B.C.’s craft brewing industry is growing by leaps and bounds, enticing visitors to all parts of the province, and bringing economic growth to our communities. This has been especially true along the Sunshine Coast, where many breweries have set the bar for quality, all the while reinvigorating entire neighbourhoods.
This October is the eighth-annual B.C. Craft Beer Month, making it the perfect time to celebrate local breweries. In every corner of the province workers are building their communities as craft brewing contributes to local agriculture, tourism, and restaurants. They have embedded themselves in the hearts of our communities and deserve our recognition.
When you think of B.C.’s craft beer, you may think of hops and hipsters, but it’s so much more than that. Right here on the Sunshine Coast we have seen increased tourism, as people follow the “BC Ale Trail,” a self-guided tour of local breweries. Year round, local shops, restaurants, and hotels all benefit from the cluster of breweries along the coast.
In Powell River, we are lucky to have Townsite Brewing.
Townsite Brewing is an award-winning craft brewery located on the Upper Sunshine Coast. They are home to B.C.’s only Belgian Brewing Engineer, and have been producing great ale, all the while giving back to the community, and providing good jobs. They employ 20 members of the community, many now homeowners in Powell River. I’ve had the pleasure to meet many of these workers, learn from them, and hear firsthand how passionate they are about brewing, but also about Powell River.
Last week I met with Townsite Brewing Co-Owner, Michelle. She reminded me how local B.C. Craft breweries can give back in more ways than one. Have you ever heard of a zunga? Unless you’re from Powell River you may have never come across the word. It means a rope swing over water, and the word has long been a part of the community’s unique identity. Townsite named one of their ales zunga, to celebrate and acknowledge their community.
And it’s not just Powell River that have benefited from having local breweries in their community, the Lower Sunshine Coast has as well — with four wonderful breweries already well-established and two more on the way. From Victoria to Prince George, more than 4,000 British Columbians are employed by craft breweries. Each craft brewery is locally owned and operated by our friends and neighbours, fellow British Columbians. They raise their families in our communities, they invest in B.C.’s economy, and they provide us with some of the best beer in the world!
It’s important we support this industry, so that it can continue to grow. When I asked Michelle what we can do to support craft beer, she said whether you fill up a growler for a party, or give a t-shirt to a friend, or have your next team building exercise at your local brewery — you will be supporting craft brewing, and all of it’s many benefits. When you are purchasing beer for an event, think of your hometown brewery first. By spending your dollars in your own community, you ensure that the money stays there and supports local jobs and products.
Under the previous BC Liberal government, we saw the wholesale price of locally produced beer and spirits rise, due to poorly planned liquor reform legislation. We are doing things differently. Rather than hiking prices, we are working with industry specialists to support B.C. liquor.
The Ministry of Agriculture has been incredibly supportive of our craft beer industry. We leveled the playing field for craft brewers on Agricultural Land Reserves, by updating a regulation to require all alcohol producers operating within the ALR to source at least 50 per cent of the primary farm product used in their alcohol from their own or other B.C. farms.
And we’ve restored the Buy BC program so that our local producers and growers have a tool to help showcase their products. Michelle told me just how key local markets are in supporting craft beer, and I’m glad our New Democrat government is taking action.
As craft breweries continue to flourish throughout B.C. I anticipate even more great opportunities ahead for B.C. craft brewers through our Buy BC program that highlights our local products. To learn more about Buy BC, go to: http://www.eatdrinklocal.ca/
Can’t wait to enjoy Thomas Uphill Amber Ale at @swansvictoria. Now we can all appreciate his decades of public service with a #craftbeer! pic.twitter.com/p4M27ORyfH
— Nicholas Simons (@NicholasSimons) October 27, 2017