In the Fall 1943, while World War II raged on, representatives of more than 20 brewing companies gathered in Winnipeg, Manitoba. The meeting achieved an unanimous agreement to establish a national trade association that would foster better relations within the brewing industry and with the public at large. The Dominion Brewers Association (DBA) – renamed the Brewers Association of Canada in 1963 – was born on October 25, 1943. Through the following 61 years, issues faced by the brewing industry and the Association have continued to parallel developments in the broader Canadian political, economic and social environment. In more recent decades, as Canadians have heightened their awareness of health and social concerns, the Brewers Association of Canada and its members have increased resources devoted to those areas. Particularly noteworthy are the many initiatives and partnerships that Canadian brewers have developed through their Responsible Consumption program. The Brewers Association of Canada Information Resource Centre (IRC) is the information and communications hub for members and for staff on matters of national and international concern to the brewing industry. The IRC collection consists of five hundred monographs, about 70 journals and a multitude of government documents (federal, provincial and international). Subject matter covered includes information on the brewing process, social and economic issues associated with the consumption of alcoholic beverages and industry statistics. Further information on the Brewers Association of Canada and the industry can be found at http://www.brewers.ca. ............ The IRC is a one-person library and has been overseen by Mr. Edwin Gregory since 1984. A graduate of the University of Western Ontario’s Masters Program (London, Ontario) in Library and Information Science, Mr. Gregory also has an undergraduate degree in Journalism and English from Carleton University (Ottawa). Mr. Gregory also represents industry on a government-industry liaison group that focuses on energy efficiency. The Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation (CIPEC) – http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/cipec/ieep/cipec/index.cfm - encourages effective voluntary action that reduces industrial energy use per unit of production. The intended outcome is an improvement in economic performance while participating in meeting Canada’s climate change objectives. Mr. Gregory also serves as communications’ advisor to CIPEC. According to Mr. Gregory, a defining characteristic of the special librarian today is the ability to provide crucial or “value-added” information vital to meeting the needs of the Association and its members. One must separate the “barley” from the “chaff”. Ultimately, it is the organization of internal information resources that forms the basis for providing the right information at the right time. Information available from the Brewers of Canada Statistics
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