COVID-19 Update: January 21, 2021
Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,
Here’s what you’ll find inside today’s update:
Update: meeting with Dr. Bonnie Henry
Order now: 2021 ID Checking Guides
Policy update: extension of temporary hours of sale and delivery
ABLE BC Board of Directors: Call for nominations
ABLE BC Annual General Meeting: February 16
Food delivery service fees cap: complaint webpage
Update on accepting bottle returns
New resource from go2HR: responding to difficult guest situations during a pandemic
Complete today: LDB Wholesale Customer Satisfaction Survey
BCHF Dine Around and Stay in Victoria Lottery
BCHF Scholarships open now
Provincial state of emergency extended
Find all past COVID-19 updates here.
Order now: 2021 ID Checking Guides
The NEW 2021 North American ID Checking Guide Book and NEW 14th Edition International ID Checking Guide Book are now available to order through the ABLE BC office. Both guides have been updated since 2020.
Place your order HERE by February 1, 2021.
The ID Checking Guide Books help you and your staff make accurate, on-the-spot verification of driver’s licenses and ID cards – your best protection against ID fraud. These books also help ensure you are kept updated on the latest versions of all ID formats.
For more information on the ID Checking Guide Books, including pricing please download our FAQ.
Update: meeting with Dr. Bonnie Henry
Earlier this week, ABLE BC and our industry colleagues at the BCRFA and Restaurants Canada hosted a productive discussion with BC’s Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry.
On your behalf, we articulated the devastating impact of the sudden change to liquor service hours on New Year’s Eve, as well as the need to support industry with advance notice of rule changes for upcoming dates such as Super Bowl, St. Patrick’s Day, etc.
We were clear that industry needs to know the rules ahead of time if we are to operate safely and successfully. It is equally important that Dr. Henry and her team understand the additional measures industry has already enacted under existing protocols to keep our customers and staff safe. By working together, we can ensure that industry has sufficient time to adapt to any necessary changes to public health orders or safety protocols to achieve our shared goal of stopping the spread of COVID-19.
In the days ahead, we will continue working in partnership with Dr. Henry and her team to minimize any surprises for industry.
One thing remained clear though: we still have a long road ahead. It is likely our industry will continue to operate under restricted protocols at least until the fall, in alignment with BC’s vaccination efforts. In the days ahead, we will continue to advocate for gradual relaxing of existing protocols when and where appropriate, such as extending liquor service hours from 10 p.m. to midnight.
Policy update: extension of temporary hours of sale and delivery
As you know, on April 3, 2020 the LCRB temporarily extended the hours of liquor service for Licensee Retail Stores, Wine Stores and Special Wine Stores, and Manufacturer Onsite Store endorsements to no earlier than 7:00 am and end no later than 11:00 pm.
The LCRB also authorized delivery services to purchase liquor on behalf of a customer from a liquor store or from any licensee authorized to sell liquor in unopened containers, and deliver and sell that liquor to a customer, provided the delivery does not take place between 11:30 pm and 7:00 am.
These temporary authorizations were set to expire on January 31, 2021. We are pleased to share they will now expire on March 31, 2021.
The change is made at the LCRB General Manager’s initiative; licensees do not need to submit an application to change their hours of sale.
Note: this change does not override any additional requirements or limitations placed on a business’s hours of liquor service by a local government or Indigenous Nation.
For more information:
Policy Directive 21-01: Extension of temporary hours of sale and delivery
ABLE BC Board of Directors: Call for nominations
Are you interested in running for a position on ABLE BC’s 2021 Board of Directors? ABLE BC is currently seeking nominations for three director positions: two from Vancouver, Coast and Mountains region, and one from Thompson Okanagan.
All completed nominations forms must be submitted to the ABLE BC office no later than 5:00 pm on Friday, February 5, 2021. Late forms will be disqualified. Fax to 604-688-8560 or email to Executive Director Jeff Guignard at jeff@ablebc.ca.
After the nomination period ends, election ballots will be circulated to all members in the appropriate region for voting (if necessary).
ABLE BC’s Director Nominations is overseen by our Nominations Committee, comprised of:
Poma Dhaliwal (Committee Chair and Past President)
Michael Brown (ABLE BC Director)
Vince Marino (ABLE BC Member)
To learn more about our Nominations process, please contact Jeff Guignard (Executive Director) at 604-688-5560 or jeff@ablebc.ca.
ABLE BC Annual General Meeting: February 16
On Tuesday, February 16, 2020 at 10:00 am, ABLE BC is hosting our Annual General Meeting virtually. All members in good standing with the Alliance are invited to attend. All non-members are also encouraged to attend, but cannot vote.
The AGM will be held via Zoom. Please RSVP by February 15 to Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications): danielle@ablebc.ca. A Zoom link will be sent out prior to the AGM.
The AGM agenda will include:
Introducing our newly elected 2020-21 Board of Directors
Update on 2019-20 activities
Presentation of the Alliance’s 2019-20 Financial Statements and Annual Report
Discussion about the policy issues and COVID-19 recovery efforts ABLE BC’s Board of Directors will focus on in 2021
New business
RSVP now. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact jeff@ablebc.ca.
Food delivery service fees cap: complaint webpage
As per the Emergency Program Act (EPA) order, effective December 27, 2020, food delivery services providers can only charge restaurants and pubs a fee up to 15% of the customer’s order (before tax) for delivery services, and 5% for other related services. This order also prohibits food delivery service providers from reducing compensation to drivers or retaining drivers’ tips.
The LCRB will be managing enforcement of this order. For further information on complaints and how to submit a complaint about a food delivery services provider that is not following the new EPA order, you can visit this LCRB webpage.
It’s important to note that the complaint process is only for businesses and establishments that serve food and/or liquor and delivery drivers to submit a complaint about a large food delivery services provider (those that provide services to 500 or more restaurants in BC).
Update on accepting bottle returns
This summer, the Ministry of Environment sent a notice to liquor stores notifying retailers that: “beginning the week of August 10, 2020 it is expected that acceptance of empty beverage containers for refund will resume for those retail locations that may have suspended this service as a result of COVID-19.”
Download a copy of the notice here.
The requirement for retailers to accept returns can be found in Schedule 1, Section 6(3) of the Recycling Regulation: “a person may return for refund to a retailer not more than 24 containers per day that are of the same beverage container subcategory and brand that the retailer sells.”
Protocols for retailers resuming recycling activity can be found on the WorkSafeBC website under “Retail-based recycling, including beverage containers.”
Information regarding the safe handling empty beverage containers can be found on the BCCDC website under “Should we accept bottles and cans for recycling?”
New resource from go2HR: responding to difficult guest situations during a pandemic
Providing positive guest experiences during the time of a pandemic can be challenging at times, especially when guests are not following businesses’ established Health & Safety protocols.
go2HR has developed a new script document for frontline staff to refer to in tough situations.
Download the scripts here.
Their team of HR and training experts have developed scenarios that staff could likely encounter in their workplace, and suggested scripts on how to respond to non-compliant guests.
Complete today: LDB Wholesale Customer Satisfaction Survey
The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) is committed to providing the highest level of service to its customers.
Liquor Wholesale Operations is surveying customers to gather information on their experiences so that they can focus attention and resources on areas necessary to better meet your needs.
This survey is designed to capture the performance of the Wholesale Operations division over the past 12 months. Service provided by Brewer’s Distributor Ltd (BDL), Commercial Logistics (beer deliveries) and direct product distribution and delivery services should not be reflected in your responses.
The survey should take 15 minutes to complete. Please note the deadline for completing the survey is 5:00 pm, January 31, 2021. Please only submit one survey response per license or location.
The LDB values your feedback and appreciate you taking the time to complete this survey.
BCHF Dine Around and Stay in Victoria Lottery
Tickets for the Dine Around and Stay in Town Victoria online lottery are on sale now until midnight on Sunday, February 7, 2021. Proceeds from the lottery will support the British Columbia Hospitality Foundation (BCHF).
Buy your tickets here.
The BCHF’s partner for the lottery is Destination Greater Victoria, and prizes include Helijet tickets, gift certificates to Victoria restaurants, and golf for four. By purchasing tickets, you will not only support the BCHF, but also Greater Victoria’s tourism and hospitality industry! You can view the complete list of prizes here.
Lottery tickets may be purchased online (please use Chrome or Safari as your browser).
The BCHF is the only charity of its kind in Canada that provides financial support to hospitality workers in financial crisis due to a health condition experienced by themselves or a family member.
The registered charity also administers a scholarship program to foster the development of the next generation of hospitality workers and industry leaders. Since its inception in 2006, the BCHF has helped over 430 people with more than $1.25 million.
BCHF Scholarships open now
The BC Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) is best known as Canada’s only registered charity that supports those in the hospitality industry facing financial crisis due to a health condition.
The charitable organization also helps develop the next generation of industry members by offering a range of scholarships. In 2021 the BCHF will be granting several different types of scholarships to individuals pursuing an education in the hospitality field.
2021 Scholarship Applications Now Open
The BC Hospitality Foundation has several scholarships available for individuals in the hospitality industry throughout BC:
Industry Scholarship
Sommelier Scholarships
Culinary Scholarships
The Greg King Scholarship at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts
The Chef Nik Lim Scholarship
British Columbia Wine Industry Scholarship and Education
Food, Beverage, and Hospitality Scholarship
Event Management Scholarship
Hospitality Scholarships
Deadlines and application criteria vary. Please visit their website for more details and to apply.
Provincial state of emergency extended
The Province of British Columbia has formally extended the provincial state of emergency, allowing health and emergency management officials to continue to use extraordinary powers under the Emergency Program Act (EPA) to support the Province’s COVID-19 pandemic response.
The state of emergency is extended through the end of the day on February 2, 2021, to allow staff to take the necessary actions to keep British Columbians safe and manage immediate concerns and COVID-19 outbreaks.
The Province, with the support of police and other enforcement officials, continues to use measures under the EPA to limit the spread of COVID-19, including issuing tickets for owners or organizers contravening the PHO’s orders.
For more information, please read the government news release.