Sid Ruhland, Brew Chief at Firehall Brewery in Oliver (File photo)

Dale Boyd
Osoyoos Times
The “unusually collaborative” craft beer industry is coming together to support all B.C.-based businesses during the COVID-19 crisis and remind residents to keep their dollars in the community.
Alcohol producers across the province working together is no surprise to Brew Chief at Oliver’s Firehall Brewery, Sid Ruhland.
The brewery recently joined Time to Buy BC, a non-political group made up of small and medium-sized business owners across the province formed in response to the COVID-19 crisis to promote support for B.C. businesses.
“The craft beer industry has always been unusually collaborative, which I’ve always been proud to be a part of, so it’s no surprise that we’ve come together in this way,” Ruhland said.
Adjusting to business in the new normal has been dramatic for the local brewery, but Ruhland has been on beer deliveries and keeping services going in a different way like many other businesses during the pandemic.
“Apart from the stress and frustration one could expect, we miss so many of the friends, employees, customers, suppliers, and associates we would normally brush shoulders with on a day-to-day basis,” Ruhland said.  “Fortunately, there’s no shortage of supportive information coming from organizations like the South Okanagan Chamber of Commerce, the BC Brewers Guild, the Oliver Tourism Association, and Destination Osoyoos.”
Ruhland hopes the Time to Buy BC initiative will help residents “recognize where and how they choose to spend their money makes a real difference.”
Today, Time to Buy BC represents the province’s beverage alcohol sector, but in the future it could expand to align with any B.C. business or manufacturer that meets the simple criteria to participate: Be a B.C.-based business, which locates its activities here in B.C., including all management and workers jobs, and ensuring the income and payment cycle of its B.C. business adds to the local economy.
“Then they may choose to keep their money in their own neighbourhood, and purchase a local product or service instead of something more mainstream. Keeping money in our communities protects them from collapse in extreme times, but is also good in the long run for creating exciting and healthy places to live,” Ruhland said.
The reception to beer deliveries has been positive in the community, and customers have been patient and kind as the business adjusts to the new way of operating.
“Many people have asked us to continue this service, once things ‘go back to normal,’ or whatever the new normal will be. And we just may do that,” Ruhland said.
After a strong start to 2020 for the brewery, it was frustrating for the brewery to lose momentum with the forced shutdown, staff layoffs and halting of brewing, Ruhland said.
“But it also meant we were lucky to go into this with minimal debt. Many parts of our expense cutbacks were heartbreaking, like having to lay off our amazing staff and stop brewing. But by keeping the heat and lights off, working for free, and using the CERB (Canada Emergency Response Benefit) to feed the family, then we should be able to sustain the business for at least a few months, as long as home-delivery beer orders come in every day,” Ruhland said.
The local brewery hasn’t seen as much traffic as usual though.
“We run a real risk of having to eventually dump a lot of stale beer. But in many ways we are lucky, and we don’t take that for granted; we have a loyal following of friends and customers that are passionately supporting us, through purchases and social media. Thank you to them,” Ruhland said. “So we are optimistic that we’ll be able to survive until we can cautiously re-open when public health gives the word, according to whatever safety measures are required.