Liquor Industry Update: September 7, 2023
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
Here’s what you’ll find in today’s update:
Provincial State of Emergency Extended
Exclusive Recruitment Opportunity for ABLE BC Members: Destination Canada Mobility Forum
SPARK Closing Keynote Speaker: André Hueston Mack
Last Chance! Take the 2023 Membership Survey Now
ABLE BC Member Webinar: LCRB Minors as Agents Program – What You Need to Know
ABLE is Seeking Members for New Lotto Committee
Reminder: Selling to SEP Holders
Dugald Smith joins Rising Tide Consultants
Global Payments: Q2 Payments and Spending Outlook
Vancity Grants & B: $15,000 Available for Hospitality Businesses in BC
LCRB Engagement: Liquor Store Temporary Relocation
LCRB Engagement: Proposed Regulatory Amendment for Prescribed ID
go2HR on Tap: HR Tips for Liquor and Cannabis Businesses
Cannabis Corner with Nick Landells
Out and About with ABLE BC!
Save the Date: Upcoming Events and Webinars
Find all past updates here.
Provincial State of Emergency Extended
With continued fire risk in many regions, and tens of thousands of people still under evacuation order and alert, the province is extending the provincial state of emergency until September 14, 2023, to ensure public safety and support the response to BC’s worst-ever wildfire season.
BC's Wildfire Act provides the legislative tools for the province to acquire wildfire fighting resources without a provincial state of emergency. A state of emergency allows the province to enact other emergency orders that may be required, such as the travel restrictions announced on August 19. All travel restrictions have been fully lifted as of August 25.
For up-to-date information and resources, please visit emergencyinfobc.ca and bcwildfire.ca regularly.
ABLE BC is deeply saddened by the effects of this year’s wildfire season, and we offer our condolences and support to all affected businesses and families. We continue to be impressed by the kindness and courage demonstrated by our industry. Many of our members and partners are offering free resources, supplies, and accommodation to communities affected by the wildfires. If the team at ABLE BC can support these efforts, please contact us at jeff@ablebc.ca.
Exclusive Recruitment Opportunity for ABLE BC Members: Destination Canada Mobility Forum
We are thrilled to announce that our partners at the BC Hotel Association (BCHA) are extending an exclusive and incredible recruitment opportunity to ABLE BC members!
If you have been struggling to recruit or retain employees – at any level and in any department – or have been unable to return to full operating hours, this opportunity is for you.
BCHA’s team, including Workforce Strategist Alison Langford, is taking part in the Destination Canada Mobility Forum on behalf of BCHA and ABLE BC members. The forum takes place on November 18-24, 2023, in Paris, France and Rabat, Morocco, and provides an opportunity for French-speaking and bilingual workers to learn about immigrating to Canada for work in the tourism and hospitality industry.
This year, the program has been expanded to include skilled and unskilled positions such as chefs, cooks, food service supervisors, dishwashers, and retail workers.
This program does not require the employer to apply for a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA), which saves you valuable time, money, and resources. Employees are issued two-year work permits that are employer-specific, ensuring stability and a long-term solution to the ongoing workforce shortage.
How does it work?
ABLE BC and BCHA members can submit job orders for skilled and unskilled positions to alison@bcha.com. Submit your job order no later than September 22, 2023.
For only $1000, ABLE BC and BCHA members can submit up to three job orders.
BCHA representatives will meet with job seekers in France and Morocco. All candidates are pre-screened before sending resumes and interview summaries to employers.
Skilled and unskilled workers will obtain work permits through the Francophone Mobility Program, which does not require an LMIA from the employer.
Work permits are issued for two years and are employer-specific.
You must be an ABLE BC or BCHA member in good standing to take advantage of this opportunity. Not a member? Sign up now! Questions about membership? Contact Ann Brydle, Manager of Membership and Communication at ann@ablebc.ca.
There are a limited number of job orders available, so act quick! The deadline to submit a job order is September 22, 2023.
Click here for more information.
Contact alison@bcha.com or ann@ablebc.ca if you have questions.
SPARK Closing Keynote Speaker: André Hueston Mack
BC’s Alliance of Beverage Licensees (ABLE BC) and the BC Hotel Association (BCHA) are thrilled to present André Hueston Mack as the closing keynote speaker at SPARK: BC's Hotel & Liquor Conference!
Get ready to be inspired by his captivating presentation, "I Laugh at Them Because They’re All the Same."
In a world that often emphasizes conformity, embracing what makes you different can be your greatest asset. Join us for a powerful and inspiring journey as André Hueston Mack delves into the transformative power of embracing your individuality. Discover how standing out can lead to unparalleled success in the hospitality and liquor industry.
Mark your calendars for this thought-provoking session and get ready to be motivated by André’s insights and experiences.
André Hueston Mack
Sommelier, Winemaker, Designer
André Hueston Mack first gained notoriety when he left his corporate desk job and was soon-after awarded the prestigious title of Best Young Sommelier in America by the highly regarded Chaine des Rotisseurs. This recognition led to a job as sommelier at Thomas Keller’s world-renowned French Laundry, followed by the position of Head Sommelier at Keller’s equally famed Per Se in New York City. Winemaking had always been a dream of his and came to fruition in 2007 when he founded Maison Noir Wines, where it has since been serving the best restaurants across America. Mack is a renaissance man as an author, graphic designer, business owner, and video host of the popular Bon Appetit series "World of Wine," and celebrity-guest series "Through the Grapevine," where he educates and interviews celeb guests over glasses of wine. Mack's mission is to make wine more accessible, and he's just getting started! He resides in Brooklyn with his family where he and his wife run Rye & Sons Hospitality Group in their neighbourhood.
Click here for more information about André
Last Chance! Take the 2023 Membership Survey Now
The survey closes on Friday, September 8, 2023! Don’t miss out on sharing your feedback with us.
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
ABLE BC Member Webinar September 28: LCRB Minors as Agents Program – What You Need to Know
Preventing the sale of liquor and cannabis to minors is a key priority for the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB). The Minors as Agents Program (MAP) is the LCRB’s tool for monitoring licensees’ compliance with the prohibition against selling of liquor and cannabis to minors.
While we share government’s goal of keeping controlled substances out of the hands of minors, industry’s MAP compliance rate for the first quarter of 2023 was only 81 per cent. This webinar will provide a better understanding of due diligent practices to help you ace a MAP visit.
Please join senior officials from the LCRB— Ian Brown, Deputy General Manager and Executive Director, Compliance and Enforcement, and Maria Caduhada, Manager, Dispute Resolution and Branch Registrar—for a discussion of the MAP initiative. Ian will explain the program and clarify what minor agents do during an inspection. Maria will offer an overview of enforcement hearings and provide insight into the essentials of an effective due diligence defence.
We will also be joined by an expert licensing consultant who will review due diligence resources for your business.
This webinar is free for ABLE BC members! Simply login to the member portalto register now. Non-members may attend for $10.
Not a member yet? Sign up today to gain free access to this webinar and all other ABLE BC resources.
Webinar Details:
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2023
Time: 11:00 am-12:00 pm
Location: zoom
Tickets: FREE for ABLE BC members. $10 for non-members
ABLE is Seeking Members for New ABLE BC Lottery Committee
Last week, ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard and Director Owen Coomer (Chief Operating Officer of The Taphouse) met with the BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC) to discuss their ongoing partnership with the hospitality industry. We discussed several of your priorities, upgrades to machines, improved communications, and other innovations from BCLC.
To ensure ABLE BC effectively works with BCLC on our members’ behalf, we are seeking committee members for a new ABLE BC Lottery Committee, chaired by Director Owen Coomer. The Committee will help shape our feedback, advocacy, and lottery priorities in the coming months.
If you are an ABLE BC member in good standing and would like to join this committee, please reach out to Executive Director Jeff Guignard at jeff@ablebc.ca.
Not a member yet but still want to participate? Sign up here!
Reminder: Selling to SEP Holders
We have recently heard questions from agencies, retailers, and event planners about selling liquor products to Special Event Permit (SEP) holders.
According to the Terms and Conditions handbook, an SEP holder can purchase liquor products only from the following approved outlets:
BC Liquor Stores location (government liquor store)
BC winery with an on-site store;
BC brewery with an on-site store;
BC distillery with an on-site store;
Licensee Retail Store (private liquor store);
Wine Store (excluding sacramental wine store);
Special Wine Store; or
Rural Licensee Retail Store.
We encourage you to read ABLE BC’s Best Practices for Selling to SEP Holdersand reach out to us at ann@ablebc.ca if you have any further questions.
Dugald Smith Joins Rising Tide Consultants
Congratulations to ABLE BC associate member Bert Hick of Rising Tide Consultants for welcoming Duglad Smith, former Deputy General Manager of the LCRB, to the team as Senior Licensing Consultant!
Duglad Smith brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Rising Tide, having served as a senior leader of the LCRB in roles including Deputy Manager of Licensing, Executive Director responsible for Programs and Strategy, and Project Director on the development of the Cannabis Retail Store licensing framework.
"I am honoured and thrilled that Dugald Smith has joined the Rising Tide team and we are very much looking forward to working with him for years to come,” says Bert Hick, President and Founder of Rising Tide. “I look forward to introducing Dugald as he transitions to the private sector and the wonderful world of licensing from our side of the street!"
Global Payments: Q2 Payments and Spending Outlook
Did you know? Abbotsford recorded the highest sales growth with a whopping 90%, while Penticton showed a -69% growth in BC’s private liquor and cannabis industry.
Global Payments is a leader in payments, and they are extending their experience and expertise to ABLE BC members with access to a new report that shed light on the latest trends impacting BC’s private liquor and cannabis businesses.
The Q2 Payments and Spending Outlook report is aimed to keep you ahead of the curve and walk you through key analytics and insights pertaining to the liquor and cannabis industries, including bars and nightclubs, private liquor stores, and private cannabis retailers.
Click here to download the latest report. Once you opt in to receiving the report via email, keep an eye on your inbox, and junk folder (just in case), for new reports as they are available.
Vancity Grants & Better Table: $15,000 Available for Food and Beverage Operators in BC
Boost your food and beverage profits with a unique funding opportunity from Vancity!
Ten food and beverage operators in BC will receive a $1,500 grant to put towards a BetterTable Food Efficiency Audit. This audit enables pubs and restaurants to save at least $1,000 per month.
Plus, one lucky business among the ten will win a grand prize worth $10,000.
DON’T MISS OUT on this fantastic opportunity. Apply now: https://qr.bettertable.ca/ablebc
LCRB Engagement: Liquor Store Temporary Relocation
The Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch (LCRB) is seeking feedback on temporary relocations for liquor retailers in BC, including Licensee Retail Stores (LRS), Wine Stores, and government liquor stores.
A liquor retailer cannot relocate permanently within a 1 km radius of another retailer, except in limited circumstances. The 1 km rule is a cornerstone policy priority for ABLE BC that we will fight to maintain in perpetuity. Since introduced, it has provided vital market stability and prevented densification. Many current LRS and BCL locations were approved before this rule came into effect.
Under current rules, if an LRS or BC Liquor Store is unable to operate at their licensed location due to significant renovations or redevelopment, the licensee can choose to:
Temporarily close the location until the location can resume operation (i.e., place the licence into “dormancy”); or,
Permanently relocate to an eligible new location.
There is currently no provision that allows a liquor retailer to temporarily relocate or that allows a licence to relate to more than one establishment.
While a policy allowing temporary relocation to accommodate renovations or renovictions has merit, it raises important considerations of eligibility, location requirements, and time limit.
Click here for more information.
To better inform our reply to government, we need your feedback. Please complete this survey by September 15, 2023.
If you would like to submit comments directly to the LCRB, please contact LCRB.Outreach@gov.bc.ca with the subject “temporary relocation consultation” by September 29, 2023. We would appreciate you copying jeff@ablebc.ca on your response.
You submission should include:
Full name of person submitting
Name of the business/organization and license number, if applicable
Municipality or regional district in which your store is located
Phone number, including area code, and reply email address
LCRB Engagement: Proposed Regulatory Amendment for Prescribed ID
Currently, anyone who purchases liquor or cannabis must show two pieces of identification (ID) if requested by the licensed establishment. The LCRB is considering an amendment to require one piece, instead of two, of prescribed ID to purchase liquor or cannabis. This is consistent with the requirement in all other provinces and territories as well as other provincial requirements, such as tobacco purchases.
If the proposed changes are approved by Cabinet, the Liquor Control Licensing Regulation and the Cannabis Licensing Regulation will be amended to require one piece of primary ID for liquor or cannabis purchases. Regardless of the number of pieces of ID prescribed, licensees and their employees are still required to take steps to confirm an individual’s age, which may include requesting a second piece of ID. Licensees can implement more restrictive ID policies, such as checking every patron’s ID.
Click here for more information.
Comments on the proposed amendment will be accepted until September 15, 2023.
To submit your comments, or if you have questions, please contact the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch at LCRB.Outreach@gov.bc.ca.
go2HR on Tap : Employee Off-Boarding & Exit Interviews
We are pleased to announce that go2HR is now a regular contributor to the ABLE BC Liquor Industry Update newsletter! You can expect to see regular articles from go2HR on current HR trends, new legislation, employee recruitment and retention tips, and more. Missed an article? Check out the member portal for each edition of go2HR on Tap.
As you look to wind down the summer and perhaps say goodbye to seasonal staff team, it is important to ‘close the loop’ on a great work experience. Just as it is good practice to bid farewell to departing guests as they leave your pub, bar, or liquor or cannabis store, in hopes that they will return in the future, the same applies for employees.
Did you know that a structured employee offboarding process will position your business and remaining team for a smoother transition? It can also help you build employee retention into the next season and increase word-of-mouth recognition as a great employer.
Whether you already have a formalized offboarding process in place or not, here are a couple of tools and best practices for your consideration:
Use an Off-boarding Checklist – Similar to an on-boarding checklist, it serves a dual purpose of giving the exiting employee an understanding of what their last days on the job will look like and providing your leaders with a clear, consistent plan to follow for all employees. Company costs will be controlled, and equipment will be safeguarded with the return of keys, laptops, uniforms, and other company-owned resources. Employees will receive their final pay, T4, and any future communications by verifying their contact information. Visit the link above to learn more and access a go2HR Off-boarding template that you can modify for your business.
Conduct Exit Interviews – Whether conducted in person before the employee leaves or sent as an online link afterwards, Exit Interviews provide an opportunity for employees to give valuable feedback on their employment experience. Knowing how employees feel about their experiences helps you understand what went well and what opportunities there are for improvement in the next season. Visit the link above to access an Exit Interview template you can download use for your business.
Visit the links above to download each of the go2HR template documents for more information and tips. Feel free to modify and use these documents for your business. For more HR-related templates, visit the go2HR HR Industry Toolkit.
Questions? Reach out to go2HR's HR Consultants for free advice at hr@go2HR.ca . go2HR is the Human Resources and Health and Safety Association for BC’s tourism and hospitality industry.
Cannabis Corner with Nick Landells
We are approaching the fifth anniversary of cannabis legalization in Canada! As the cannabis industry continues to evolve and grow, so does the provincial government’s policy and regulatory framework. We are currently seeing extensive reviews of policy and regulation by the LCRB, LDB, and BC Cannabis Secretariat. ABLE continues to work alongside industry and government to ensure potential changes will benefit our cannabis members, and the industry as a whole.
Do you have a cannabis retail store? Sign up with a new ABLE BC cannabis membership to support the work we do on your behalf. We’re offering a discounted membership fee to all ABLE BC liquor members who sign up as cannabis members by the end of September. Use code ABLECAN1 for $100 off a cannabis membership for your first store, and code ABLECAN2 for $50 off a membership for each additional store.
Click here to join as a cannabis member now!
Out and About with ABLE BC!
It’s not too often that all ABLE BC team members are in the same city, so this week has been a treat! We of course spent lots of time working in our office, but we also managed to get out for some fun lunch and coffee meetings. The real highlight of this week though, was working with Theresa Ito of Blue Mountain Solutions. We invited Theresa to come and work with us to hone our sales work and help us grow the ABLE BC membership. Theresa led a positive and motivating session for us, getting us excited for more work to come! Did you know that Theresa will be speaking at the SPARK conference next month? She is an engaging and dynamic presenter you won’t want to miss. Make sure to register for SPARK before it’s too late!
