Loosened liquor rules fine with local wine industry
Niagara’s tourism and wine industries are applauding the proposed loosening of Ontario’s liquor laws, which promises several changes including removing the need for beer tents at events and allowing all-inclusive vacations to be sold.
The province announced Wednesday it wants to update its alcohol laws by removing “unnecessary barriers and restrictions for special events, festivals and licensed establishments,” according to a press release.
Among the changes being considered are dropping the need for beer tents, extending the hours during which alcohol can be sold at special events, allowing all-inclusive packages in Ontario and enabling people to circulate with drinks in-hand in retail booth areas of festivals.
Janice Thomson, executive director of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce, said the less restrictive rules would be a welcome change for the town’s annual icewine festival events on Queen St.
Every year, organizers have tried to convince liquor licence inspectors that a completely fenced-in area surrounding winery and food vendors on the town’s main street isn’t necessary for crowd control, Thomson said.
Besides being expensive — the white picket fence costs more than $2,000 to erect every January — the boxed-in feel detracts from the ambiance and dissuades festivalgoers from wandering into nearby shops, Thomson said.
“You know it’s less contrived, I think, if it’s more in a natural setting where you’ve got the open space,” Thomson said.
“If that’s one of the things they’re considering changing, I would welcome that.”
Any changes to relax the liquor laws are good news for Ontario’s wine industry, said Hillary Dawson, president of the Wine Council of Ontario.
Wineries have been pushing to allow wine to be sold as part of packaged holidays or all-inclusive vacations, she said.
Currently, a Niagara vacation seeker couldn’t book a hotel package, for example, that included a bottle of wine.
Dawson said she hopes the proposed amendments announced Wednesday are just the beginning.
Among the changes the wine council — a not-for-profit trade association that represents most of the province’s VQA-only wineries — wants to see are allowing wineries to open on statutory holidays, extending retail hours and a reduction in the number of required licences for wineries.
“We feel a strong commitment from the (Ontario Ministry of the) Attorney General and (Alcohol and Gaming Commission) that this is sort of the first step of continuing to make the liquor licence laws work for the industry,” said Dawson, who expects to meet with government officials to discuss the proposed changes.
Meanwhile, some of the city’s biggest festivals say the possible new rules likely won’t alter the way they run their events.
Fencing that lines the perimeter at Montebello Park will remain during the Niagara Wine Festival in September and the St. Catharines Rotary clubs-run Rib Fest each July.
Wade Stayzer, event chairman for the Rib Fest, said the fence is not just for controlling alcohol but protecting the equipment and other items owned by visiting rib-making contestants.
Niagara Wine Festival executive director Kimberly Hundertmark said the fencing is in place as a security measure and will not be removed. The festival feels strongly about social responsibility, she said.
Neither would the festival benefit from possible extended hours, Hundertmark said. The festival falls under the city’s noise bylaw and has to be shut down by 11 p.m.
Thomson said Niagara’s wine and tourism industry is ready for more relaxed festival drinking rules. Many in the industry are trained in Smart Serve responsible alcohol beverage service, and ensure people drink responsible, she said.
Thomson said the fencing is a bit of an artificial barrier, because festival organizers are responsible for anyone who drinks at their event anyway.
“We’re still liable for them now when they go on the other side of the fence,” she said.
Consultations about the proposed liquor law changes will be taking place for three weeks starting next week, Ministry of the Attorney General spokesman Brendan Crawley wrote in an e-mail.
Anyone who wishes to comment can do so by e-mail through consultwithus@ontario.ca
Focus groups with key associations and groups, including police services, municipalities and tourism sector, will also be held.
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