Liquor Industry Update: July 27th, 2023

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,

Here’s what you’ll find in today’s update:

  • ABLE BC’s Guide to Low-Risk Drinking – free pdf download!

  • 2023 Membership Survey

  • Provincial Single-Use Plastic Regulation

  • Industry Associations Call for More Time to Repay CEBA Loans

  • Guidelines for Repacking Beer

  • New Funding Will Help Businesses with Vandalism Costs

  • ‘No Fun City’ No More! New Vancouver Hospitality Working Group Announced

  • Renewal Season is Here!

  • ABLE BC Benchmark Survey Results Available Now!

  • BCHA Workforce Survey

  • Cannabis Corner with Nick Landells

  • Out and About with ABLE BC!

  • BCHF Victoria Golf Tournament, August 23, 2023

  • Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars

Find all past updates here.

ABLE BC’s Guide to Low-Risk Drinking – free pdf download!

ABLE BC has created free resources to help your business encourage responsible drinking habits. Visit our online storeor log in to the member portal to download a free pdf brochure on low-risk drinking.

We encourage you to make this brochure available to both staff and patrons. Please contact Ann Brydle, Manager of Membership and Communication, at ann@ablebc.ca if you have questions.

2023 Membership Survey

Help us improve our membership services and communication practices by filling out the ABLE BC 2023 Membership Survey.

Your feedback is vital in helping our team understand how we can serve you better. 

The survey should take no more than 10-15 minutes to complete. The survey will close on  September 8th at 5pm. 

Click here to fill out the survey now

Provincial Single-Use Plastic Regulation

Last week, the Provincial Government announced a new regulation to expand BC’s efforts to tackle hard-to-recycle single-use plastic items. This regulation will come into force in December 2023 and is in addition to the federal Government of Canada’s single-use plastics prohibition regulation.

 The current Federal regulation has banned the manufacture and import of checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware, stir sticks, some straws, and ring carriers as of June 20, 2023. This ban primarily affects manufacturers and suppliers.

To allow for transition and depletion of current inventory, the Federal regulation begins the ban on the sale or use of checkout bags, cutlery, foodservice ware, stir sticks, and some straws on  December 20, 2023. The ban on the sale or use of ring carriers begins on  June 20, 2024. This ban will affect all retail and hospitality businesses.

More information about the Provincial regulation will be released over the next six months, as we approach enforcement in December 2023. The Provincial single-use plastic waste prevention regulation provides a framework to phase out certain single-use plastic items in BC, addressing waste and pollution from single-use:

  • shopping bags

  • disposable food service accessories

  • food service ware

  • oxo-degradable plastics

It does not include plastic ring carriers, but these are still covered in the federal regulation.

We recommend watching Restaurants Canada’s webinar on Decoding Canada’s Plastic Regulations for Foodservice Businesses for more information on Federal regulations. This webinar is available on the Restaurants Canada website and in the video library of the ABLE BC member portal.

The LDB posted this reminder last week:

 The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) would like to remind wholesale customers that the Government of Canada’s  Single-use Plastics Prohibition Regulations (SUPPR)  is being implemented in stages. 

 Manufacturing and import of single-use plastic ring carriers for sale in Canada is prohibited as of June 20, 2023; the prohibition of the sale of beverage alcohol packaged in single-use plastic ring carriers will come into force as of June 20, 2024.

The provincial government also announced its  Single-Use and Plastic Waste Prevention Regulation  on July 14, 2023. However, single-use plastic rings used to hold liquor beverage containers are not covered by the B.C. regulation, and must follow federal guidelines shared previously. 

For more information, please refer to the July 18, 2022 notice  Single-use Plastic Prohibition: Plastic Ring Carriers posted  on the LDB Wholesale Operations website.

For more information on plastic waste prevention in B.C., click  here .

Click here for more information on the Federal regulation.

Click here for more information on the Provincial regulation.

  Industry Associations Call for More Time to Repay CEBA Loans

 On July 24, over 280 industry associations across Canada sent an open letter to Canada’s Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland, urging the federal government to extend the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) repayment deadline.

ABLE BC and the Business Technical Advisory Panel (BTAP) also wrote to Minister Freeland on behalf of our members, asking for a 36-month extension of the CEBA repayment deadline and a ‘scale-down’ model of the forgiveable part of the loan, decreasing by five per cent every six months.

The CEBA program provided a lifeline to industry when we needed it most, but as you know, the hospitality industry continues to struggle. We have serious concerns about industry’s financial health and ability to repay debt.

As of May 2023, a staggering 80 per cent of hospitality businesses report they will be unable to repay their CEBA loan – even in part.

 Government needs to act now to extend the CEBA repayment deadline.

Click here to read ABLE BC’s letter to Minister Freeland.

Click here to read BTAP’s letter to Minister Freeland.

 Click here to read the Canadian Chamber of Commerce’s letter to Minister Freeland.

Guidelines for Repacking Beer

We’ve recently heard from LRS members with questions about repacking beer. There is some confusion about whether this practice is allowed and how best to record repacks.

To be clear, you are allowed to repack beer. For example, you are allowed to purchase a 4-pack of beer from a supplier and then sell that beer as single cans. Or sell 6-packs you created from a 24-pack.

There are two ways you may do this. You might input an invoice for one beer format as if it is another. For example, you receive an invoice for six 4-packs priced at $10 each, but you input this invoice into your system as 24 single cans priced at $2.50 each.

Another way is to input an invoice as it is received and record the repacking afterwards. POS systems will differ on exactly how this is done, but generally you can turn one 24-pack into four 6-packs, or one 4-pack into four singles to properly balance your inventory.

Whichever method you use, we strongly encourage you to keep a clear record of all repacks in your liquor register, next to any invoices that have been affected. Similar to the LRS Terms and Conditions Handbook guidelines for recording product lost due to spoilage or breakage, you are encouraged to keep a written record in a log book or notation on the original receipt.

New Funding Will Help Businesses with Vandalism Costs

ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard spent several weeks this spring meeting with over 150 licensees across the province. One of the most common issues brought up in these meetings was concern over rising property crime and vandalism. Finding a solution to this concern is one of several policy priorities for ABLE BC, and we are pleased to share that the BC government has announced a new funding program to help small businesses with the financial strain of property crime.

“Small businesses are the backbone of our province and it’s vital we work together to keep our economy strong,” said Brenda Bailey, Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. “We understand the frustration of business owners taking on the cost of vandalism on their own. We are taking action to support businesses with new funding to provide relief to cover these costs, and make sure we have a thriving business community.”

Starting in fall 2023, small businesses will have an opportunity to recoup expenses related to vandalism with the new $10.5-million Securing Small Business Rebate Program. Businesses will be able to apply for as much as $2,000 per business for the cost of repairs due to vandalism (i.e. broken glass, graffiti cleaning, etc.) and up to $1,000 for vandalism prevention (i.e. security cameras or gates).

This program is set to launch in fall 2023. We will provide further updates as they are available.

Click here to learn more.

‘No Fun City’ No More! New Vancouver Hospitality Working Group Announced 

The City of Vancouver has announced a new hospitality sector working group to identify, adjust, and eliminate red tape for local businesses. 

We are honoured to join this group alongside our industry partners and colleagues. Thank you to Associate Member Bert Hick of Rising Tide Consultants, the BC Craft Brewers Guild, Restaurants Canada, the Hospitality Vancouver Association, the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, and the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association for your commitment to create a more vibrant and prosperous future for Vancouver.


According to ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard, “We’ve all heard too many examples of needless red tape and costly licensing delays. This Working Group is great news for industry, and a clear signal that Mayor Sim and Council are stepping up to the plate for Vancouver’s hospitality businesses exactly when we need it most. By working together, we will find faster, better, and more efficient ways to work support Vancouver’s world-class hospitality businesses.” 
The City of Vancouver released this statement on July 14:

‘No Fun City’ No More: Mayor Sim promises policy changes for hospitality sector 
New City of Vancouver hospitality working group to address longstanding policy issues 

Vancouver, BC – On Friday, Mayor Ken Sim was joined by members of Vancouver City Council and representatives from the hospitality sector to announce the creation of a new City of Vancouver hospitality sector working group. 

“With today’s announcement of a new hospitality working group, we have an opportunity to help create a better, more vibrant, and prosperous future for our local economy,” said Councillor Lisa Dominato. “We’ve heard a clear demand for policy change from local businesses and this working group is an important first step.” 
  
The working group is a City-staff led initiative, overseen by the Development, Building, and Licensing department. Its members include city staff and representatives from the hospitality sector. The working group’s goals are to identify, adjust, and eliminate red tape that present challenges to businesses in the sector. 

“The hospitality sector is critical to the local economy,” continued Dominato. “That’s why the City is inviting members of the hospitality industry to participate in this collaborative working group, with a clear goal of making life easier for our local businesses.” 

While certain recommendations from the working group may require Council approval, the direct link between industry and City staff will allow policy change to occur at a faster rate. 

“Vancouver is open for business and its time for our City to lose its “no fun” reputation once and for all," said Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim. “We all want to see these businesses succeed and we want the City of Vancouver to play a big role in helping make that happen.” 
  
The working group has informally met once already and will continue to meet throughout the summer with the goal of providing an update in the Fall on progress being made. 

Renewal Season is Here!

ABLE BC memberships expire on August 31, 2023. Members can renew early by logging in to the member portal and following renewal instructions posted on the dashboard. If you have questions about your renewal or would like to discuss a payment plan, please reach out to Ann, Manager of Membership and Communication, at ann@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560.

 On behalf of our Board of Directors and staff, we thank our members for your continued support of ABLE BC. As the only association fighting for BC’s private liquor stores (LRSs), pubs, bars, nightclubs, and other Liquor Primaries, your continued support is vital to our advocacy on your behalf. Put simply, ABLE BC would not exist without your membership dues.

In addition to supporting our ongoing advocacy work, your ABLE BC membership gives you access to exclusive benefits and discounts. By using our benefit programs, you can more than cover the cost of your annual membership fee. If you haven’t already, please browse the member portal for free resources available to you. We have due diligence templates and signage, HR guidance, FAQs on industry issues, and recordings of past webinars on topics like tipping, decriminalized drugs, and acing a liquor inspection. You can also connect with our benefit providers and associate members to access a wide range of products and services at a discount.

Looking for more ways to support our advocacy work? You can donate to our advocacy fund at any time! Donating to this fund gives us the resources we need to seek legal counsel, pressure government through media campaigns, and provide additional resources to our members for free.

ABLE BC Benchmark Survey Results Available Now!

Thank you to everyone who completed ABLE BC's  benchmark surveys! Your feedback is crucial to our understanding of the state of the industry and helps us advocate for your needs and ensure the financial health and recovery of private liquor businesses.

We are pleased to share the full results of these surveys with members now! 

ABLE BC members can access the  full report for free in the    member portal. All non-members who participated in the surveys will be sent a copy for free as a thank-you for your participation.

Not a member of ABLE BC and missed out on contributing to the survey? The report is now available for purchase in our  online store for $25.00.

Interested in signing up with ABLE BC to view the report for free and gain access to our full suite of benefits and resources?  Sign up today or contact Ann Brydle, Manager of Membership and Communication at  ann@ablebc.ca or 604-688-5560.

BCHA Workforce Survey

The BC Hotel Association invites you to take part in their essential workforce survey, which is integral to advancing advocacy priorities surrounding the workforce crisis at the national and provincial level.

Complete this short survey by Friday, August 4th, at 5 pm to help fuel BCHA’s workforce initiatives.

Click here to take the survey now.

Cannabis Corner with Nick Landells

ABLE BC’s Head of Cannabis Membership, Nick Landells, held productive meetings with senior LCRB and LDB staff last week. The discussions focused on regulatory changes to enhance the viability of cannabis retail in BC, including changes to the direct delivery program and the benefits of introducing a distance criteria between cannabis retail stores. ABLE is advocating for progress on these and our other policy priorities.

Many of our members run both liquor and cannabis stores. We’re offering a discounted membership fee to all current ABLE BC members who sign up a cannabis store by the end of August. Enter the code ABLECAN1 to receive $100 off cannabis membership for your first store and ABLECAN2 to receive $50 off each additional cannabis membership.

Click here to join today

Out and About with ABLE BC!

Last week we were thrilled to spend a day golfing and connecting with our industry friends and colleagues at the BC Hospitality Foundation Vancouver golf tournament! It was a fun day and excellent way to raise money for our industry’s charity.

If you don’t know about the BCHF, it raises funds to support hospitality workers facing financial crisis due to a health condition.  Each year, many hospitality workers across BC face financial challenges because of a health condition to themselves or a family member and have nowhere else to turn.

The BCHF is compassionate, person-centered, and localized to BC. In its practices, BCHF seeks to be sustainable and transparent to its community, the hospitality related industries.

You can support the BCHF by donating directly, setting up an employee giving program, volunteering at events, or by spons oring the upcoming Victoria golf tournament.

In case you missed it, ABLE BC has been in the news recently:

BCHF Victoria Golf Tournament, August 23, 2023

The  BC Hospitality Foundation ’s Victoria Golf Tournament returns to Olympic View Golf Club for a 9th year on August 23!  

The BCHF is seeking experienced and aspiring golfers to come out and help raise money for the important work the foundation does with medical relief funding and for industry scholarships.

Wednesday, August 23 
Olympic View Golf Club - 643 Latoria Road

11:30 am | Registration begins

1:00 pm | Shotgun Start

 

Interested in sponsoring the tournament or donating to the silent auction? Reach out to samantha@sasparilla.ca for more information.

Ann Brydle