Encore Vineyards Ltd.

Encore Vineyards Ltd., the last of a group of wineries built under the full stewardship of the late Harry McWatters, best known as the founder of Sumac Ridge Estate Winery and See Ya Later Ranch, and the founding chairman of VQA Canada, BC Hospitality Foundation, and BC Wine Institute, filed a proposal on May 7, listing approximately $18.0 million in liabilities, including $5.0 million owed to BMO. In July 2018, the company opened the TIME Winery & Kitchen in Penticton, British Columbia, with a 15,000 square foot facility offering a tasting bar, a lounge, and an outdoor patio for customers. In recent years, the company has not been profitable, with losses attributable to significant delays and cost overruns in the construction of its premises, large carrying costs on debt and higher than expected marketing costs, as well as factors outside of the company's control such as the Alberta wine boycott and forest fires impacting tourism. The company has completed a sales process and a transaction is contemplated in the proposal whereby a purchaser will pay $5.8 million for the assets of the company upon court approval of the proposal. BDO is the proposal trustee. Counsel is Fulton & Company for the company and Lawson Lundell for BMO.