Weekly Liquor Industry Update: June 2, 2022
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
Here's what you'll find inside today's update:
· Reminder: Minimum Wage Increased on June 1
· ABLE BC is Coming to a City Near You!
· Help ABLE BC Submit a Proposal for PBLMT Funding
· Celebrating ABLE BC Members
· BC Hospitality Foundation Vancouver Golf Tournament
· Park’N Fly Association Discount Program
· Join ABLE BC Today!
· Out and About with ABLE BC!
Find all past updates here.
Reminder: Minimum Wage Increased on June 1
Yesterday, BCs minimum wage was increased from $15.20 to $15.65 an hour. This is the first increase tied to BCs average annual inflation rate. This year’s rate is 2.8% and was calculated from January 1 to December 31, 2021.
We understand that this increase puts further financial strain on your businesses at a time when costs are already rising across the board. However, we are pleased that—after four years of significant increases—the province is now tieing minimum wage increases to inflation.
Increases will now be predictable and much easier to plan and budget for.
Click here to read more.
ABLE BC is Coming to a City Near You!
Jeff Guignard is nearly finished his tour! Tomorrow, Jeff will be meeting with ABLE members and industry professionals in Kamloops at the Fox’n Hounds Pub from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm.
And we’ve added in one more stop! We’ll be back in the Okanagan meeting with Penticton licensees on Friday, June 17. Keep reading for more information.
So far Jeff has met with nearly 100 liquor licensees to discuss a range of issues, including the chronic labour and housing shortages, rising insurance rates, services issues with the LDB and BC Liquor Stores, temporary and permanent patios, and various liquor policy changes that will support BC’s private liquor businesses.
These meetings are open to owners, managers, and staff members from liquor stores, pubs, bars, nightclubs, hotels, and other liquor industry professionals. We are inviting both ABLE BC members and non-members, so please feel free to pass this invitation along to your hospitality and retail colleagues.
Come meet ABLE BC’s Executive Director, Jeff Guignard, for a discussion of:
· What is ABLE BC and how do we work?
· Update on current liquor industry issues
· Learn about the issues ABLE BC is advocating for and our progress on key policy priorities
· Learn about ABLE BC benefit programs
· Connect with other licensees and ABLE BC members in your area
· Question and answer period with ABLE BC Executive Director, Jeff Guignard
We look forward to meeting you face-to-face to hear about the issues that matter most to you and your businesses!
Come meet Jeff in:
· Kamloops on Friday, June 3
· 10:00 am to 12:00 pm
· Fox’n Hounds Pub, 945 W Columbia St
· Penticton on Friday, June 17
· 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
· Penticton Lakeside Resort, 21 Lakeshore Drive W
Help ABLE BC Submit a Proposal for PBLMT Funding
To help support your urgent labour needs, ABLE BC is currently applying for a Project Based Labour Market Training (PBLMT) grant to fund a training program for potential hospitality and liquor retail employees.
ABLE BC is working with Western Community College (WCC) and Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society (PICS) to design a training program that covers topics and certificates such as: Hospitality Management, accounting basics, WSET, First Aid, Serving it Right, and more. The training program will be delivered by WCC and will be available in person and virtually. Participants will leave the program highly trained and ready to take on supervisory or managerial positions in both LP and LRS businesses.
To complete our proposal, we need letters of support from at least ten ABLE members. These members must be willing to supervise a program participant for a free four-week practicum and be willing to interview the participant for a permanent position after the practicum is completed.
If our proposal is successful, there may be an opportunity for additional members to take on practicum participants. Participating ABLE BC members are not be required to pay wages for practicum participants as they will be receiving funding from the Ministry of Social Development.
Please fill out this form to express your interest in signing a letter of support or supervising a practicum. We will reach out to interested members to discuss further details.
Click here to learn more about PBLMT funding.
Celebrating ABLE BC Members
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?
We want to celebrate our members! 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.
BC Hospitality Foundation Vancouver Golf Tournament
Sign up for BCHF’s Vancouver Golf Tournament at Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club! As a foursome, you can expect to be treated to the same on-course fun, food, and beverage that past tournament players are accustomed to.
Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club is set high above Coquitlam, on Eagle Mountain, in a spectacular mountain setting only 45 minutes from downtown Vancouver. Course designer Michael Hurdzan has incorporated large Douglas Firs, massive granite rock faces, and rugged ravines into this par 72, 6770 yard course.
Following your round, enjoy a networking reception and silent auction with your fellow players, and meet some new friends. After two long years away, it’s about time we got together to celebrate hospitality!
Date: July 4, 2022
Time: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
Location: Westwood Plateau Golf, Coquitlam
Park'N Fly Association Discount Program
ABLE BC is enrolled in Park’N Fly’s Association Discount Program, which allows us to pass along airport parking savings to our members!
Park’N Fly is introducing new rates on June 20th, 2022. Savings will be applied when you reserve in advance of your parking stay. To access the special parking rates, book through the mobile app or website using discount code 1120363.
Park’N Fly is Canada’s only national airport parking provider, now operating in seven markets: Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, and Halifax.
Click here for parking rates.
Click here for more information.
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.
Out and About with ABLE BC!
ABLE’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard is nearly finished his tour! He’s been travelling the province on his motorcycle visiting with members and liquor industry professionals in Osoyoos, Nelson, Cranbrook, Fernie, Invermere, Revelstoke, Vernon, and Kelowna.
Tomorrow he’ll be in Kamloops, and on June 17th he’s back in the Okanagan meeting with licensees in Penticton.
Meeting with our members plays a key role in how we fight for your businesses. We want to hear from you about the issues affecting your businesses and what you want our priorities to be. If you can’t make it out to one of our meetings, you can always connect with Ann or Jeff over phone, email, or virtual meeting.
Click here to see all upcoming meetings.