Victoria councillors endorsed changes to Victoria Event Centre’s liquor licence despite concerns the new licence might be transferable for possible future use of the location as a private nightclub.
The non-profit event centre, 1415 Broad St., has applied to the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch for a change in hours allowing it to serve liquor seven days a week between 9 a.m. and 2 a.m. Its current licence allows liquor service from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. daily.
While the city doesn’t decide such applications, its recommendations are considered by the province.
Councillors agreed to support the change but will write to the province to request that any change to a nightclub use would require an application for a change to the licence, including input from city council. They will also ask that the province reconsider its liquor licence policy to distinquish between non-profit and for-profit venues.
Councillors received two letters from residents in opposition to the extended hours request. And the Downtown Residents Association recommended that the later closing hours be limited to Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
Coun. Charlayne Thornton-Joe, council’s liaison to downtown, argued in favour of the Downtown Residents Association’s proposed compromise.
“My concerns arise merely from the fact that as the council liaison to the residents association and on the Late Night Task Force, any establishment when they leave at 2 a.m. when the inside environment has been fairly loud, when people leave, their indoor voice is now significantly higher,” Thornton-Joe said.
Thornton-Joe said she gets emails from people wakened at 2 a.m. from people exiting clubs.
“We asked the Downtown Residents Association who represents those residents to respond and what their recommendation is. I think they asked for a compromise and I’m willing to support that,” she said.
Victoria police also commented, noting that the change “seems substantial” and the later closing could put additional pressure on police resources.
“It could add to street disorder/noise in and around the time of bar closing time (2 a.m.); this will add to police call load over and above the disorder calls. Police have concerns that calls for service will also increase due to potential noise complaints from two neighbouring hotels — Hotel Rialto and Carlton Plaza Best Western,” says a staff report.
But the majority of council disagreed, arguing that the non-profit doesn’t operate like a nightclub.
Mayor Lisa Helps said the move by council signals to the province the city doesn’t want a nightclub there.
“I don’t think we should penalize arts organizations just because bars are causing problems. This is not a bar. It has no intention to operate as a bar. You can get alcohol there, but it’s not a nightclub,” Helps said.
She said she didn’t support the Downtown Residents Association recommendation because it is “counter-intuitive” and would serve to exacerbate any extra strain on police resources.
“I think if we recommend the province to support the application as it has come in to us as is, then [the event centre] has flexibility over seven whole days to have late-night activities. They’re not forced to have late night activities only on Thursday, Friday and Saturday,” Helps said.
Coun. Pam Madoff said the event centre has been operating “on a shoestring budget” for years and should be encouraged as a space for performing arts and not penalized “for lack of policy” at the provincial level to differentiate their operation from others. “I think there should be different standards for these kinds of operations where it’s a performance venue. It’s not a nightclub.”
