Meet the ABLE BC Board of Directors: Al Deacon, Director

Al Deacon was born into the hospitality industry. His father worked for Labatt Brewing and his family owned and operated two hotels, the 150 Hotel in Al’s hometown of 150 Mile House and King Eddy (now The Met Hotel) in New Westminster. Al grew up working in the family businesses and he has poured his heart and soul into the industry his whole life.

His family bought Fox’n Hounds Pub in 1983. At the time, Al was working in grocery and playing high-level volleyball in his spare time. But the call to hospitality was too loud to ignore, so Al joined the team as a janitor when he was 19. A few short years later when pubs were allowed to open on Sundays, Al stepped into bartending, filling the gaps on the busy weekends, and later buying into the business with his sister. They eventually built the Rock’n Firkin Pub but later sold it to focus solely on Fox'n Hounds. As soon as they were able to expand with the addition of the Sahali Liquor Store, they jumped on the opportunity.

Al has been a long-time member and Director of ABLE BC, from long before we became the Alliance of Beverage Licensees. When he first joined the Board we were still known as the Neighbourhood Pub Owners Association and Al was one of the youngest Directors. He worked closely with his mentors, first his parents Joe and Jean Deacon, and later Gordon Cartwright, Al Arbuthnot, Dave Crown, and Ron Slinger, just to name a few. Al worked with other Directors and ABLE members to build up a sense of community among hospitality professionals across BC.

One of Al’s goals as a member of ABLE’s Board of Directors is to have all pubs and private liquors stores join the Alliance. There is great power in numbers, and a growing membership base means that ABLE can be even more effective when lobbying for the needs of our industry, protecting the value of our members’ businesses, and securing the best deals with our benefit providers. Without the support of our members we simply can’t do our job, so sign up today!

In Al’s view, ABLE’s biggest strength is our team. There have been countless talented Executive Directors and Board members in the past, but the team in place now is a great one. Jeff Guignard is a “gunslinger” with great political, leadership, and negotiation skills. He helped guide our industry through the pandemic, and he’s the right leader to help navigate the labour crisis we’re facing as we start to rebuild.

Al is a proud publican and he loves the hospitality industry. He runs his pub like he runs his home, inviting his guests in warmly and going out of his way to make sure they have a great night out. Entertaining is in his blood and he takes great pride in his business and his community.