In the Media

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Ian Tostenson, CEO of the British Columbia Restaurant and Foodservices Association (BCRFA), said he supports a national program that vets employers to exclude potentially abusive bosses. “As far as we’re concerned, anyone in our sector that doesn’t treat a worker well should be closed,” he said. Even with the migrant worker program, the local supply of chefs and cooks is falling short. When Tostenson convened a meeting with a few hundred restaurant owners last month, they concluded the industry was at a breaking point. “We’re going to start seeing restaurants close because they can’t function,” he said.

Korstrom has worked at BIV for a quarter-century, spending thousands of hours bringing attention to the challenges and successes within the province's hospitality industry.
“I am honoured to be here tonight. I am aware of the prestigious history of this award and the extraordinary talents of the people who have preceded me and who are being inducted alongside me,” Korstrom said.

BCRFA president Ian Tostenson warned that the strike’s effects could last months even after a resolution. “The last time there was a strike — for two and a half weeks — it took three months to restore the system. We’re going into week eight.”

Ian Tostenson, CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association, says a collapse has begun. “We are already seeing bankruptcies,” Tostenson said. “If the strike doesn’t stop within three weeks, it’s going to push our industry over the edge.”

“Local restaurants can buy B.C., but it's not an easy process, as there's no distribution network to take on that load. "It's not as easy as picking up the phone and calling; it's a mess," says Ian Tostenson.

“We don’t think small businesses should be caught in the middle of a labour dispute,” Ian Tostenson said. “There are 7,500 licensed restaurants in the province, with about 100,000 employees who will be disadvantaged by this.”

Well-recognized voice and go-to point of contact for media and government inquiries, crisis response, industry forecasting, etc.
Took the lead in bringing rideshare to British Columbia.
Credibility and connections to mobilize industry collaboration and involvement in order to ensure better business outcomes through the pandemic and beyond.
At the forefront of securing wholesale liquor pricing and introduction of liquor delivery for industry.
Successfully delivering favourable improvements to WorkSafeBC regulations, increasing in employer health tax threshold, securing patio program expansions, and numerous other business benefits outcomes in communities throughout BC.