B.C.’s Antiquated Liquor Laws Bad for Business
The darkened Rio Theatre epitomizes how the province’s narrow liquor laws are strangling small businesses.
At this point, many Vancouverites have heard rumblings of the Rio Theatre’s embattled liquor licence.
The Rio, which served up until recently as both a movie theatre and a live events venue, waited almost a year for the province to process a liquor licence. Last month, the province finally granted owner Corrine Lea a licence, but said she could no longer show movies.
According the B.C.’s current laws, venues cannot show movies if it possesses a liquor licence. Lea adamantly says she would only serve alcohol during concerts and live events, not during movies.
The truth is it’s no longer financially viable for most small theatres to only show movies. Diversifying a theatre’s uses by opening it up to live events is almost a necessity. And as more small theatres darken (Oakridge Cinema is another theatre that closed its doors just a few weeks ago), it would seem all Vancouver will have soon is giant megaplexes.
The City of Vancouver and many community members are rallying around the theatre, organizing fundraisers to help the Commercial Drive landmark stay open (the owner says she’s losing around $2,000 a day without movie ticket sales).
But the fate of the little theatre that could is in the hands of the province. Will they follow Ontario, Manitoba and Alberta and change narrow liquor laws to allow alcohol to be served in theatres? Perhaps.
Considering small businesses are B.C.’s lifeblood, the province should seriously consider updating laws that don’t reflect modern mores and are obviously killing small businesses. Without a change, the Rio won’t be the last landmark to shut its doors.
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Antiquated Liquor Laws of B.C.
Submitted by DMercer on Wed, 2012-02-08 16:14.The fate of the venerable Rio Theatre (may her screen light up once more!) shines more than a theatrical light on the ancient, complex, and so 18th century BC Liquor laws. I sincerely believe the Rio should be able to show movies, and if the stipulation is, no alcohol at that event, well, what's the big deal? You pull a curtain down over the bar area and it's junk food only. If we add in the complex and frankly ridiculous ruling that governs pubs and inability to seat minors accompanied by their family (on our recent trip to Oregon special permits were issued to pubs, which were posted, and allowed families to enjoy the ambiance and food of a pub until I believe 10 p.m., then seating for over 21 only), then there's restaurants with 'no minors sections' (the difference is what, here, number of TV screens?!!? In the restaurant adults can still order anything from the liquor menu and embibe in front of their kids. Don't get me started with the 'no bringing wine and alcohol from another province into BC' - I'm sorry, I must have missed the concertina wire between here and the other Provinces. Let's get with this century people and not get our knickers in a knot over updating and overhauling how we think of, and deal with a wide range of liquor issues in B.C.