Vancouver to allow liquor service until 4 a.m. downtown, extends hours elsewhere

Global News

5 days ago

Late-night revellers in Vancouver will soon have more options after city councillors approved new, later liquor service hours.
Under the changes, the latest closing time for liquor service in downtown Vancouver will be extended to 4 a.m.
Areas outside of the downtown core will see the latest closing time extended to 3 a.m. on weekends, and 2 a.m. every night.
The changed service hours would not apply automatically; businesses will still have to apply to have their liquor licence updated, a process that requires neighbour and community input.
2:00
Vancouver seeks input on extending liquor serving hours
The bylaw changes will also lift restrictions on service hours for new liquor licence-holding businesses in their initial months of operation.
Story continues below advertisement
Vancouver Coun. Sarah Kirby-Yung said longer serving hours can help businesses bring in a little more revenue.
Get breaking National news
For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy
'It can really help, in terms of people are struggling right now with affordability, a lot of increasing costs for small businesses,' she said.
Vince Marino, who operates the Junction and Pumpjack pubs, told Global News the public likely won't notice a major change.
'It'll just allow us to decide whether we stay open or not,' he said.
'I don't think that it's going to be across the board, seven days of the week that we're gonna stay open to 4 a.m. That's not the idea of it.'
According to a report to council on the liquor law modernization, the Vancouver Police Department was not opposed to the changes.
'The proposed changes are not expected to significantly impact police operations, as existing establishments are not all operating to maximum hours and uptake of later hours is anticipated to be incremental,' the report states.
The report notes that when the latest service hours in parts of downtown and the Downtown Eastside were extended to 3 a.m. in 2023, fewer than a quarter of licensees applied for the later hours.
0:40
Vancouver exploring extending liquor serving hours
It notes, however, that Vancouver Coastal Health raised concerns about the later service hours, flagging potential negative effects on public health including increased alcohol consumption, more injuries, the potential for violence and harm to others.
Story continues below advertisement
The report also considered transportation options, acknowledging that the SkyTrain ends service before 1:30 a.m. It said TransLink's NightBus service offers late-night service to neighbouring communities every 20-30 minutes, and that the expansion of rideshare services have helped ease pressure on taxis.
'Many of our buses run past 1 a.m. And then we have the NightBus service that mirrors the SkyTrain system,' TransLink spokesperson Tina Lovgreen said.
'So that runs throughout the night and gets people to where they need to go. And we do have plans to extend that service through our Access For Everyone plan.'
The changes won't take effect until this fall, when staff return to council with updated bylaws to reflect the new later service hours.
As of April this year, Vancouver had 209 liquor-primary licensed businesses such as bars and nightclubs, and 1,225 restaurants with a food-primary liquor licence.