COVID-19 Update: September 30, 2021

Dear ABLE BC Members and Industry Colleagues,

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

  • National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

  • Urgent survey: impact of BC Vaccine Card

  • New COVID-19 restrictions for Fraser Health Authority

  • Reminder: public health orders currently in place

  • Reminder: BC Vaccine Card is only valid proof of vaccination

  • Registration for 2021 BC Liquor Conference is open

  • Good news! Food delivery fee cap extended

  • Comment on BC’s Permanent Paid Sick Leave

  • New COVID-19 Signage Available

  • Free ABLE BC Webinar: Government Relations and Advocacy Update on October 7

  • New Special Event Permit Online Application System

  • PST Rebate on Select Machinery and Equipment: second application opens on October 1, 2021

  • City of Vancouver Public Hearing: Patios for Liquor Manufacturers

  • Info Session on Propel: A new wage subsidy

Find all past COVID-19 updates here.

National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Today marks the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada, a day to remember and commemorate the lost children and survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities. It is also an opportunity to learn and commit to taking action and becoming an ally to Indigenous Peoples year-round.

Here are some ways to be an ally, show your support, and stand in solidarity with Indigenous People and communities:

Educate yourself about the history of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

Purchase and wear an orange shirt through an Indigenous-owned organization or designer.

Familiarize yourself with the Truth and Reconciliation report‘s 94 calls to action here.

Donate to support residential school survivors and invest in Indigenous economies.

Other helpful resources to learn more:

Urgent survey: impact of BC Vaccine Card

ABLE BC and our industry partners want to better understand how the Vaccine Card has impacted your hospitality business.

We need to understand how the Vaccine Card has impacted your revenue, expenses, and interactions with customers. Your responses will give us the real-world information we need to advocate for the government support you need to succeed.

Please complete this survey created by ABLE BC in partnership with the BCRFA, BC Craft Brewers Guild, Craft Distillers Guild of BC, Wine Growers British Columbia, Restaurants Canada, and New Wave Wine Society.

Deadline to complete survey: Wednesday, October 6.

We know this is a difficult and contentious issue for many customers. If you or your customers continue to have concerns about vaccine cards, we encourage you to reach out directly to your MLA (find your MLA here).

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

Take survey.

New COVID-19 restrictions for Fraser Health Authority

On September 28, government announced new regional COVID-19 restrictions for the eastern Fraser Valley.

The announcement was made by Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Health Minister Adrian Dix. Dr. Henry says that there has been an increase in COVID-19 cases in schools in the area, as well as in the wider community.

The order applies to Abbotsford, Agassiz, Boston Bar, Chilliwack, Harrison Hot Springs, Hope, and Mission. The following conditions are now in place for those communities:

Personal gatherings at private residences or vacation accommodations

People who are fully vaccinated

  • If all people age 12 or older are fully vaccinated, there are no restrictions on indoor or outdoor personal gatherings.

People who are not fully vaccinated

  • Indoor personal gatherings in private residences are limited to your household plus five visitors or one other household.

  • Outdoor personal gatherings at private residences are limited to your household plus up to 10 visitors, who must remain outside.

Organized gatherings

People who are fully vaccinated

  • Province-wide indoor and outdoor gathering capacity limits remain in place, with three additional requirements:

  • All people must be fully vaccinated and show proof of vaccination (BC Vaccine Card) to attend ticketed events (sports, movies, plays, festivals); indoor adult sport, fitness or dance activities, or gyms; and other gatherings or events of more than 10 people inside or 50 people outside

  • Organizers must collect contact information from all people

  • Events must have a COVID-19 Safety Plan

People who are not fully vaccinated

  • May not attend ticketed events (sports, movies, plays, festivals)

  • May not attend indoor adult sport, fitness or dance activities, or gyms

  • May only attend other gatherings or events if limited to 10 people inside or 50 people outside

Restrictions do not apply to programs for children or youth.

Workplaces

You must wear a mask in all indoor workspaces, unless:

  • You are alone in a room or there is a barrier between you and other people

  • Wearing a mask would interfere with the safe performance of your work duties

  • You have a valid exemption

Workplaces must have a COVID-19 safety plan in place as part of a workplace’s communicable disease plan.

Increased proof of vaccination requirements and the BC Vaccine Card

Proof of vaccination is required to access some events.In the Fraser East region, you must be fully vaccinated to meet the vaccine card requirement for events and gatherings. You’re fully vaccinated with two doses of vaccine.

This applies to:

  • Ticketed events, such as sports, concerts, theatre, dance

  • Nightclubs, casinos and movie theatres

  • Gyms, exercise and dance facilities or studios

  • Businesses offering indoor exercise/fitness

  • Indoor organized group recreational classes and activities with more than 10 people; such as pottery studios, art classes or choir rehearsals

  • Outdoor organized events not listed above with more than 50 people

More information:

For more information please visit the Fraser Health website or read the Medical Health Officer order.

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

Reminder: public health orders currently in place

As a reminder, the following province-wide public orders are currently in place:

The following regional public orders are also in place:

For more information about current restrictions, you can also visit these government websites:

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

Reminder: BC Vaccine Card is only valid proof of vaccination

Starting Monday, September 27, 2021, the BC Vaccine Card will be the only acceptable proof of vaccination for British Columbians to enter certain businesses and recreational events.

The transition period, which allowed people to present their paper record of immunization received at the time of their vaccination appointment, will end on September 26.

People can get their BC Vaccine Card online and keep a digital copy on their mobile device by taking a screen shot or saving the digital copy to the device’s photo album or downloads folder. Alternatively, people can print a hard copy to present when entering designated businesses and events.

For images of what the Vaccine Card looks like, click here.
Businesses can download the BC Vaccine Card Verifier App from the Google Play and Apple App stores and use the app to verify customers’ BC Vaccine Card, or visually verify the person’s proof of vaccination. Government-issued photo is required for those 19 and older.

The BC Vaccine Card includes a secure individualized QR code and image showing the holder is either “vaccinated” or “partially vaccinated.” People are now required to have received at least one dose of their COVID-19 vaccine, and both doses by October 24, to enter these settings.

For more information:

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

ID Requirement Update: we have confirmed with the Provincial Health Officer that individuals that ar renewing their driver’s license are able to use their interim driver’s license (yellow paper) as proof of government ID along with their BC Vaccine Card. Photo ID is not required in this limited situation.

Registration for 2021 BC Liquor Conference is open

The BC Liquor Conference is back for a sixth year and we’re going hybrid!

Hosted by ABLE BC, this year’s conference will take place online and in-person on Monday, October 25, 2021. A portion of the tickets are available to attend in person and the remaining are available for virtual attendance

No matter where you are in the province, tune in and get the liquor industry data, trends, and policy updates you can’t get anywhere else.

Register now for the 2021 BC Liquor Conference.

We don’t need to tell you that BC’s hospitality industry was hit first – and hit hardest – by the COVID-19 pandemic. The liquor industry has been forced to adapt and drastically change in this new normal, while complying with stringent new regulations that have limited your ability to operate profitably.

Join us at the 2021 Hybrid BC Liquor Conference and get the actionable steps and knowledge you need to rebuild after COVID-19.

Learn more and register now.

Good news! Food delivery fee cap extended

On Sunday, government announced they will be extending the food delivery fee cap, which limits the total fees food delivery companies can charge.

The food delivery service fee cap is being extended under the COVID-19 Related Measures Act and will immediately follow the expiry of the current temporary order put in place on December 22, 2020, under the Emergency Program Act. The current order was set to expire on September 28, 2021.

The order will continue to cap fees charged to restaurants from food delivery companies to 15%. An additional cap of 5% will also be extended for other related fees associated with use of the service, such as online ordering and processing fees. This will ensure companies cannot shift their delivery costs to other fees.

The revised order is set to expire on December 31, 2021, at which point it will be reviewed, taking into account the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

For months, ABLE BC has been working alongside industry partners, including the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association and Restaurants Canada to help tackle the significant impact delivery fees have on your bottom line. We are grateful to our government partners for listening to the needs of our industry, and extending this fee cap.

Report delivery companies that are not in compliance to the LCRB.

For more information, please read the government news release. If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact ABLE BC: info@ablebc.ca.

Comment on BC’s Permanent Paid Sick Leave

British Columbians are invited to have their say on three proposed options for permanent paid sick leave shaped by their responses to the first phase of consultation.

The options paper has been posted on government’s engagement site and is available for comment until October 25. Three options have been developed that cover the minimum number of days: three, five and 10 days of paid sick leave. To leave a comment on the engagement site, visit: https://engage.gov.bc.ca/paidsickleave/

ABLE BC will be submitting our recommendations, but we encourage you to do the same.

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

Update from ABLE BC: ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard met with Hon. Harry Bains, Minister of Labour this week about paid sick leave. He shared our members’ immense concerns that paid sick leave will add tens of millions of dollars to payroll costs at a moment when most of the industry is breaking even, or still losing money. We pushed him to delay any new costs to businesses, at least until our industry has recovered from the devastating financial impacts of this crisis.

New COVID-19 Signage Available

New signage is available in ABLE BC’s online store, reminding your regular customers that you have to check for proof of vaccination every time they enter your establishment.

Download a free PDF sign or purchase a laminated sign.

Visit ABLE BC’s online store for all COVID-19 signage.

Free ABLE BC Webinar: Government Relations and Advocacy Update on October 7

We invite you to join us at a Government Relations and Advocacy Update: Thursday, October 7 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am PT on Zoom.

RSVP here. A Zoom link will be provided one day prior to the webinar.

During this free webinar, ABLE BC’s Executive Director Jeff Guignard will provide an update on:

  • Current Provincial Health Officer public order restrictions and update on BC’s Restart Plan

  • BC Vaccine Card: industry survey results, enforcement, dealing with difficult customers, fake passports, and other frequently asked questions

  • Paid sick leave

  • Labour shortages

  • What ABLE BC is doing in the immediate future to support your businesses during COVID-19

  • Progress update on other policy priorities, including licensee sales, minimum pricing, and Business Technical Advisory Panel recommendations

  • And more

If you have any other questions or concerns, please contact Danielle Leroux (Director of Membership and Communications): danielle@ablebc.ca.

New Special Event Permit Online Application System

On September 21, the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch launched a new Special Event Permit (SEP) online application system. The new system replaces the current SEP application system, managed by the Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB), which will be decommissioned on October 4, 2021.

As you may know, event organizers, including caterers, can apply for a SEP through the to provide temporary or infrequent liquor service at an event. Earlier this summer, it was announced that private liquor retailers can sell to Special Event Permits.

What you need to know:

  • As of September 21, 2021, applicants will be able to apply for a SEP, pay fees, and get their permit online through the LCRB’s liquor and cannabis licensing portal

  • The new LCRB SEP application system has several login options to ensure system access and authentication. Applicants will need to login with either a Business BCeID, BC Mobile Card (BC Services Card on their mobile device), or a Basic BCeID. Businesses should allow one to two weeks for processing time if they are setting up a new Business BCeID. Learn more here.

  • Additional information about SEPs and how to login to the system will be available on the LCRB website.

  • Applicants who have an approved, unpaid SEP as of September 21, 2021 must pay for and download their permits within the old LDB online system before it is decommissioned on October 4, 2021.

  • Applicants with applications still under review as of September 21, 2021 will be notified of the outcome of their application from the lDB system soon thereafter and must pay for and download their permits using the old LDB online system before October 4, 2021.

If you have questions about SEP, please contact the LCRB’s SEP support team toll free at 1-855-999-7656 or by email at LCRB.SEP@gov.bc.ca.

PST Rebate on Select Machinery and Equipment: second application opens on October 1, 2021

The BC PST Rebate on Select Machinery and Equipment is a temporary provincial sales tax (PST) program to help corporations recover from the financial impacts of COVID-19. 

Under this temporary program, corporations can apply to receive an amount equal to the PST they paid between September 17, 2020 and September 30, 2021 on qualifying machinery and equipment. 

Please note – PST invoiced before the deadline but paid after September 30, 2021 does not qualify for the rebate.

Be aware that some businesses may be closed on September 30, 2021 for the new federal statutory holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. 

For more information, including eligibility requirements and access to the application, visit gov.bc.ca/corporatePSTrebate. Look for the ‘Apply Online’ box at the upper right of the page. 

If you have an eTaxBC logon for your PST account: 

  • Select the ‘Log on to eTaxBC’ option

  • Once logged in, select your PST account

  • Under ‘I Want To’ select ‘Apply for Select Machinery & Equip Rebate’

City of Vancouver Public Hearing: Patios for Liquor Manufacturers

The City of Vancouver is holding a public hearing on October 12, 2021 at 6:00 pm about the Zoning & Development By-law amendments to allow patios for liquor manufacturers.

The public hearing referral report can be found here.
Related Links:

These Public Hearings are to be convened by electronic means, with in-person attendance also available. You may participate in the Public Hearing either by speaking by phone or in person, or submitting comments that will be distributed to the Mayor and Councillors. 

All spoken and written comments will be publicly accessible on the City of Vancouver’s website with your full name attached. 

Due to COVID-19, a Public Health Order currently limits the number of members of the public that can attend the City’s Public Hearings in person.

Members of the public are strongly encouraged to attend remotely. Members of the public can listen and watch the proceedings via the City’s website or follow Twitter @VanCityClerk. If attending in person, members of the public must comply with the Public Health Order.

Send your comments to City Council: comment online or via mail to City of Vancouver, City Clerk’s Office, 453 West 12th Avenue, Third Floor, Vancouver, BC, V5Y 1V4.

Info Session on Propel: A new wage subsidy

Need help bringing on new staff? Hiring students is a great way to build your team for short-term needs and to build a talent pipeline for the long term! And now you can access a wage subsidy of up to $7,500 through Propel, a brand new Student Work Placement Program (SWPP)!

Propel is offered through Tourism HR Canada, a Canadian organization with a mandate aimed at building a world-leading tourism workforce. Propel is specifically designed to support the tourism and hospitality sector.

Learn more about how your organization can take advantage of this federally funded wage subsidy program and how to bring on students from hospitality and tourism management, culinary arts, and other programs from across the province at this info session on Monday, November 15th at 2:00pm (Pacific).

Brought to you by the Talent MATCH Program, a collaboration between go2HR, the BC Museums Association, the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture, and the Association for Co-operative Education & Work Integrated Learning, this info session will feature Rachel George and Joe Baker from Propel, who will explain how the program works and how to apply.

This info session is free, but you must register for it here.
Want more information on hiring students? Visit the Talent MATCH webpage for more details or contact Project Manager Debby Reis at TalentMatch@acewilbc.ca.

Ann Brydle