Board & Committee Reports

Past Reports
2019 Board Committee Report

Board of Directors

A volunteer Board of Directors comprised of nine elected voting winery members and two non-voting ex officio members governs the WGBC. For information about the Board structure, click here.

Latest Updates:

Next Scheduled: June 22, 2021

April 16, 2021 (Unscheduled)
Approval of updated Wine Growers BC Membership & Wines of BC Store Marketing Fees

March 9, 2021
Approval of updated Wine Growers BC Associate Membership Policy
Approval of Finance & Risk Management Committee recommendation to accept Wine Growers BC Fiscal 2022 Budget

February 18,  2021
Business of the Fiscal 2021 Q3 Board meeting included:
Approval of the Fiscal 2022 Operations Plan
Approval of the Finance & Risk Management Committee recommendation to accept Fiscal 2021 Q2 financial statements

December 9, 2020
Business of the Fiscal 2021 Q2 Board meeting included:

• Approval for the implementation of the BC Wine Export Strategy Plan for 2021 – 2023
• Approval of the Fiscal 2022 strategic goals & objectives
• Approval of the Finance & Risk Management Committee recommendation to approves Fiscal 2021 Q2 financial statements

November 4, 2020
Business of the Fiscal 2021 Q1 Board meeting included:

• Approval of the Fiscal 2022 Strategic Direction resulting from the Nov 3-4 board planning session
• Update on the BC Liquor Distribution Task’s Group White Paper
• Update on the advocacy work by BCWI and BTAP industry partners
• Boards review of Director representation on BCWI committees and task groups including changing current Government Relations Committee to a committee of the board and renamed the Advocacy Committee to include advocacy and member relations
• Appointment of Felix Egerer as the BCGA ex-officio Director
• Approval of the Finance & Risk Management Committee recommendation to approves Fiscal 2021 Q1 financial statements

September 1, 2020
BCWI Annual General Meeting included:

• Quorum of BCWI members approval of constitution and bylaws amendments for a name change to Wine Growers British Columbia.
• Quorum of BCWI members approval of constitution and bylaws amendments for Notice to Members to include in the form of an electronic document in accordance with BC Societies Act.
• Acclimation of directors Darryl Brooker, Josh Stewart, Greg Berti and Christa-Lee McWatters with quorum of BCWI members election of Santiago Cilley & Charlie Baessler, all for a three-year term.

July 21, 2020
Business of the Fiscal 2020 third quarter Board meeting included:

• Approval of the Fiscal 2019 Financial Statements as prepared by Grant Thornton LLP following its annual review. The statements had been reviewed by the Finance & Risk Management Committee, which recommended them for Board approval.
• New Member policy approval of a policy supporting the current bylaw of consideration of BCWI membership will include ‘producing 100% BC grape wine certified by the regulatory body’ (i.e. BCWA membership in good standing).  The board unanimously approved for membership Wesbert Winery & Foxtrot Winery.
• The BCWI Board BTAP Review Board Task Group advised directors of discussions with government to mitigate the impact of the new hospitality pricing including:
  • Increase in permanent listings in BCLS, with marketing programs
  • Allow currently denied, certified 100% BC vineyards, to use alternative packaging
  • The ability of wineries to direct deliver to customers from secondary warehouses
  • Direct delivery SKLUs to be exempt from new hospitality wholesale pricing

April 14, 2020
Unscheduled Board meeting included:

• Approval to amend the current BC VQA wine store (purchase model) operating agreement to allow for the sale of certified 100% BC (e.g. made from 100% BC agricultural inputs) grape and non-grape wine (e.g. cider, fruit wine, mead and sake) as determined by mutual agreement under the Annual Advertising Merchandizing Plan (AAMP) agreement provision and subject to the 20% BCWI non-member commission accordingly;
• Review of  FY21 Q1 budget reductions as a direct result of COVID-19 and to be applied to Q1 member dues invoicing.

February 18, 2020
Business of the Fiscal 2020 third quarter Board meeting included:

• Review of the Fiscal 2021 operational strategies which staff had prepared further to the Board’s approval of its annual business objectives. Subsequent follow up to requested additional information related to the BC Retail strategic priority with tactical specifics.
• Approval of the Finance & Risk Management Committee (F&RMC)-reviewed financial statements for the second quarter of Fiscal 2020;
• Approval of the Finance & Risk Management Committee recommendation for BCWI membership dues continue to be $0.10 per litre (plus GST) of all 100% BC grape wine sales within the province of British Columbia based on the prior available fiscal year (April 1 – March 31);
• Review of the collection of commissions from the wineries for sales to the BC VQA Wine stores on purchase model including BCWI invoice and collect the commissions directly;
• Presentation the Fiscal 2021 operations budget with the request to be revised to reflect a more modest increase in BCVQA wine store commissions and hold expenses to last year.  Subsequent approval of a revised budget with a decrease (0.5%) in expenses from last year
• Review of the BC VQA Wine Stores Product Offering, specifically consideration of a trial of select stores to include 100% BC non-grape wine.  Directors determined not to proceed as that the trail did not meet with the British Columbia Wine Institute mandate / constitution which focuses on certified 100% BC grape wine.

Following the meeting was a luncheon with Mike Procopio, Executive Director, Retail Operations, BC Liquor Distribution Branch and the executive of the BC Estate Winery Association, with topic of discussion to include informal follow up on the “White Paper” Task Group.