BURST
Perhaps you’re seeing red. Or envisioning white.
Whichever grape or vintage you were hoping to have with your Thanksgiving dinner this week, chances are you’ll have to buy it from a private liquor store, as the B.C. General Employees Union strike means every provincially owned liquor outlet is closed.
Were you hoping to have a post-meal puff on your favourite cannabis strain, or need some gummies for pain relief? Again, the strike means all B.C. government weed stores are shut. That’s 198 government liquor stores and 40 cannabis stores that have been shut down across the province.
Here’s a look at some of the other services and products you won’t be able to get while the BCGEU and provincial government are at a negotiating standoff over wages.
Restaurants and breweries
It’s not just the home table that is going dry. Local restaurants, eateries and breweries are feeling the pinch, with at least one major season event cancelled so far due to the beer shortage after all government liquor distribution was halted.
With nearly half of restaurants operate at a loss or breaking even, according to Restaurants Canada, removing the ability to serve alcohol with food is going to have a devastating effect on the 183,000 British Columbians in the industry. Restaurants and bars are required to purchase their stock from the now-closed B.C. Liquor stores.
Ken Beattie, the executive director of the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild, wrote a letter to BCGEU head Paul Finch, proposing that the distribution centres be reopened for retailers to purchase from, while keeping the liquor stores closed.
“Several breweries have reached out to me this week to share the devastating impact on their business, including the difficult decision to lay off employees. Given this, we are proposing that the BCGEU redirect its strike activities away from the LDB warehouse and head office and instead focus on all B.C. Liquor Stores,” he wrote.
“This measure would facilitate the delivery of B.C. craft beer and B.C. wine to the hospitality sector, thereby supporting locally owned businesses while enabling the continuation of strike action.”
Those looking to stock up for Thanksgiving should consider visiting a local brewery, winery or distillery where you can buy your beverage of choice direct from the producer.
Arenas and venues
While each arena and venue in Vancouver has its own set of logistics to manage, there were no worries about a beer shortage at the Vancouver Canucks’ season opener Thursday at Rogers Arena against the Calgary Flames .
A Canucks spokesperson Thursday said that they stocked up on suds for the start of the season several weeks ago. That’s standard operating procedure for them every season, the spokesperson added.
Service B.C. Offices
Service B.C. oversees many services offered by the provincial government, from your health card, birth certificates, business registration, tenancy disputes and vital statistics.
Thye are suspending those services, with the exception of those related to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction, which handles income and disability assistance.
Want to file for a marriage certificate? Put those nuptials on hold. Those seeking hunting or fishing licenses will have to find a private retailer .
Post-secondary students are also feeling the crunch, as StudentAid B.C. has been taken offline, taking away access to loans, grants, and applications.
Drivers’ Services
So you want to get your drivers’ licence renewed. Or even just take the knowledge test. You’re out of luck if you only have access to Service B.C. locations, which have suspended access to these services. There may be an ICBC centre nearby that offers them instead.
Areas with Service B.C. locations that are still running road tests: Chetwynd, Dease Lake, Nelson, Port Alberni, Prince Rupert, Revelstoke, Salmon Arm, Smithers, and Stewart.
Some road tests have been redirected to nearby ICBC Claim Centres, with impacted customers being notified directly.
These Service B.C. locations are as follows:
• Campbell River, 820 12th Ave.
• Courtenay, 505 Crown Isle Blvd.
• Cranbrook, 126 Briar Ave. NW
• Dawson Creek, 1 — 12008 8th Ave.
• Duncan, 5151 Polkey Rd.
• Fort St John, 10507 100 St.
• Penticton, 90 Industrial Ave.
• Quesnel, 251 North Star Rd.
• Vernon, 2302 48th Ave.
• Terrace, 4612 Keith Ave.
• Trail, 2985 Highway Dr.
• Williams Lake, 260A Broadway
As well, the Service B.C. centres in Atlin, Dease Lake, Bella Coola and Stewart are currently not offering ICBC insurance services.
Provincial Courts
While hearings for traffic infractions or driving prohibitions are being adjourned because of a lack of adjudicators, an overtime ban for corrections officers and sheriffs has severely affected prisoner transport and other court functions as well.