CITY council isn’t in favour of extending a local restaurant’s liquor licence for two hours for a special event after Terrace RCMP indicated there wouldn’t be enough police officers on shift during the early morning hours of the event.
Boston Pizza on Hwy16 West had wanted its serving hours extended from 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. Oct. 1 to host the local rugby club’s awards night and although the BC Liquor Control Licensing Board makes the final decision, it first asks local governments to comment.
City staffers had recommended council not be opposed but that was before hearing from the Terrace RCMP, council was told at its Sept. 12 meeting.
Staffers didn’t think there would be a noise issue or an effect on the community since it was just for two extra hours for one night, city planner Tara Irwin told council.
But then the Terrace RCMP told staffers it wouldn’t have enough officers on duty in the early morning hours.
Councillor Brian Downie said since the RCMP didn’t approve that he didn’t think council should be in favour since an extended opening would put more vehicles on the road and create policing challenges.
Councillor Lynne Christiansen agreed, saying two hours might not seem like much of a problem but when the RCMP are concerned, then council better agree with police.
A council resolution was then passed indicating council was opposed for the reasons indicated by the RCMP.
This is the second time this year an extended liquor serving hours issue has come before council.
In March council was asked to give its blessing to a Wings Tap and Grill request to provincial authorities to permanently extend its serving hours from midnight to 2 a.m.
Terrace RCMP opposed the extension, preferring instead to have the licence extended to 1 a.m., adding that Wings, located at the Skeena Mall downtown, is primarily a food business establishment.
The detachment said police resources were already strained because of a significant number of liquor-related incidents in the downtown core and that the extension to 2 a.m. would further strain its officers.
Council then met with Terrace RCMP and ultimately decided it would not be opposed to the 2 a.m. request.
The Wings application was then approved by provincial authorities in July.
