledge this may not be the case two years from now. Therefore, I have decided not to run again in the next election.”
The ABLE BC team and Board of Directors want to thank Premier Horgan for his five years of dedicated service as Premier of British Columbia. No matter who you vote for, public service is a difficult, complex, and often thankless job. We worked closely with Premier Horgan and his government during the pandemic to bring stability to our industry and we greatly appreciate his committed support of our industry in these challenging years.
Click here to read Premier Horgan’s full announcement.
Update on Proposed Improvements to WorkSafeBCs Certificate of Recognition Program
WorkSafeBC is proceeding with the next step in its gradual, phased implementation of proposed improvements to the Certificate of Recognition (COR) program after extensive consultation, research, development, and testing of a new health and safety management audit standard.
As a next step, WorkSafeBC will be making minor revisions to the new health and safety management audit standard and refining its implementation plan based on the results of the proof of concept and feedback from our stakeholders. WorkSafeBC will be taking a multi-year, phased approach to implementing the improvements to ensure a smooth transition and to allow for additional opportunities for stakeholder engagement.
If you have general questions about the COR program, please contact your certifying partner. Otherwise, please reach out to WorkSafeBC Partners Program (partners.program@worksafebc.com) if you have any questions.
Click here to read more.
PST Notice to Tobacco Sellers
Effective July 1, 2022, PST will apply at a rate of 7% on tobacco sold in BC. PST will be charged on the purchase price of the tobacco, which already includes the tobacco tax.
Tobacco retail dealers must be registered to collect and remit PST as of July 1, 2022. For more information on registration, see Bulletin PST 001. If you are already registered to collect and remit PST, please ensure your POS systems are updated to charge PST on tobacco.
Exempt sales retail dealers who only sell exempt tobacco are not required to register and collect PST.
Click here to learn more about the requirements for retailing tax exempt tobacco.
Click here to read the full notice.
The Fountainhead Pub Granted Approval to Double Capacity
Earlier this week, Vancouver’s City Council unanimously approved a plan to double the size of Davie Street’s historic Fountainhead Pub, rejecting a staff recommendation to require the pub to operate two separate businesses instead. Staff had argued that the application contravened a city policy prohibiting two large liquor licensed establishments from operating within 100 metres of each other.
Jeff Guignard, Executive Director of BC’s Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC)—the industry association that advocates on behalf of BC’s private liquor industry—spoke in favour of the motion at Council.
“This should be an easy yes to a routine application for a capacity increase,” said Guignard. “Staff’s recommendation was based on an out-dated and ill-considered policy, which would double licensing costs, increase delays by up to a year, and needlessly restrict one of the original pubs in the heart of the Davie Village from recovering financially from the pandemic. It’s a colossal waste of everyone’s time and money.”
In addition to rejecting staff’s recommendation and approving the application, Council also instructed staff to amend the out-dated policy to prevent similar situations in the future.
“I’m so proud that common sense prevailed and we were able to support the Fountainhead in their fight against senseless red tape,” said Guignard. “Council did the right thing for the right reasons, and we really appreciate their ongoing support of Vancouver’s hospitality industry.”
See below for clips of Jeff speaking to media about this story.
Celebrating Our Industry!
The BC wine industry has welcomed six new sub-geographical indications in the Okanagan Valley!
The new sub-GIs are Summerland Valleys, Summerland Lakefront, Summerland Bench, East Kelowna Slopes, South Kelowna Slopes, and Lake Country.
“The approval of these new sub-GIs represents official recognition of areas that stand out as having consistently unique terroir and we are thrilled to welcome six new distinct growing areas within the Okanagan Valley,” says Miles Prodan, President & CEO of Wine Growers British Columbia. “When a bottle of BC VQA wine is purchased, the consumer knows they are guaranteed assurance of quality and that it is 100% BC. The introduction of sub-regions of notable sense of place is the natural next step in the evolution of our wine industry.”
Click here to learn more.
We want to celebrate you! Is your business hosting a special event or fundraiser? Are you celebrating an anniversary or an important milestone? Has someone on your team been promoted or completed a certification? Have you opened a new or renovated location?
Let us know about your special moments, your amazing teams, and the things you’re most proud of. We’ll share your achievements in our newsletters and on our social channels.
Contact Ann Brydle, Manager of Membership and Communication, at ann@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560.
Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars
WORTH Association: Yes Shef!
After a successful sold out event in 2019, WORTH Association’s Yes Shef returns! At this long-table dinner, guests will be served five unique courses with wine pairings.
Join WORTH on Monday, August 15, 2022 at 6pm for Yes Shef at Chambar Restaurant (568 Beatty Street, Vancouver) for a night of food and wine from women chefs and sommeliers.
Click here to buy tickets.
BC Hospitality Foundation Victoria Golf Tournament
Sign up for BCHF’s Victoria golf tournament at Olympic View Golf Course! The tournament takes place on Tuesday, August 23rd, and offers a full day of food, drink, and enjoyment. Players partake of bites and beverages at many holes, there are tee prizes and putting contests, and lunch and dinner are included.
This event is a great way to connect with old friends or to expand your network, as it brings together many members of the local hospitality community. It’s been two long years: let’s get our industry together to swing together!
Date: August 23, 2022
Time: 12:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Location: Olympic View Golf Course, 643 Latoria Rd, Victoria
Out and About with ABLE BC!
The ABLE team has been busy these past two weeks! Ann attended Noir Fest at Averill Creek Winery on June 26 where Caddy Bay Liquor set up a successful pop-up shop. If your LRS business is interested in selling to Special Event Permit holders, stay tuned for guidance from ABLE BC! We are working on a best practices document outlining everything to consider from building relationships with events, running a pop-up liquor store, and more.
Jeff attended BCHF’s fundraising golf tournament in Vancouver on July 4. He had a great time meeting with members and industry partners and golfing with friends from the Golden Ears Winter Club. There is still time to register for the Victoria golf tournament on August 23! Scroll up for more information.
Jeff has also been in the news recently. Click here to see him talking with Global News about the recent announcement of a Night Mayor to advocate for Vancouver’s nighttime economy.
Jeff also spoke to media about Vancouver City Council’s decision to approve the Fountainhead Pub’s request to increase capacity.
Vancouver’s popular Fountainhead Pub granted approval to double capacity (GlobalNews)
Vancouver's Davie Village Fountainhead Pub will expand after all (Vancouver Sun)
Vancouver's hospitality sector applauds city decision to allow bar expansion (Business in Vancouver)
Join ABLE BC Today!
ABLE BC is the leading liquor advocacy organization in the province. We have a proven track record of success fighting for the interests of Liquor Primary and Licensee Retail Store businesses. We are dedicated to helping our industry come out of the pandemic stronger than ever!
We can’t do our work without the support of our members. ABLE is a non-profit organization and we depend on membership fees to continue to lobby and fight for your needs.
ABLE BC members have access to several benefit programs that offer exclusive discounts and are designed to help your business thrive. In addition to our benefit programs, we offer expert advice, regular webinars, the annual Liquor Industry Conference, and many networking opportunities.