COVID-19 Update: March 11, 2021

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues, 

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

  • Message from ABLE BC’s Executive Director: COVID-19 Crisis One Year Later

  • Urgent update from ABLE BC: St. Patrick’s Day

  • Watch and share with your customers: It’s safe to dine out and drink out in BC

  • Update from LDB Wholesale: Bottle pick service

  • Industry engagement table sheds more light on government plans

  • BC Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant Program extended

  • Join us at the next monthly Q&A with ABLE BC: March 25

  • Notice to sellers of soda beverages: PST will apply to all retail sales

  • Register for the BC Hospitality Foundation #HospitalityHustle

  • LCRB Policy Directive: BC liquor manufacturers direct delivery to retail customers from offsite storage

  • WorkSafeBC Resource: Critical incident response

  • Buy BC funding application intake now open

  • Vancouver, Coast and Mountains Labour Market Engagement Session: March 16

  • #StandupforService campaign

Find all past updates from ABLE BC here.

As always, if you have any additional questions or need to reach us you can email: jeff@ablebc.ca or danielle@ablebc.ca.

Message from ABLE BC’s Executive Director: COVID-19 Crisis One Year Later

One year ago, we sent our first COVID-19 Liquor Industry Update and postponed the 2020 BC Hospitality Summit. Within days, gatherings over 50 people were prohibited, travel was restricted, and all bars and pubs in British Columbia were ordered closed. Since that first update on March 6, 2020, ABLE BC has sent out almost 140 COVID-19 industry updates.

It goes without saying the past year has been difficult and painful, particularly for our beleaguered hospitality industry. While there have been significant policy wins – including wholesale pricing for hospitality customers and keeping our industry open during the pandemic – COVID-19 has been devastating for our businesses, families, friends, as well as our society and the economy at large.

Thank you to the members and industry suppliers that have continued to support ABLE BC throughout this crisis with your membership dues.

There is some light on the horizon. We are hearing encouraging signs from Dr. Henry about new vaccine roll outs and the possibility of being in a post-pandemic world by summer. Today, Dr. Henry announced the orders have been amended to allow for outside gatherings of up to 10 people.

While all other orders currently remain in place, as restrictions start to lift, there may be opportunity to look at reducing restrictions on our industry. For example: pushing back liquor sales to midnight and eventually pre-pandemic hours, and increasing group sizes.

ABLE BC will keep on fighting for you and your businesses. We’ll keep having your back as we work to enhance government financial supports, improve liquor and cannabis policies, and help you access the resources you need to get back on your feet.

As always, please don’t hesitate to drop me at line at jeff@ablebc.ca if you have any questions or concerns.

Urgent update from ABLE BC: St. Patrick’s Day

During this afternoon’s press conference, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced additional restrictions for liquor and food primaries on St. Patrick’s Day:

  • Liquor sales for onsite and off-site consumption must cease between 8:00 pm on March 17, 2021 and 9:00 am on March 18, 2021

  • Unless a full meal service is provided, premises which are licensed to serve liquor must close between 9:00 pm on March 17 and 9:00 am on March 18

  • If a full meal service is provided, premises may stay open, but liquor service must not resume until 9:00 am the following day

  • Liquor must not be consumed on the premises by any person, including patrons, owners, operators, or staff after 9:00 pm on March 17

Please read our update from earlier today for full restrictions and how to operate on St. Patrick’s Day.

UPDATE: this change also applies to liquor retail. Liquor retail sales must stop at 8:00 pm on St. Patrick’s Day.

Watch and share with your customers: It’s safe to dine out and drink out in BC

ABLE BC is proud to partner with TIABC to produce a consumer confidence video detailing the extensive protocols businesses have in place to ensure the health and safety of guests and staff.

Watch the ‘know before you go’ to BC’s pubs & bars video. Please consider sharing the video on your social networks and with your customers. 

In the video, ABLE BC’s Executive Director shares the protocols our industry has in place and best practices and tips for patrons when going out. Watch the video here.

Update from LDB Wholesale: Bottle pick service

Sairose Fisher (Executive Director, Wholesale Operations, LDB) has shared with us the following update on bottle pick service at the Delta Distribution Centre:

As you know, bottle pick service was suspended at the onset of the global pandemic to mitigate risk to the supply chain. Since then, LDB Wholesale Operations reinstated service in a limited way and then expanded service twice more.  

We currently offer 169 SKUs for bottle pick; these products reflect a combination of high volume SKUs, high price point SKUs and customer requested SKUs; the selection reflects our efforts to support wholesale customers while ensuring their orders will be picked, assembled and shipped on time.

Wholesale Operations is focused on protecting the health of our employees while maintaining uninterrupted service to our customers for the upcoming spring and summer season. While we continue to adhere to physical distancing and other preventative measures related to the pandemic, we will not be expanding the number of SKUs for bottle pick.

Our partnerships are very important to us and we are committed to working with you to support wholesale customer operations. We thank you and your members for your patience as we work to deliver the services and products our mutual customers rely on. We will keep you posted on any developments with regards to this service.

ABLE BC understands this is frustrating for some members. We’ll keep working with the LDB to encourage them to expand single bottle picks as capacity allows.

Industry engagement table sheds more light on government plans

ABLE BC attended a virtual COVID-19 Industry Engagement Table meeting intended to provide updates to industry partners.

Updates were provided by:

  • Honourable Ravi Kahlon, Minister of Jobs, Economic Recovery and Innovation

  • Honourable Melanie Mark, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport

  • Honourable Harry Bains, Minister of Labour

  • Anne Naser, Worksafe BC President & CEO

  • Dr. Bonnie Henry, Provincial Health Officer

In their recent newsletter, TIABC summarized the key updates:

Upcoming holidays

With Spring Break and St. Patrick’s Day on the March calendar, public awareness/prevention campaigns are in place to ensure on-going adherence to public health orders. The campaigns will focus on bars, pubs, restaurants and accommodations (including short-term rentals), and will incorporate multi-channel and multi-language components.

Vaccines and Next Steps

The next 3 to 4 weeks are a critical time to keep COVID cases down so we can get back to our ‘safe six’ and small outdoor gatherings. Vaccines are arriving and there is a chance that British Columbians could receive at least one shot by the end of June. Online booking for vaccine appointments is in progress.

BC Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant Program extended

The BC government has extended the deadline for the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant program to ensure businesses have the time they need to apply.

One of the main requirements has also been lowered to ensure more businesses are eligible.

The time to apply for the Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant program has been extended from March 31, 2021, to August 31, 2021.

The previous requirement for a business to have experienced at least a 70% revenue loss at some point in March or April 2020 has been adjusted. Now, a business is required to demonstrate only a 30% revenue loss in any one month between March 2020 to the point of application.

The $345-million Small and Medium Sized Business Recovery Grant program provides fully funded grants to businesses that employ up to 149 B.C. residents. Grants of $10,000 to a maximum of $30,000 are available, with up to an additional $5,000 to $15,000 available to tourism-related businesses.

Learn more and apply here.

Join us at the next monthly Q&A with ABLE BC: March 25

This morning, we kicked off a new monthly event series: a Q&A with ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard.

Thank you to everyone who joined us! The virtual meeting will be held on the last Thursday morning of every month throughout 2021. ABLE BC members and non-members welcome.

Join us at the next meeting: Thursday, March 25 at 10:00 am PT. RSVP: danielle@ablebc.ca.

What to expect and why to attend:

  • Catch up on anything you’ve missed over the last month

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

  • Get an update on our advocacy work and progress

  • Ask questions about liquor policy, regulations, public health orders, and government relations

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

Notice to sellers of soda beverages: PST will apply to all retail sales

Effective April 1, 2021, soda beverages will no longer qualify for the exemption for food products for human consumption. PST will apply to all retail sales of soda beverages at a rate of 7%.

If you sell soda beverages and are not already registered as a PST collector, you must register to collect and remit PST. Ensure your point of sale systems are updated to charge PST on soda beverages effective April 1, 2021.

This notice explains how PST applies to soda beverages and the steps you must take to prepare to collect and remit PST.

Register for the BC Hospitality Foundation #HospitalityHustle

Get ready, get set, hustle! Registration is open for the #HospitalityHustle presented by Odlum Brown Limited.

The FREE province-wide virtual event, a fundraiser for the BC Hospitality Foundation, is a great way to promote your overall wellbeing and to connect safely with others in the hospitality industry.

The event runs from March 15 to May 31, 2021.

The #HospitalityHustle presented by Odlum Brown Limited is meant to:

  • Give people a healthy goal that would keep them physically and mentally strong

  • Show solidarity with owners and workers in the hospitality and tourism industry who are

  • struggling or have lost their livelihoods

  • still working hard to keep their business afloat during extraordinary times

  • providing a takeout option

  • Create awareness of the BCHF

How the #HospitalityHustle works: 

  • Participants set a physical activity goal. Any physical activity counts! walk, run, cycle, golf, dance, or play Frisbee with your dog.

  • Share your experience on social media with the hashtag #HospitalityHustle

  • Challenge a friend anywhere in BC to join the event

  • Create a team and challenge others to do the same

Prizes and Discounts: 

Random daily prizes will be drawn and awarded to those who register online and post on social media with the hashtag #HospitalityHustle. Several independent running and fitness stores are extending discounts on merchandise to keep you motivated and safe.

The Finish Line! 

Participants connect with others online by posting training videos. On May 30 2021, there will be a province-wide virtual event, concluding with a virtual dance party.

Register online. The event kicks off March 15. 

Create a team!

Register online and then contact 
lucy@bchospitalityfoundation.com so we can set up a unique donation page. BCHF will award prizes to the top fundraising team and overall fundraisers. It is a great way to get active, have fun, and support the hospitality sector!

LCRB Policy Directive: BC liquor manufacturers direct delivery to retail customers from offsite storage

On February 22, the LCRB released Policy Directive 21-02: Reinstatement of the temporary authority for BC liquor manufacturers to direct deliver liquor to retail customers from registered offsite storage locations.

Prior to this policy directive, manufacturers could deliver liquor to retail customers from their onsite store only. They could not deliver to retail customers from their registered off-site storage locations. 

From July 31, 2020 to October 31, 2020, BC liquor manufacturers were permitted to direct deliver liquor to retail customers from their registered offsite storage location(s). The temporary authority has expired.

The GM is reinstating the authorization, by term and condition, to temporarily authorize manufacturers to direct deliver liquor to retail customers from their registered offsite storage locations. This reinstated policy is effective up to and including December 31, 2021. 

The re-instatement of this time-limited policy responds to the emergency recommendation put forward by the Business and Technical Advisory Panel in response to the ongoing COVID19 pandemic. It is intended to mitigate associated negative economic impacts on liquor manufacturers.

For more information, please read the Policy Directive.

WorkSafeBC Resource: Critical incident response

A sudden and unexpected incident in the workplace, like witnessing the serious injury of a co-worker, responding to a fatal incident scene or being robbed at gunpoint, are examples of a critical incident. This kind of powerful event can impact the emotional well-being of workers and employers who are directly exposed to the incident. 

WorkSafeBC’s Critical Incident Response team is there to help. It offers free support from trained professionals.

For more information on the program and the support it can offer your workers, please click here.

Buy BC funding application intake now open

The province’s farmers, fishers and food and beverage processors can now apply for the latest round of Buy BC funding to help promote their products and increase sales within BC.

“The Buy BC program plays such an important role in keeping people and our local economies working, helping British Columbians easily identify and access products made here at home,” said Lana Popham, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries. “Over 500 businesses are now using the Buy BC logo to promote the amazing local products that are grown, raised, harvested and processed by our hard-working, dedicated farmers and food producers.”

Since the program was relaunched in 2018:

  • 116 BC companies have received cost-shared funding

  • Over 500 BC companies have been licensed to use the Buy BC logo

Buy BC has helped many local businesses increase their sales and share local products with British Columbians.

The Buy BC Partnership Program is providing $2 million this year to help eligible applicants with their marketing efforts using the Buy BC logo on their products or promotional materials to help consumers easily identify their product as a BC product.

This application intake window for Buy BC funding is open from March 10 until April 7, 2021. The provincial government’s Buy BC Partnership Program is delivered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of British Columbia.

For application details, visit: https://iafbc.ca/buy-bc/

For more information about Buy BC: https://buybc.gov.bc.ca/

Vancouver, Coast and Mountains Labour Market Engagement Session: March 16

The Province of BC is providing $290,125 to support research on the tourism and hospitality labour market. The 15-month project is being led by go2HR, BC’s tourism and hospitality human resource and health & safety association.

As a first step, go2HR is working with BC’s Destination Management Organizations to engage stakeholders on how the tourism and hospitality sector, workforce, and geographic areas will be defined for the purposes of the LMI Research Project.

In the Vancouver, Coast & Mountains (VCM) region, VCM and go2HR are hosting an engagement session on March 16, 2021 from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm. 

You are invited to join for this important, facilitated session with the following hosts and presenters:

  • Judy Frankel, Communications Manager for go2HR

  • Slavica Stevanovic, Qatalyst Research Group

Outputs of this research project will include monthly labour market forecasting and an employment tracker that will be available for industry use free of charge.
Learn more and register here.

#StandupforService campaign

From March 1 to May 23 people are asked to visit BCRFA.com and share stories of colleagues, servers, cooks, friends, or businesses who are providing a welcoming and unique dining experience while following best practices to combat COVID-19.

The 12-week program recognizes excellence in all the forms that it takes in these times. The efforts of the dedicated personnel that work each day to provide a top-notch dining experience deserve to be recognized, and it is easy to make a nomination online with just a few clicks.

Each week, an outstanding restaurant worker (must be of legal drinking age) will be selected to receive a $100 Save-On-Foods gift card and a gift from Sumac Ridge Estate Winery. 

At the end of the 12-week promotion, four individuals will be chosen to each receive a special Sumac Ridge Estate Winery gift and a $250 gift card to Save-On-Foods. These superstar restaurant workers will also be highlighted on the BCRFA and BC Tastes Better Instagram pages (@BCRFA and @BCTastesBetter).

A Call to Action for Industry:

Members of the restaurant industry are asked to help spread the word about this campaign by getting creative with their posts or download a kit here with copy and images for social media, e-news or blogs.

Share your positive stories:

Using the hashtag #StandUpForService and tag @BCTastesBetter. 

For more information:Please visit www.bcrfa.com/stand-up-for-service

Ann Brydle