Restaurants Canada gives B.C. a ‘C’ grade for liquor policies
Posted September 10, 2019 10:48 am.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The industry group Restaurants Canada is giving British Columbia a “C” grade for its liquor policies, but it adds progress is being made. Slowly.
Right now, the province still controls the distribution of liquor to licensed establishments, and bar owners who want to buy bottles from private retailers are still out of luck, at least for now.
A report last year from wine lawyer Mark Hicken listed two dozen ways the province could improve the liquor industry. But Mark von Schellwitz with Restaurants Canada says the industry hasn’t seen enough action in the most essential areas.
“Many of our members would like to buy – especially single bottle picks and unique liquor products – from their local private liquor store, and right now that’s not possible at all in British Columbia,” von Schellwitz says.
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He says his organization doesn’t like that the province is phasing out the liquor server wage, arguing it makes it harder to retain back-of-house staff who don’t earn tips.
Out of all the provinces, B.C. ranks right in the middle of the pack when it comes to liquor, and von Schellwitz says it has a lot of catching up to to with its neighbour to the east.
“Alberta, next door, is best in class. They have a fully privatized, wholesale price. People have many choices of where they can purchase the product.”
New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador are at the bottom of the list with a D minus.
Von Schellwitz says he is hopeful the province will still follow through on the recommendations of the Hicken report.
