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.
Committees
Active committees comprised of expert volunteer members assist the organization. For information on the structure of the Committees, click here.
WGBC Export Committee
Work in conjunction with Wine Growers BC to advise and approve export programs based on the three-year WGBC Export Strategy. Critically analyze export programs, specific events and tasting opportunities that will allow BC wineries to enter and grow our brand in priority markets around the world. Programs will be designed using the collective knowledge of the committee to identify high level, strategic partnerships, and opportunities in key markets for winery participation.
Latest Updates
Next Scheduled: February 18, 2021
Thursday, February 11
First committee meeting took place where the outline of expectations, and role of the export committee and members were discussed. A high level overview of the three-year WGBC Wine Export Strategy was presented and reviewed. The committee discussed and confirmed focus markets for 2021 and best practices, strategies and initiatives to maintain brand relevance and awareness within these markets during and post COVID-19.
Finance & Risk Management Committee
Latest Updates
Next Scheduled: June 14, 2021
March 4, 2021
Approval of Wine Growers BC Fiscal 2022 Budget for approval by the Board of Directors
February 2021
Approval of FY21 Q3 financial statements for approval by the Board of Directors
November 25, 2020
Approval of FY21 Q1 financial statements for approval by the Board of Directors
Approval of BCWI Board Policy Review: Finance & Risk Management including update to Annual Banking Resolution / Change of Signatories policy
September 30, 2020
Approval of FY21 Q1 financial statements for approval by the Board of Directors
July 8, 2020
Presentation and review of the Fiscal 2019 Financial Statements as prepared by Grant Thornton LLP following its annual review with recommendation for Board approval.
Board Governance Committee
Latest Updates
Next Scheduled: January 2021
June 24, 2020:
Preparation for FY21 election of Directors, including review of Board effectiveness self-evaluation, Director skills /knowledge questionnaire results, Board composition and succession planning; preparation for annual President evaluation, with Committee recommendations to be presented to the Board of Directors at its July 2020 meeting.
Board Advocacy & Membership Committee
Recommends to the board policy priorities and strategies for advocating policy changes that benefit the British Columbia grape and wine industry and WGBC members.
Latest Updates
Next Scheduled: Ongoing
March 3, 2021
Review and approval of WGBC advocacy priorities for FY 2022
April 13, 2021
Review and prioritization of WGBC’s “Policy Recommendations for Growing the Domestic BC Wine Industry” White Paper
December 1, 2020
Recommend to the board advocacy priorities as identified at the November 3 & 4, 2020 retreat.
Government Relations Committee
Latest Updates
Next Scheduled: See Board Advocacy & Membership Committee
November 4, 2020
At the November 4th, 2020 board meeting it was determined that the BCWI Government Relations Committee (currently a management committee) would be restructured as a board committee and renamed Advocacy & Membership.
Marketing and Communications Committee
Latest Updates
Next Scheduled:
May 2021 Living the Brand Workshop
January 21, 2021 Final input to Fiscal 2022 Planning.
Presented updated Fiscal 2022 Plan with previous meeting’s discussion points and recommendations for final input.
December 16, 2020
Presented the updated Fiscal 2022 Advocacy, Communications and Marketing Operational Plan with revised objectives and strategies incorporating Marketing and Communications Committee and Board of Directors feedback.
November 25, 2020
Presented the preliminary Fiscal 2022 Advocacy, Communications and Marketing Operational Plan for discussion and recommendations.
February 6, 2020
Presented updated Fiscal 2020 Plan with previous meeting’s discussion points and recommendations by webinar for final input.
Task Groups
Ad hoc task groups are created from time to time to augment work done by either the Board or staff, and include invited member wineries to assist and provide input. For information on task group structures, click here.
Board: BTAP Input & Review task group
To provide the BC Wine Institute and industry overview and input into BTAP priorities and recommendations to government and provide the BC Wine Institute board ongoing updates
September 23, 2020
Status update including Hospitality Wholesale and Direct Deliver to Retail Customers from Registered Offsite Storage
June 18, 2020
Advised directors of discussions with government to mitigate the impact of the new hospitality pricing including:
o Increase in permanent listings in BCLS, with marketing programs
o Allow currently denied, certified 100% BC vineyards, to use alternative packaging
o The ability of wineries to direct deliver to customers from secondary warehouses
o Direct delivery SKLUs to be exempt from new hospitality wholesale pricing
Management: BC VQA Wine-in-Grocery Annual Marketing & Merchandizing Task Group (AMMP)
As required by the BCWI BC VQA Wine store-in-grocery operating agreement, the mandate is to develop an annual plan specific to the BC VQA Wine-in-grocery channel.
November 16th, 2020
BCWI meeting with the BCLS to review current programming and next steps including; Boutique Wines from BC Program, New Listing Invitation and BCLS BC VQA Room
Completed Task Groups – Final reports
BCWI Board: Policy Recommendations for Growing the Domestic BC Wine Industry (White Paper) – Completed (see December 3, 2019 Board Meeting Update)
BC Wine the BC Wine Institute Funding Structure Review Task Group – Completed May 2019 & PENDING Finance & Risk Management Committee Review Please see December 2019 Board Meeting update for further information.