COVID-19 Update: August 19, 2021

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,

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

  • Reminder: additional restrictions for Central Okanagan

  • Proof of vaccination requirements

  • Travel warning in parts of BC Interior

  • Have your say on BC’s permanent paid sick leave

  • Message from BDL: system transition scheduled September 13

  • Provincial State of Emergency extended

  • Federal election update

  • Staffing issues: share your thoughts

  • Free webinar on September 1: Lead generation and marketing tips for reopening

  • You’re invited: Monthly Q&A with ABLE BC’s Executive Director on August 26

Find all past COVID-19 updates here.

Reminder: additional restrictions for Central Okanagan

On August 6, 2021, Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry, Health Minister Adrian Dix, and Interior Health Interim Chief Medical Health Officer Dr. Sue Pollock announced new restrictions to combat the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak in the Central Okanagan. 

This order is aimed at Kelowna, West Kelowna, Westbank First Nation, Peachland, and Lake Country.

The following restrictions are now in place: 

  • Indoor and outdoor dining is allowed at food and liquor serving premises for groups up to six people and liquor service must stop at 10:00 pm

  • Casinos may remain open with a COVID-19 safety plan in place

  • Nightclubs and bars that do not offer full meal service must close (only those establishments with a full meal service may stay open)

  • Sports and exercise:

  • Indoor low-intensity group exercise is permitted with reduced capacity

  • Indoor high-intensity group exercise is not permitted during this time

  • Gatherings in vacation rentals (including houseboats) are limited to five guests, plus the occupants

  • Outdoor personal gatherings (e.g., birthday parties, backyard BBQs, block parties) are limited to no more than 50 people, and indoor personal gatherings are limited to five guests or one other household

  • Indoor organized gatherings and outdoor organized gatherings (e.g., weddings, funerals, seated events) are limited to no more than 50 people with a COVID-19 safety plan in place

Masks remain mandatory for al people age 12 and older in indoor public areas throughout the central Okanagan. Non-essential travel to and from the region should be avoided.

These restrictions remain in place until further notice. Please read the release from Interior Health for more information.

Will proof of vaccination be required to enter certain businesses?

Last week, the Government of Canada announced that vaccines will be mandatory for federal workers and domestic travellers. Many of you have asked whether this might lead to a similar requirement from the provincial government, and whether patrons may be asked to demonstrate proof of vaccination to enter certain establishments.

While this issue is complicated, it is clear that businesses like yours need additional support on this matter, as any proof. We have communicated to government that any proof of vaccination program must be mandated and clearly identified by government and public health officials, so that the onus for enforcing the program does not fall on businesses and their staff. Government must also offer clear guidance on potential rights-based concerns or risks with any such program. 

ABLE BC has joined with the BC Hotel Association, the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, the Tourism Industry Association of BC, and others to articulate these points to government. We will share further updates as they become available.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this discussion, please send them directly to Executive Director Jeff Guignard at jeff@ablebc.ca.

Travel warning in parts of BC Interior

With wildfires still threatening communities across BC, the provincial government is advising people not to travel to parts of the Interior region until further notice.

This includes: Armstrong, Spallumcheen, Okanagan Indian Band, Enderby, and parts of the Regional District North Okanagan. A map of affected areas is available here.

Multiple fires continue to threaten communities throughout the region and thousands of people have been evacuated from their homes. Communities in the region are also extremely hot and smokey.

Interior Health has also advised that all non-essential travel to and from the Central Okanagan be avoided due to the current COVID-19 outbreak.

The wildfire situation continues to evolve. Get the latest updates and evacuation alerts or orders here.

REMINDER: Have your say on BC’s permanent paid sick leave

British Columbians are invited to provide input into the development of made-in-BC permanent paid sick leave to support workers and protect workplaces.

In addition to outreach to key stakeholders and Indigenous partners, a public consultation process is now open and can be accessed through government’s engagement site.

There will be two phases of consultation:

  • Phase 1 (August 5 to September 14) – surveys will gather information from employers and workers on the kinds of paid illness and injury leaves currently provided, and how they are meeting workers’ needs; and

  • Phase 2 (September 20 to October 25) – informed by the surveys, options will be prepared for various paid sick leave models, including the numbers of paid days and other supports, and will be posted for public feedback and input.

In May 2021, amendments to the Employment Standards Act laid the groundwork for establishing minimum standards for a permanent paid sick leave entitlement. Following the public engagement process, paid sick leave will be established through a regulation, and come into effect on January 1, 2022.

To participate in the consultation process, click here. 

For more information on BC’s employment standards, click here.

ABLE BC and the Coalition of BC Businesses (of which ABLE BC is a member) will also be providing a submission on behalf of our membership.

Message from BDL: system transition scheduled September 13

Brewers Distributor Limited (BDL) has shared the following update regarding their upcoming system transition, scheduled for September 13th, 2021:

BDL would like to take this opportunity to inform you that we will be upgrading our distribution systems effective September 13, 2021. We would like to thank you for your patience and support as we transition to our new SAP and Beer For Business systems. We are excited to update you on the upcoming enhancements we are making to our systems that will provide the services and information you require to order beer in a fast and effective manner.

Important Dates

Pre-registration process: August 29, 2021
Beer for Business go-live Date: September 13, 2021

1) Beer for Business – Pre-registration

  • Pre-registration process: August 29 to September 12

  • All BDL BC customer accounts will be registered to use our new online ordering system, Beer for Business.

  • Registration details including your username (SAP Number) and password (BDL Licensee Number) will be emailed to the current email address on account. Please check your spam folders for this communication.

  • Contact BDL (bdl@bdl.ca or 1-800-661-2337) if you do not receive your pre-registration email by September 10.

  • All full goods and empty credits processed between August 29 and September 12 will be held on account and applied to orders after the system transition takes place on September 13.

  • No orders will be accepted from Friday, September 10 at 12 pm PST until end of day Sunday, September 12.

  • New Online Ordering System (www.beerforbusiness.ca) only accessible as of September 13.

 2) SAP/Beer for Business – go live communication plan

  • Accessible through www.beerforbusiness.ca on Sept. 13, 2021

  • Current delivery schedule and order cut-off times will remain the same

  • Weekly “How to” Beer for Business emails will be sent to demonstrate system functionalities

  • Ordering can be done at your convenience. BeerforBusiness is available 24/7/.

  • BeerforBusiness is mobile friendly! Place orders on-the-go or at your desk, wherever you are. Ordering is fast, easy, and convenient.

  • Create and save favourite lists to easily shop desired products by quantity.

  • Full insight to catalogue, pricing, and inventory levels at your warehouse.

  • Access to account profile, including real-time account balance, delivery schedule, email address, and supplying warehouse information.

  • View order history, including repeat order function.

  • Report planned returns (empties and full goods) at order submission.

  • Automated emails will be sent with order confirmation and short-on-order details before it ships from our building, and final delivery note with delivery.

Please feel free to reach out to us at bdl@bdl.ca or 1-800-661-2337 if you have any questions or concerns. We thank you for your patience and support as we work through delivering these solutions to our industry.

Thank you,
Brewers Distributor Limited
Commercial Customer Support Team

Provincial State of Emergency Extended

The BC Government has extended the provincial state of emergency through the end of day on August 31, 2021, to support the ongoing co-ordinated response to the wildfire situation and to ensure public safety.

As of the morning of Tuesday, August 17, 263 wildfires are burning in BC, with 86 evacuation orders affecting 8,262 properties. There are 125 evacuation alerts affecting 22,279 properties.

The Province’s decision to extend the provincial State of Emergency will support the significant number of people who remain under evacuation orders and alerts and continues to support the potential of even larger-scale evacuations.

Current fire conditions may lead to continued sever fire behaviour and the potential need for more evacuations. While extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act are not needed at this time, the declaration gives the Province the ability to move quickly, if the need arises.

The State of Emergency supporting BC’s wildfire response will remain in effect until September 1, 2021 at 12:01 am PST.

Click here to read the full news release.

Federal election set for September 20, 2021

This past Sunday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Governor General Mary Simon approved his request to dissolve Parliament, triggering Canada’s 44th general election, set for September 20, 2021.

While ABLE BC will not be supporting any particular party or candidates in this election, we will keep you apprised of any commitments the parties make aimed at our sectors.

You can learn more about the four major parties and their commitments here:

Conservative Party

Liberal Party

New Democratic Party

Green Party

  • website | policy platform (not yet available)

Staffing issues: share your thoughts

We know staffing is a HUGE issue right now. Please help our partners at go2HR with a Labour Market Information Research Project. Participate in the survey today and enter into a draw for prizes valued at $1,500.

go2HR is the human resource and health & safety association for BC’s tourism and hospitality industry. Even before COVID-19, the industry faced significant human resource challenges. We know these challenges will only increase as we emerge from the pandemic.

With funding from the Governments of Canada and British Columbia, go2HR is responding to these challenges by undertaking an ambitious labour market research project.

Click here to take the survey. It takes about 25 minutes to complete and, with your help, will include a representative sample of employers from across BC. The survey will capture data about the impact of COVID-19 on your operations, the human resources issues you’re facing, and what you need in the future.

Participants will be entered into a draw for prizes valued at $1,500. You will also receive monthly email updates on the labour market, and a summary of survey findings.

The survey is being administered by the Qatalyst Research Group. Your answers are strictly confidential and will not be shared with us, except in summary. 

For more information, contact Judy Frankel, Communications Manager at go2HR or Jacky Zhang, Manager of Research at Qatalyst. 

Click here to take the survey.

Free webinar on September 1: Lead generation and marketing tips for reopening

ABLE BC and Ballistic Arts invite you to join us for a free webinar on Wednesday, September 1 at 10:00 am PT: Lead Generation and Marketing Tips for Reopening.

REGISTER HERE.

At last! British Columbia and the rest of Canada are opening back up. That’s great news, but how are you going to best take advantage of this for your business?

Will you marketing tactics that you used during the lockdown work now that the economy is reemerging?

What new initiatives should you think about and what should you avoid?

Join us on this one-hour webinar ‘Lead Generation and Marketing Tips for BC’s Reopening’ with expert Ted Lau, CEO of award-winning Ballistic Arts, and podcast host of Marketing News Canada.

What you’ll learn:

  • The big changes in Apple, Facebook, and Google that will affect how you market

  • What type of cost effective marketing content makes sense for your lead generation efforts

  • Even more about the Marketing Funnel/Loop and where you need to focus in the reopening

The economy is reopening, are you ready? Register now for the webinar.

If you are unable to attend live, a webinar recording will be sent to everyone registered. Please contact contact Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications) with any other questions or concerns: danielle@ablebc.ca.

You’re invited: Monthly Q&A with ABLE BC’s Executive Director on August 26

We invite you to join us at our Monthly Q&A with ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard: Thursday, August 26 at 10:00 am PT.

RSVP HERE. A Zoom link will be provided prior to the meeting.

What to expect during this one-hour meeting:

  • Hear directly from our Executive Director about the state of BC’s liquor industry

  • Catch up on anything you may have missed over the last month, including changing public health orders, liquor policies, and regulations

  • Get the results from our recent Hospitality Industry Outlook survey and insight into how BC’s liquor and food primaries are recovering from the pandemic

  • Update on ABLE BC’s recent meetings with government, 2021 policy priorities, and advocacy work, including vaccine passports, licensee sales, and the labour crisis

  • We’ll also be joined by members of ABLE BC’s Board of Directors

If you are unable to attend live, a webinar recording will be sent to everyone registered. Please contact contact Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications) with any other questions or concerns: danielle@ablebc.ca.

Ann Brydle