HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Huron Expositor, 1999-02-17, Page 22 -THE HURON EXPOSITOR, February 11, 116!11
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Liquor act would be policy
Act would have to be strictly followed, giving arena clear policy
FROM Page 1
help bartenders control the
amount of alcohol patrons
receive to prevent incidents
such as someone being hurt
drinking and driving.
O'Connor said having a
licence would give the centre
a clear policy on how
alcohol is handled, keeping
it all under the centres'
control as it follows the laws
set out by the Liquor
Licence Act.
"That way, [the liquor
policy] is consistent. It won't
be changed by local people
on the board; by local
politicians," he said.
That policy would also
address the issue of illegal
drinking in the dressing
rooms.
While renters could still
get special occasions permits
instead of holding an event
under the centre's liquor
licence, O'Connor said the
event would still be under
their policy (the Act).
In testimony given by the
opposition, concern had been
raised that the-SDCC did not
have a policy.
He pointed out four of the
five municipalities
represented by the
Arena Manager Graham Nesbitt and SDCC chair Dennis
O'Connor presented the case in favour of having a liquor
licence at the community centres.
HILGENDORFF PHOTO
community 'centres
committee were in favour of
applying for a licence with
Seaforth being the only
objectors.
He also said the
inspections from electrical•to
health, that were required to
be followed and acted upon
before a liquor licence could
be applied for, have helped
improve the operations of
_ the. facility.._ also partof its
mandate.
While they want to
increase business at the
arena. he said it's not their
intent to compete with other
businesses.
O'Connor told the board
businesses were given the
opportunity to submit
proposals for catering to
events at the arena should it
proceed with a licence. That
suggestion was developed at
a meeting the community
centres had with various
service clubs and businesses•
in 1996.
The committee received-
no proposals.
O'Connor said their plans
are to develop a premier
facility that could eventually
include a swimming pool or
other ice surfaces.
Right now, he said the
facilities' ice time is
completely booked and they
want to provide more to
continue drawing more
people to the Seaforth area.
Arena Manage Graham
Nesbitt said the SDCC
already makes sure there is
appropriate security when
special occasion permits are
issued but said the facility
needs "a hard and fast
alcohol policy in relation to
permits for groups."
Again, this would be the
Liquor Licence Act that
would have to be followed if
a liquor licence was given.
All staff would be trained
with "smart server"
programs.
Already, if staff notices
minors where they are not
permitted when a special
occasion permit' is in effect.
they are asked to leave, even
though it is an issue the
permit holders are supposed
to be following.
When a licence i_s_granted,
he said it becomes their
responsibility to ensure the
Liquor Licence Act is
followed.
Arena would be competition
Business community doesn't want to compete with public facility
FROM Page 1
in the public interest.
He told the board
residents are saying the
community centres were not
built with the intention of
serving alcohol and that
those who contributed to
building it would not have
done so if they knew alcohol
would be served there.
Currently, special
occasions permits have to be
applied for by individuals or
groups who wish to use
.some of the facilities for
such events as wedding
receptions.
Scott also said the
commisision requires a
resolution of support from
the municipality.
In '1996, such a resolution
was passed by council when
the SDCC management
committee decided to apply
_for_a licence. _
The issue wasn't raised at
council again until this past
November when members of
the -business community
learned of a alcohol
commision advertisement
asking for any objections to
the SDCC's application for
the liquor licence.
Scott told the board, "This
is a new council that objects
to this licence."
He said the current
council's wishes should
come before the previous
council. replaced in 1997.
Until the issue was raised
again. most of council was
unaware the SDCC
committee was proceeding
with a liquor licence
application.
The SDCC committee
consists of ' five
municipalities that
contribute to the facilties'
operation but Scott said
since it is located in
Scaforth, which also
contributes the greatest
share, Scaforth's supporting
resolution is the only one
that should count.
Seaforth is thc only one
from the five municipalities
to oppose ,the licence
application.
Drinking in dressing
rooms not controlled
The lack of enforcement
of laws prohibiting drinking
in arena dressing rooms was
also used as a reason not to
issue a liquor licence.
"it seems to be a publicly
admitted truth that drinking
goes on in the dressing
room," said Scott. He
pointed to minutes from
community centre board
meetings dating back to
1996 that identified drinking
in dressing rooms as a
reason for applying for a
liquor licence; to help
control the use of alcohol in
the facility.
Later, under cross
examination by Scott, Arena
Manager Graham Nesbitt
said he has seen both minors
and others drinking in
dressing rooms and could
not say the number of times.
In similar cross
examinatiort, O'Connorsaid
he has never seen it.
Scott said the board has
never shown a policy for
;.handling alcohol in the
dressing rooms.
"If they have a plan, they
haven't shared it with the
public," he said. .
He said if the arena can't
handle the situation, the
licence has to be turned
down
In his presentation to the
board, O'Connor explained
that the arena's liquor policy
would be the Liquor Licence
Act which would have to be
followed if .a licence was
issued. -
Licence could be cash grab
Scott also pointed out
community centres board
minutes from 1996 that
showed Nesbitt explaining
how a Monkton arena makes
$15,000 to $20,000 a year
selling liquor. Scott
suggested this shows the
reason for the licence was to
make money, not to help
police the dressing rooms.
He told the board he has
heard stories of the arena
planning to build a second
ice pad or curling rink but
nothing relating to that has
turned up in any minutes he
has seen.
Later, during the
applicant's portion of the
evidence, Scott cross
examined O'Connor who
said board brainstorming
sessions came up with
suggestions for building a
pool or second ice pad.
"We want it to' be thc
premier operation in this
area," said O'Connor of the
community centres. Having
those additions would help
attract more people.
When Scott asked what
would happen to the profits
made by selling liquor,
O'Connor said it would go
back to the facility for such
needs as a new zambonie; a
piece of equipment that
would cast well in excess of.,.y.
the suggested $15,000
profits.
"If there's money there,
it's obviously going to
reduce the costs of
operation," O'Connor said.
He said profits could go in
a capital fund to cover
operating costs rather than
seeking donations from area
service clubs.
The facilities make 97
cents on every dollar spent.
The remaining operating
funds come from the five
area municipalities.
Scott said the complex
was built first and foremost
as a recreation facility.
"It is a community centre
where people of all ages
congregate with an emphasis
on youth," he said,
questioning what is wrong
with the arena continuing to
make 97 cents and the
municipalities carrying the
extra costs.
Businesses object
There isn't enough
business to go around for'
another liquor licenced
establishment in town.
That was the message
Business Improvement Area
Chair Susan Halfpenny
brough to the hearing.
She represented 90 local
businesses at the hearing and
told the board, with a little
more 2,000 people in town,
the market share is not large
enough to support another
liquor licence.
If a licence is granted. she
said, "One or more of those
establishments has to begin
to suffer."
She pointed to the hard
work the BIA has been
doing to develop the
downtown in the past few
years and that people who
come to the arena have been
stopping downtown to shop.
Weeks later, she said people
from out of town have been
in her store Susan's
Sewing/The Hobby Shop.
after hearing about the town
from friends who were at an
arena event.
But with a liquor licence
at the arena, she is afraid it
will hurt thc licenced
establishments in the
downtown. She said if one
or more of them are lost, it
leads to a downward spiral
where other businesses•
suffer and close.
"Perhaps since families
are more important than
alcohol. the arena bodrd
could consider a juice bar,"
she said.
Jason Wheatly, owner of
the Commerical Hotel on
Main Street said he was
concerned about why the
commision would consider
giving a licence to a
publically funded building.
He said it would hurt his
business if everything a
person wanted was at thc
arena and they didn't have to
come downtown.
Elizabeth Kittar of the
Queen's Hotel said, "in such
a small, populated area, 1
don't feel we can divy up
the alcohol dollars any more
than it already is."
Gary Gagnier, owner of
Sizzlers Restaurant and Pub
said, "I don't see the
community centre with a
liquor licence helping our
town out at all."
He told the commission of
a meeting the arena board
had with various community
groups and businesses to
discuss the possibility of
applying for a licence.
"It's my recollection there
was not even one guest
present at this meeting that
approved of the idea and
most of us plain -out rejected
the whole of it."
Paul Steven Lions Club
president and a member of
the public who requested to
be appointed a "party" at the
hearing. also had the right to
call witnesses.
The Lions Club was one
of the groups invited to that
meeting and, in his
testimony, said the club
decided not to support a
licence application at that
time.
He said, no further
comment came form the
arena board after it received
a letter of objection from the
Lions Club.
"The Seaforth and District
Community Centres would
not exist if not for the hard
work and dedications of
organizations and businesses
such as were represented at
that initial public meeting
fin 1996] and here today. In
our opinion, it's our
community centre too and
we don't want a liquor
licence," Steven said.
Public is concerned
"The residents in Seaforth
are opposed." said Scaforth
resident Kim Russell. "We
arc sending the wrong kind
of message to our youth by
licensing the arena. We are
telling them that when you
play or watch sports, you
need to have access to a
bar."
She said there arc enough
licenced restaurants and Kars
in town that people can go to
after a sporting event to
keep alcohol out of the
arena.
"The community centre
should be kept accessible for
families. youth and small
children," she said.
She wanted to know that
children would be kept safe
from the increased dangers
of drunk drivers at the arena
and from being exposed to a
patron who might be causing
trouble while under the"
influence of alcohol.
"The ice -side is a smoke-
free area to protect people
from second-hand smoke.
Please make it alcohol -free
to protect people from the
second-hand - effects of
drinking," she said.
Russell quoted statistics
from " the Centre for
Addiction and Mental
Health that show Huron
County has higher than
provincial rates for alcohol
abuse and incidents of
drinking and driving.
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