New liquor laws could ease restrictions on special events

News — 01 March 2011

The McGuinty Government is proposing changes on Ontario’s alcohol laws to better serve the province. The proposed changes will remove barriers and restrictions for special events, festivals and licensed establishments. This should provide residents of Ontario with a more enjoyable experience and improve tourism and local economies.

Beginning with public consultation, the province is looking for input on the following changes:

*Removing the need for beer tents at events and festivals so people can walk around freely with drinks;

*Extending the hours that alcohol can be served at special events, such as weddings or charity fundraisers, from 1 a.m. to 2 a.m., to be consistent with licensed establishments;

*Allowing all-inclusive vacation packages to be sold in Ontario;

*Allowing people to circulate in retail booth areas of festivals with beverages.

The government is also proposing to expand its enforcement options against licensees who violate Ontario’s liquor laws, including monetary fines.

The government will be consulting over the next three weeks with a wide cross-section of stakeholders including from the hospitality, tourism, social responsibility, municipalities, police and the public. The public is also invited to submit their suggestions and ideas on how to improve liquor laws in Ontario by e-mailing the ministry at consultwithus@ontario.ca.

When it comes to community events and festivals, local municipalities and police forces also play an important role in setting rules and conditions for events. With the proposed changes, if a festival chooses to remove a barrier, festival attendants would need to respect those rules and conditions.

Sale and consumption of alcohol will continue to be restricted to the festival area, and municipalities will still be able to set their own policies and procedures for events taking place on city property.

The time change for the special events licence is an attempt to level the playing field between special events and bars/clubs.

By Ally Dunham

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