Weekly Liquor Industry Update: May 12, 2022

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,

Here's what you'll find inside today's update:

  • ABLE BC is Coming to a City Near You!

  • Join the Quarterly Pour Editorial Committee

  • Ukraine Fundraiser

  • Safer Spaces: Take the Employer and Supervisor Training Course Today

  • Join ABLE BC Today!

  • Out and About with ABLE BC!

Find all past updates here.

ABLE BC is Coming to a City Near You!

ABLE BC is hitting the road and hosting in-person liquor industry meetings around BC and we can't wait to meet you!

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!

Do you want to host an ABLE meeting in your city? Contact info@ablebc.ca! 

Come meet Jeff in:

Osoyoos on Tuesday, May 24

Nelson on Wednesday, May 25

Cranbrook on Thursday, May 26

Fernie on Thursday, May 26

Invermere on Friday, May 27

Revelstoke on Tuesday, May 31

Vernon on Wednesday, June 1

Kelowna on Thursday, June 2

Kamloops on Friday, June 3

Join the Quarterly Pour Editorial Committee

The Quarterly Pour is the BC private liquor industry’s source of trends and leading-edge news. The publication is the official magazine of ABLE BC, distributed quarterly to every licensee in the province.

ABLE BC and EMC Publications are seeking volunteer members to join the editorial committee for The Quarterly Pour. This committee meets regularly to discuss the vision and direction of The Quarterly Pour and plan articles and ideas for upcoming issues.

We are seeking a diverse range of voices from both liquor primary and private retail members from across the province.

Editorial committee members will be responsible for:

  • 1-hour quarterly conference calls

  • Constructive feedback on current and past issues

  • Article ideas covering a range of topics relevant to owners, managers, and staff of bars, pubs, and private liquor stores

The next committee meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, May 17, 2022 from 9:30 am to 10:30 am.

If you are interested in joining the committee, please reach out to Ann Brydle, Manager of Membership and Communication, at ann@ablebc.ca before Tuesday, May 17, 2022.

Ukraine Fundraiser

Many of our members have been wondering what they can do to support Ukrainians. ABLE’s President, Yvan Charette, has started a Go Fund Me with the goal of raising at least $25,000 for the Canadian Ukraine Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. Yvan and his business partner will match up to $25,000 in donations! 

Click here to donate. 

There are many other places to donate as well, including the Red Cross's Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal.

Safer Spaces: Take the Employer and Supervisor Training Course Today

Have you signed up for Safer Spaces, go2HR’s newest training course, designed to create sexual harassment free workplaces in the BC tourism and hospitality industry? The course is self-paced and takes a total of three hours to complete. 

This is not your typical e-learning course! Rather than tell you why sexual harassment is bad, we’ll follow along as an employer receives a disclosure of sexual harassment from one of his employees and learn how they handle the disclosure, who they call on for support, and how we might respond if faced with a similar situation.

Safer Spaces was designed by a team of experts convened by go2HR. The project team is united by a commitment to reduce the stigma around workplace sexual harassment and a desire to champion the topic as an integral element of workplace education and training.

Click here to take the free course, and 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. 

Join ABLE Today!

Out and About with ABLE BC!

Earlier this week, ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard and President Yvan Charette participated in the BC Hospitality Foundation’s inaugural Okanagan Golf Tournament at the Harvest Golf Club in Kelowna. Don’t miss out on the upcoming Vancouver or Victoria golf tournaments later this summer!

In case you missed it, we hosted a webinar with BCHA’s Alison Langford on Hiring Foreign Workers on Wednesday this week. Click here for a list of resources from the webinar. If you’d like us to host more webinars related to hiring foreign workers, please let us know! 

Last night Jeff attended Top Drop and had a fantastic time catching up with members and industry colleagues from Vancouver, the Island, and around BC. It's so great to see the vibrancy of our industry back in action! Both Jeff and Ann will be attending the Vancouver International Wine Festival next week, so make sure to say 'hi' when you see us!

Ann Brydle