bcbusiness.ca DECEMBER 2015 BCBusiness 11
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Jacob Parry's story about the Agricultural
Land Reserve ("The Untouchables," Octo-
ber 2015) elicited a couple of comments,
including the observation that if the
ALR
had not been established in the early
'70s, the Lower Mainland would have air
quality, density and traffic issues similar
to Los Angeles. And Lenore newman,
Canada Research Chair in Food Security
and Environment of the University of the
Fraser Valley, writes, "Replacing these
critical lands with low-density sprawl
that will worsen gridlock and diminish our
region's livable brand is simply bad busi-
ness," noting that 90 per cent of the
ALR
in the Fraser Valley is in active agricultural
production and releasing
ALR lands is a
poor–and irreparable–short-term fix.
Instead, she says, we need to get creative
with our housing solutions: "Developers
covet the
ALR because building on farm-
land is easy. That doesn't make it wise."
Spirited Debate
Not all craft distillers feel that B.C.'s
denition of craft distilling is restrictive
("Glass Half Full," October 2015). Tyler
Schramm, Pemberton Distillery owner
and a member of the Craft Distillers
Guild of BC, argues that the industry
standards are regarded as leading edge
in the North America microdistilling
world. "When purchasing a craft spirit,
consumers can be assured that ingre-
dients are 100 per cent B.C. grown and
that the product is completely crafted
on site," he says. He notes that the craft
designation is meant to spur innova-
tion and increase agri-tourism, adding
that it's working, with local distilleries
taking full advantage of the ingredients
our province o‰ers: whiskies from B.C.
wheat, rye, corn and malted barley; gin,
vodka, absinthe, brandy and liqueurs
from B.C. fruits, potatoes and grains,
and even rum from B.C. honey.
'Tis the season to be drinking—at least according
to stats from the BC Liquor Distribution Branch.
In December, liquor sales double and, in some
cases, triple compared to other months of the
year. So what about you? Between October 6 and
14, we received 109 responses to the question:
How much do you plan to spend on booze in
December?
Poll of the Month
About the same
as (or less than)
other months
33.03%
(36 votes)
A little
more than
usual
30.28%
(33 votes)
I don't buy booze
9.17%
(10 votes)
Too
much
27.52%
(30 votes)
Don't Be t t he Farm
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Manning Elliott's Newest Partner
Manning Elliott is pleased to announce the addition of Rick Mertens, CBV, CPA, CGA, to our fi rm. An expert in his
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To speak with Rick , call 604-895-8579 or send him an email at rmertens@manningelliott.com
Manning Elliott Accountants & Business Advisors
has merged with Mertens Valuation Services, Ltd. -
signifi cantly extending the range of specialized
business services.
11th Floor, 1050 West Pender Street
Vancouver, BC, Canada
V6E 3S7
www.manningelliott.com
