B.C. charities face changes to including booze in gift baskets at fundraisers

VICTORIA – The B.C. government is eliminating rules that prevented charities and non-profit organizations from including liquor in gift baskets at fundraising events.

Energy Minister Rich Coleman, who’s in charge of liquor policy, says the law was outdated.

The change means the liquor must be commercially produced and can’t be consumed at events such as auctions.

But charities that raise money using liquor only will have to wait until new legislation is in place, and for now they’ll need to get a special occasion licence.

The current law forced the Belfry Theatre in Victoria to cancel its wine auction after B.C.’s Liquor Control and Licensing Branch sent a letter prohibiting it from auctioning donated bottles of wine.

Coleman says liquor laws are being modernized because many of them have been around since Prohibition.