Meet the ABLE BC Board of Directors: Al McCreary, Treasurer & Past President

The next member of ABLE BC’s Board of Directors that we will be introducing is Al McCreary. Al is an incredibly important ABLE member who has served many years on the board in various positions. Most recently he has wrapped up another term as President, and we couldn’t be more grateful for his service. Now, he is entering into a term as Treasurer, putting his accounting expertise to good use. And as Past President, he will be available to chair board meetings if Yvan is ever unavailable.

Al is no stranger to BC’s hospitality industry, having opened the Hudson Bay Lodge in Smithers in the early 1980s. He has also been an active member of the Smithers community since the mid-70s, and was even awarded the Hudson Bay Mountain’s Legendary Local Award in 2019 for his commitment to the local ski community.

Al has been involved with ABLE BC from the very start. He first joined the BCHA Board of Directors in the late 90s and in 2004 was part of the committee that oversaw the merger between the BC Liquor Licensees & Retailers Association, BC & Yukon Hotel Association, and BC Cabaret Owners Association that created the Alliance of Beverage Licensees. To say that Al was instrumental in building this organization would be an understatement!

When asked what ABLE’s Board of Directors should be focusing on as we come out of the pandemic, Al noted two most important issues. For our LRS members, ABLE BC needs to work on building a level playing field being private stores and the LDB. As our LRS members already know, navigating an industry where the wholesaler is also the main competition is one of the biggest challenges.

He also understands that the labour crisis is going to continue affecting all of our members in a significant way for years to come. While there is no quick fix for this, Al and ABLE are going to continue working with our members to alleviate the strain in every way possible.

Like so many of us, Al loves the social side of the hospitality industry and getting to meet all kinds of people from all over. Even as a lifetime member of the industry, Al doesn’t think he’ll ever get bored. There’s always someone new and something different going on and of course, new products coming out! After a long day's work, you'll likely find Al relaxing with a fine glass of BC wine.