August 25, 2022
Hon. Ernie Steeves
Minister of Finance and the Treasury Board
Chancery Place
P.O. Box 6000
Fredericton, NB E3B 5H1
Re: ANBL Craft Alcohol Producers Advisory Committee
Dear Minister Steeves,
We are encouraged by Alcohol New Brunswick Liquor’s (ANBL) March announcement regarding the creation of an ANBL Craft Alcohol Producer Advisory Committee and the open call for applications among producers in the province, which is an outcome of the series of 2021 meetings involving senior officials of the provincial government, ANBL and the New Brunswick Craft Alcohol Producers Association (NBCAPA). We also salute your efforts as provincial minister responsible for ANBL and the provincial government’s efforts and role in making this happen.
We think this is a positive step towards keeping the lines of communication open between the parties and enabling them to work together in the spirit of collaboration to advance our province’s potential economic growth in this emerging sector and we are hoping that this newly created committee will lead to mutually agreed upon key performance indicators (KPIs) that support market share growth and market stability.
As stated in previous letters, supporting the growth and prosperity of small business is at the core of our organizational values. We count among our members several craft alcohol producers who are employing local people, producing excellent-quality products, and creating another reason for locals and tourists to stop and buy local.
The June tabling of Auditor General Paul Martin’s report regarding ANBL’s role in the development of the province’s liquor industry supports our position and reinforces our opinion that ANBL must participate and engage in the development of the liquor industry in the province. We therefore reiterate that we urge your government to rework key performance indicators into ANBL’s mandate so they are empowered to both return a profit and support local industry.
We look forward to seeing the fruits of this collaboration and thank you once again for your continued cooperation.
Best regards,
John Wishart, Chief Executive Officer, Chamber of Commerce for Greater Moncton
Krista Ross, Chief Executive Officer, Fredericton Chamber of Commerce
David Duplisea, Chief Executive Officer, The Saint John Region Chamber of Commerce
Cathy Pelletier, Executive Director, Chambre de commerce d’Edmundston
Julie Pinet, Executive Director, Chambre de commerce Chaleur
Eric Normandeau, President, La Chambre de commerce et du tourisme du Grand Caraquet
Carol Alderdice, President and CEO, Tourism Industry Association of New Brunswick
Lisa Ashworth, President, Agricultural Alliance of NB
Maxime Gauvin, Executive Director, Really Local Harvest
Gaetan Thomas, CEO, Conseil économique du Nouveau-Brunswick
Cc:
Hon. Blaine Higgs, Premier, Province of New Brunswick
Hon. Arlene Dunn, Minister Responsible, Economic Development and Small Business, Opportunities New Brunswick, and Immigration, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs
Hon. Margaret Johnson, Minister of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries
Hon. Tammy Scott-Wallace, Minister of Tourism, Heritage and Culture
Hon. Ted Flemming, Minister of Justice and Public Safety
Lori Stickles, President and CEO, ANBL