VICTORIA, BC – The Victoria Beer Week Society (VBWS) and the Great Canadian Beer Festival Society (GCBFS) have announced that management and production of the annual Great Canadian Beer Festival (GCBF) will be passing to the VBWS starting with the 2019 edition.
Following the 26th annual GCBF this past September, the longstanding GCBFS directors team – including Phil Atkinson, Gerry Hieter, Claudia McNeil, John Rowling, and Petra Trafford – decided to retire, and contacted the VBWS to offer them the opportunity to take over the event. With as agreement now in place for VBWS to do so, the non-profit GCBFS will be dissolved.
“Over the past five years, Glen Stusek, Ryan Malcolm, Joe Wiebe, Chris Nohr and the many alumni of the Victoria Beer Week Society have demonstrated a commitment to craft beer and a quality in their events that we believe will reflect the values of the Great Canadian Beer Festival,” said Gerry Hieter, GCBF Chairman, in a statement. “Under their stewardship, we look forward to enjoying future GCBFs and having a beer with you all on the field!”
“We are honoured to be given this opportunity to sustain and build upon the legacy created by Gerry Hieter, John Rowling and the other key organizers of GCBF,” said Joe Wiebe on behalf of the VBWS. “We are very excited about what the future holds.”
The 6th annual Victoria Beer Week will take place at bars and venues throughout the city on March 1st to 9th, 2019. The 27th annual Great Canadian Beer Festival will follow on September 6th and 7th, 2019 at Victoria’s Royal Athletic Park.
Source & Photo: Victoria Beer Week Society & Great Canadian Beer Festival Society press release