December 21st , 2020

Update
Following a site inspection on December 15th by Fraser Health Authority with no further amendments, we have received instructions today to commence operations after December 24th.  Our Surrey location will re-open and resume regular operations on Monday December 28th.  

Wishing all our staff and their families a safe and calm holiday season filled with joy and love.  May we welcome the New Year with hope, positivity and kindness.      

Wingtat Game Bird Packers

December 16th , 2020

Update
Our Surrey location closed on December 11th and we have since received the support and help from our industry partners. We are immensely grateful for our employees, customers and partners for their understanding during this challenging time. By December 14th, Wingtat has promptly followed and completed the recommendations of Fraser Health Authority that will further strengthen our COVID-19 Safety Plan. All of which was reviewed on December 15th via an onsite inspection by Fraser Health Authority with no further amendments for a safe re-opening of our Surrey location. Mass testing of our employees was also promptly done and completed on December 11th which identified the additional employees whom are asymptomatic.

As we wait for further instructions from Fraser Health Authority, we also want to extend our thoughts to all our employees and their families for a safe, smooth recovery during their time of rest and isolation at home.

Wingtat Game Bird Packers

December 11th , 2020

Update
It is now close to one year since the pandemic was declared. After months and months of continued efforts and hard work of our dedicated team, today, we are informing our customers and our communities that our sister establishment in Surrey, located in the Fraser Health region, has been advised that there are confirmed, positive cases of COVID-19 of employees. They have remained home for isolation since the start of their mild, flu-like symptoms. Our operation in Surrey is closed on December 11th as our Management team works closely together with Fraser Health and Canada Food Inspection Agency authorities for further guidance and recommendations after reviewing our implemented onsite safety measures and protocols. The Public Health team’s objective is to ensure that our Surrey establishment is set forth to reopen safely to continue regular operations, while keeping everyone onsite safe.
 
Rest assured, food safety is not compromised. According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, “There is no evidence to suggest that food is a likely source or route of transmission of the virus. At this time, there have been no confirmed cases of food or food packaging being associated with the transmission of COVID-19. All Canadians should continue to follow good hygiene practices during food handling and preparation, such as: washing hands regularly, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, cooking meat thoroughly, and avoiding potential cross-contamination between cooked and uncooked foods.”
 
Our main office, as well as our packaging and warehouse facility in Richmond, remain open and in operation. In the midst of our province’s second wave, we want to share that this is definitely not how our Company and employees want to end this already challenging year. As we embark on all the new and unknown hurdles in the coming days and weeks ahead, we would greatly appreciate your understanding, support and patience as the authorities involved guide us along.

We will remain calm; we will continue to reinforce workplace safety and food safety as we have always done so for the past 30+ years; and we promise we will come back stronger.

Wingtat Game Bird Packers

December 2020

Our COVID-19 Measures
As per order by Public Health in November, masks are required in all workplaces for shared work areas and areas where physical distancing cannot be maintained. We continue to reinforce the importance of proper hygiene practices. We continue to follow the recommendations of Public Health and work along side any health authorities who provide routinely inspections of our facilities.

June 2020

Our COVID-19 Measures
Since our last update in Spring, we have continued to implement and add to our list of prevention measures to further help reduce risks to our employees, their households and our communities.

We have implemented these measures during the Spring which include:

• Temperature checks & health questionnaire for anyone entering our facilities. Only essential visitors are allowed to enter our building.
• Daily temperature checks & daily health questionnaire for our employees.
• Daily scheduled sanitization of common areas and high touch surfaces throughout the day.
• Staggered coffee and lunch breaks.
• Physical distancing in common areas and on production lines when possible.
• Plexiglass separations at reception counter and in lunchrooms.
• New masks are provided daily and worn by our employees.
• Sanitizer dispensers throughout the facility.
• Signs/reminders/information posted throughout the facility on: social distancing, hand washing and public health recommendations.

March 13^th, 2020

In line with the efforts and response of our local and global communities to the COVID-19 situation, Wingtat is taking the necessary actions and precautions to ensure the well-being, the health and the safety of our Wingtat employees, customers and the communities whom we work with and service to.

We continue to closely monitor and follow the guidance of the World Health Organization and the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) regarding the Coronavirus. As concerns rise, we want to personally reach out and let you know what we are doing to reinforce the safety of our employees and the food products we supply.

Since we first established over thirty years ago, food safety has always been our top priority. Currently, there is no known potential risk of the virus to food safety. However, we continue to prioritize food safety in our daily operations via strict food safety protocols. We continue to monitor, review, update and improve our procedures as the COVID-19 situation changes.  As always, we are working together with Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) to ensure our production facilities and products optimally meet and/or exceed high food safety standards. The Agency is dedicated to safeguarding food, animals and plants, which enhances the health and well-being of Canada's people, environment and economy.

Our employees are reminded to always wash their hands thoroughly. In addition to all the hand washing stations in place throughout our facilities, we have also increased the number of hand sanitizing stations for our employees, customers and visitors. We continue to emphasize to our employees the importance of personal hygiene and health.

To ensure our workplace environment is healthy and safe for our employees to come to work each day, employees returning to British Columbia from visiting and/or transiting through areas and countries affected by the Coronavirus are asked to postpone their return to work by a period of 14 days. Our visitors and business contacts are also kindly asked to refrain from entering our facilities should they have recently returned from affected areas and countries.   

At this time, please be assured that Wingtat will continue supplying our poultry products to our commercial customers (supermarkets, meat shops, and restaurants).

We hope the measures we have taken thus far build upon the established confidence and trust you have in our Company and food products.  

Should you have any questions and/or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us at info@wingtat.ca or 604-278-4450.

Let us all work together so that we can return to enjoying safe and healthy communities locally and abroad. Remember to stay positive. Let's take care of each other; together we are always better and stronger.

Wingtat Game Bird Packers