Category: Canada

Town of Cardston, Alberta lifts prohibition law after 121 years

Cardston in Alberta, one of Canada’s few remaining dry towns, has recently voted to remove laws forbidding the sale of alcohol.

It was announced that last week the town council voted in favour of allowing “limited liquor sales.” The historic decision resulted in voting 5-2 in favour of a bylaw allowing restaurants and recreation facilities to apply for a liquor license.

The Mormon-founded town has maintained its Prohibition laws long after the rest of the province axed them in 1923, with previous attempts to have the ban lifted, in 1957 and 2014.

“Do I have fears? I do. But I trust the people,” said Cardston mayor Maggie Kronen. “Changes can be good, changes can be bad — we shall see.”

According to the 2021 census, 62% of Cardston’s residents are Mormons, belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which forbids the consumption of alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine.

It will still be some months before the first alcoholic drink is served at a Cardston restaurant as applications for liquor licenses will take some time to process.

British Columbia’s Wine Industry Hit Hard by Wildfires

Compounding an already challenging season, the devastating impacts of climate change are being felt throughout the Okanagan, Similkameen and Shuswap regions once again with active wildfire situations evolving throughout these regions. The wildfires not only have an impact on wine tourism but also the livelihoods of winery staff; many of whom have been evacuated themselves.

“At this time, the safety of our community is the top priority and we’re asking everyone to do their part, be mindful of the conditions, and make safe and responsible decisions. This is a challenging time for our community, impacting individuals, communities, and neighborhoods in the Central Okanagan. We extend our heartfelt thoughts to those who have experienced loss or are displaced and express our gratitude to all of the emergency responders on the frontlines for their tireless efforts to ensure the safety of those in our community.”

It is too early to know whether the wildfires will impact this vintage for select producers in the impacted regions. The study of how smoke impacts finished wine is evolving and depends on many variables and we will provide updates once the situation becomes clearer.

“With so many small businesses and wineries being affected by the fires and tourism impacts, we encourage the public to continue to support your favourite local suppliers and producers directly or via their online boutiques. Your support is crucial during this pivotal time of year and the businesses truly appreciate it.”

To support Wildfire Relief Efforts, the following charitable organizations are providing direct support to those affected:

  • The Canadian Red Cross
  • Mamas for Mamas
  • United Way
  • Central Okanagan Food Bank

Wine Growers BC will continue to provide updates on wine tourism and the smoke situation as it evolves. In the meantime, we encourage you to follow Wine Growers BC, Central Okanagan Emergency Operations, Destination BC, and Tourism Kelowna for community updates.

Source:  Wines of British Columbia

Judging for the Canadian Marketing Awards 2023 “Engagement Discipline”

I’m very proud and thrilled to have been selected by the Canadian Marketing Association this year to participate as a judge for the “CMA Awards 2023 “in the Engagement Discipline!

I’ve finished evaluating and assessing campaigns from across the Country, and found some creative, bold, and outstanding examples of “Engagement!”

What is Engagement?

Engagement is about the dialogue between brands and people – B2B, B2C, partners, or employees. To manage long-term relationships (quarterly or annually) or lifetime value-driven (as opposed to one-off tactics), the dialogue can use personalization, experiential techniques, content driven, or target a community.

Social media is used to spark continued exposure (earned media, impressions, and interactions) with:

  • current news items
  • public interest topics
  • influencer marketing
  • product promotions or organizational updates

I wish everyone Good Luck !

Liz Palmer

I’m thrilled and honored to be selected as a Senior Judge for the 2023 Canadian Marketing Awards

I’m thrilled and honored to be selected as a Senior Judge for the 2023 CMA Awards and will be judging “Engagement” entries!

Looking forward to reviewing the best in #CanadianMarketing alongside leading marketing professionals in Canada. Submit your entries by July 21, 2023 https://thecma.awardsplatform.com/

Liz Palmer
Wine Journalist, Author, and Global Influencer

The British Consulate General [Toronto] Announces U.K. Government’s new “Women and Girls Strategy” on International Women’s Day

In honor of International Women’s Day Greg Quinn, the British Consulate General [Toronto] officially launched the U.K. Government’s new “Women and Girls Strategy” at a reception at the National Club.

Here is the outline of the policy that The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office will use, along with the details and strategy that was outlined in Consul Greg Quinn’s speech:

The scale of the Strategy’s ambition reflects the increase in threats to gender equality and women and girls. Climate change, crises, and conflict disproportionately affect women and girls.

Attempts to hold back women’s and girls’ rights have gained momentum and are amplified online. Hard-won gains are threatened, and there is escalating instability.

The Strategy will be guided by 5 principles. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) will:

* stand up and speak out for women’s and girls’ rights and freedoms on the global stage and in bilateral relationships;

* embolden and amplify the work and voices of diverse grassroots women’s organizations and movements, championing their role as important agents for change;

* target investment towards the main life stages for women and girls to maximize our effectiveness and secure life-long and intergenerational impact;

* act for and with women and girls impacted by crises and shocks, including conflict, global health, climate change, violence, food insecurity and malnutrition, and the resulting humanitarian crises; and

* strengthen political, economic and social systems that play an important role in protecting and empowering women and girls, embracing innovative financing models and technology use to secure long-term development.

The FCDO will focus on the 3 thematic priorities:

* educating girls;

* empowering women and girls, championing their health and rights;  and

* ending gender-based violence

To achieve FCDO’s ambitions, the Strategy sets out 3 goals: to enable the conversation, lead by example and lead through knowledge.

The “Women and Girls Strategy paper can be found here:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/international-women-and-girls-strategy-2023-to-2030

In attendance were other Consulate representatives and a number of local women’s organizations.

What a moving and wonderful way to come together and celebrate International Women’s Day!