By David F. Rooney
A proposal being floated within the hospitality and service sectors of the city calls for a change in the way restaurants, bars and pubs are licenced.
Currently, they have either a food primary licence or a liquor primary licence. What they want is recognition of Revelstoke as a resort and the kind of blanket liquor licence that is, so far, restricted to on-hill bars and pubs.
Food primary licences entitle establishments to allow minors on the premises as long as — though they may sell alcohol — the sale of food is the main business. Liquor primary licences allow establishments to sell beer, wine and hard liquor as their main attraction. They can also sell food, but minors are not allowed on their premises.
But the province also has a third category of licence that permits minors in a liquor primary establishment located in a downhill ski resort area.
A liquor-primary licensed establishment located in a downhill ski resort can permit minors in a liquor-primary area if it:
- provides amenities for skiers;
- is located at a ski hill developed for downhill skiing; and
- the liquor-primary establishment must be located in the ski resort area.
The general manager may permit minors in a liquor-primary licensed establishment that is located in the ski resort area provided the following conditions are met:
- minors are accompanied by an adult parent or guardian;
- minors leave the premises no later than 8:00 p.m.;
- signage is placed in a prominent place within the establishment that reads “minors are permitted until 8:00 p.m. When
- accompanied by a parent or guardian”; and
- adult entertainment, if offered, is not provided until after 8:00 p.m.
But even though RMR is within the city’s boundaries, the city of Revelstoke is not seen to be in “the ski resort area” by the liquor control branch of BC. What Emma Kirkland, general manager of the Powder Springs Inn, and others want is an extension of the resort licence to pubs in other parts of the city — not just at RMR. (Click here to view her full proposal)
Extending the resort licence category to encompass pubs in the city may sound undesirable to some but minors are permitted in pubs in every province except BC.
Newfoundland/Labrador: minors permitted with parents in pub-type establishments until 8:30 or 9 pm.
PEI: minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment until 10 pm.
New Brunswick: minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment until 10 pm
Nova Scotia: minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment until 9 pm.
Ontario: minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment at the discretion of the proprietor.
Quebec: no minors allowed in pubs however they can use the patios until evening hours at some establishments.
Manitoba: minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment.
Saskatchewan: you may apply to have minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment
Alberta: you may apply to have minors permitted with parents in pub type establishment until 9 pm.
Eventhough RMR is within the city’s boundaries, the city of Revelstoke is not seen to be in “the ski resort area” by the liquor control branch of BC.
What Emma Kirkland, general manager of the Powder Springs Inn, and others want is an extension of the resort licence to establishments in other parts of the city — not just at RMR. (Click here to read her proposal)
“Tourists from Canada, US, and abroad could enjoy our resort as they wished without odd restrictions that don’t make any sense and merely limit their choices,” Kirkland said
“We as a community cater to these guests and they are our bread and butter.
The resort license would not only benefit liquor and food establishments but would contribute to the whole experience for our visitors here in Revelstoke and create a welcoming more international appeal
“It would lend to creating a better economic situation for all businesses in our town.”
If she is successful this would be a high-profile example of the changes that are more apparent every year.
And Revelstoke is changing. You could see it last winter in the number of visitors wandering city streets after a day of skiing at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. And you can see it in the number of new people in town.
A lot of them are young and while many won’t stay, others undoubtedly will.
How is the evolution of the tourism industry affecting our community? What do you think about it? Are we heading in the right direction?
Change is inevitable in any community. Are we guiding it the way it should be guided?
Some of those questions could be answered when the Chamber of Commerce accomplishes one of its key goals for this year — developing a local Revelstoke Tourism Forum that would address the social impacts of tourism in our community.
We call ourselves a resort community, but we are only taking the first steps forward in our city’s evolution.
