VANCOUVER — The 2010 B.C. Foodservice Expo — which is owned and operated by the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association and runs April 25 to 26 at the Vancouver Convention Centre — will become the home of the International Caterers Association's (ICA's) Regional Education Day for the first time.

The symposium will take place at the show on Monday, April 26, from 1:00 to 6:00 p.m., and it will feature: discussion on sales, marketing and design topics, key speakers, pop-up seminars, a roundup of catering trends and networking opportunities. Expo attendees will also be granted free admission to ICA's seminar, 'Sixty Catering Ideas in Sixty Minutes.’

VANCOUVER — A recent article in The Vancouver Sun is urging wine drinkers to cheer up, as they could soon be enjoying their favourite vino for less.

With the Canadian dollar steadily climbing, cheaper, high-quality wines are on the horizon. According to The Sun, though Napa Valley has reported record losses, the declines mostly have to do with the wane in popularity of pricier brands that deflect money-conscious consumers with intimidating “super-premium” labels.

SURREY, B.C. — British Columbia’s Grandview Corners Shopping Mall in South Surrey has become the home of the newest De Dutch Pannekoek House. The opening marks the first of several more scheduled for 2010.

“We are so pleased to start the string of this year’s new restaurant openings with our new location in the South Surrey area, which is a young, vibrant community experiencing positive and steady growth,” said Bill Waring, the company’s president. The location is headed by franchisee Michelle Kendall, who managed the company’s Strawberry Hill, Surrey location.

VICTORIA — British Columbia’s restaurant industry was left out in the cold again, as yesterday’s budget failed to alleviate any of the pressure operators will face with the introduction of HST in July.

"The province broke a promise to our industry when they introduced the HST, and today they have broken another one by offering nothing in the budget to lessen the impact on our industry," says Mark von Schellwitz, vice-president Western Canada for the Canadian Restaurant and Foodservices Association (CRFA).