LCBO Food & Drink Autumn 2021

LCBO NOTES

From our President & CEO

Dear friends, As summer eases into fall, we re- main grateful for the ability to socialize safely again, going out with friends and family and entertaining more often at home. It is the time of year when the LCBO always pays special attention to Ontario—this year more than ever, as local businesses gather momentum after the trials of the last 18 months. A key part of the LCBO’s mandate is to have a positive impact on the prov- ince and our local producers, and this fall we are doing that in several different ways. First, I am excited to introduce our new fall campaign: For the Love of Local. This is an opportunity for all our neighbours—everyone from LCBO experts to local entrepreneurs, new On- tarians and people whose families have lived here for generations—to share their personal knowledge of the region they call home. We will be asking them to pick favourites from the array of 450 VQA wines the LCBO carries, while we also feature a different Ontario wine region each week on social media, high- lighting its wineries and the great vari- etal wines each area produces. You can find out more, and check out our VQA product map, at LCBO.com. Meanwhile, we are continuing our partnership with the United Way with a fundraising campaign to support local communities through COVID-19. Last year, we raised over $2.5 million; this fall, thanks to your generosity, we are committed to strengthening our impact. Another new program we are launching is the Spirit of Inclusion

Initiative, specifically designed to create opportunities for diverse women to enter, advance and thrive in the beverage alcohol industry. For our first year, we are providing scholarships and bursaries to those regis- tered in Niagara College’s various beverage alcohol programs, offering financial support for tuition, childcare and transportation costs, as well as support through a mentor- ship program. At Brock University, we are establishing a research scholar position to study industry diversity in Ontario and the barriers diverse women sometimes face in their careers. We are also providing mobility bursaries to assist students who are study- ing wine management at Brock complete a double degree through the university’s part- nership with Burgundy School of Business in France. In years to come, we will be scaling up the Spirit of Inclusion Initiative to reach students and professionals across Ontario. All this happens because of the Good Partnerships between the LCBO and the province’s post-secondary institutions, chari- table organizations and trade partners. To me, that underlines one of the lessons of the pandemic: that we are at our best when we pull together as a community and support every one of our neighbours. Wishing you a healthy and happy fall season.

PORTRAIT BY JAMES TSE

Coming soon to LCBO. Earn Aeroplan points for shopping at LCBO. Visit lcbo.com to learn more.

George Soleas President & CEO, LCBO

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AUTUMN 2021 FOOD & DRINK