Attorney General David Eby says the provincial government is fast-tracking work on how to streamline patio approval for restaurants struggling under the pandemic, to provide more space for licensees to use outdoor seating.
To achieve that, the province is handing jurisdiction of most of the approval process over to city governments.
香蕉视频直播淭he provincial government won香蕉视频直播檛 be slowing it down,香蕉视频直播� he said Wednesday. 香蕉视频直播淲e understand every day matters right now.
香蕉视频直播淧ublic health advises us that people will be safer outside compared to inside,香蕉视频直播� Eby noted, 香蕉视频直播渁nd with limited inside footprint for many restaurants they香蕉视频直播檙e looking at ways of 香蕉视频直播榟ow can we get even close to the numbers we need to stay open if we香蕉视频直播檙e only allowed so many people inside the restaurant?香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈
香蕉视频直播淪o allowing people to have additional socially distanced seats outside will help them make the bottom line and it might make the difference between staying open or closing for a restaurant.香蕉视频直播�
Eby spoke Wednesday during a 香蕉视频直播渄igital town hall香蕉视频直播� meeting hosted by the Surrey Board of Trade, through Zoom teleconferencing.
The attorney general, meanwhile, noted that liquor regulation is a 香蕉视频直播渕ulti-level, incredibly challenging beast to negotiate.香蕉视频直播�
Before a business can have a patio, he explained, it must have the consent of the civic government that it香蕉视频直播檚 in an appropriate location.
香蕉视频直播淪o if you make it through the municipal hurdle you have to provide your plans to the provincial government as well, an inspector approves the plans for safety and capacity, and then returns those approved plans to you, you build your patio and then and inspector comes and inspects the patio to make sure that it meets what the original plans said, and then the city almost certainly comes and does an inspection as well,香蕉视频直播� Eby said.
香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a long process. And when the weather turns good, there香蕉视频直播檚 a lot of people who say 香蕉视频直播業 think I should get a patio for my restaurant香蕉视频直播�, and they find out it香蕉视频直播檚 going to take about six months to get a patio香蕉视频直播ur vision is that most of the approval process now will lie in the hands of the municipal government.香蕉视频直播�
Ian Tostenson, CEO of the BC Restaurant and Foodservices Association, told Black Press Media in an earlier interview that patios will be integral to allowing local restaurants with spacial concerns to reopen with maximum profitability while keeping guests and staff safe.
The association, along with a number of other groups such as the BC Craft Brewers Guild, has penned a letter to all mayors and councillors across the province requesting expedited patio permitting and rezoning.
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Eby also noted the government has deferred license fees in the casino and liquor sectors that are typically due on June 30.
香蕉视频直播淥bviously, if your pub or restaurant is not open, paying those fees is just adding insult to injury so we香蕉视频直播檝e actually deferred that until you香蕉视频直播檙e open and running.香蕉视频直播�
Meantime, Eby noted liquor stores have seen a 香蕉视频直播渄ramatic increase香蕉视频直播� in sales during the pandemic.
香蕉视频直播淎 lot of people questioned why we might have liquor as a service that was still open during the pandemic,香蕉视频直播� he said.
香蕉视频直播淚 think it香蕉视频直播檚 really important to recognize that both liquor and cannabis sales, the reason why they香蕉视频直播檙e regulated industries, why the government engages in these industries, is because we want them to be regulated, there are social harms that are associated with using these controlled substances and to turn the entirety of either liquor or cannabis over to the black market during the pandemic did not seem like a very good approach to us.
香蕉视频直播淲e certainly did not want to see a significant number of people who are addicted to alcohol showing up at emergency rooms in withdrawal in the middle of a pandemic either.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播� with files from Ashley Wadhwani, Black Press Media
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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