Vancouver mayor wants more Granville Street bars to stay open until 3 a.m. if he's re-elected
With Vancouver's municipal election just over four months away, the city's mayor is outlining some of his plans to support the local night-life industry if he's re-elected.
Kennedy Stewart said Wednesday there are three things he'd like to see implemented to "build a true 24-7 city" in Vancouver.
"Vancouver has one of the hottest economies in North America right now, and it's getting noticed," Stewart said in a news release.
"Whether it’s building a thriving patio culture, lifting archaic liquor capacity caps, and attracting events like the Invictus Games and the World Cup, Vancouver has come a long way over the last four years."
Vancouver's had a reputation over the years of being a "no-fun city." While many bars on Granville Street close at 3 a.m. on weekends, some close earlier. Restaurants with a food-primary licence are required to stop servicing liquor at 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Closing hours for liquor-primary establishments depend on their licence.
Stewart said he like to see "harmonizing" of bar closures along the Granville Strip so more stay open until 3 a.m. and also service expansion in other parts of Vancouver.
Stewart also said he wants the creation of "night time advocate office to transform our night-time economy into a centrepiece of our city's social fabric." He also wants more work done to attract conferences, conventions, music and entertainment by expanding the city's sport hosting office.
Nate Sabine from Blueprint, a Vancouver-based event-management company, said the creative sector has been forgotten "for far too long."
"It's fantastic that our industry - and the music, hospitality and culture that comes with it - is finally being recognized as the economic driver it is," Sabine said in a news release.
"As the world returns to visiting Vancouver, it will be the bars, nightclubs, restaurants and events that will be among the first to welcome them."
Stewart said he'd present these ideas in the 2023 city budget if he's re-elected. Vancouver's election is on Oct. 15.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trump threatens to try to take back the Panama Canal. Panama's president balks at the suggestion
Donald Trump suggested Sunday that his new administration could try to regain control of the Panama Canal that the United States “foolishly” ceded to its Central American ally, contending that shippers are charged “ridiculous” fees to pass through the vital transportation channel linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
Man handed 5th distracted driving charge for using cell phone on Hwy. 417 in Ottawa
An Ottawa driver was charged for using a cell phone behind the wheel on Sunday, the fifth time he has faced distracted driving charges.
Wrongfully convicted N.B. man has mixed feelings since exoneration
Robert Mailman, 76, was exonerated on Jan. 4 of a 1983 murder for which he and his friend Walter Gillespie served lengthy prison terms.
Can the Governor General do what Pierre Poilievre is asking? This expert says no
A historically difficult week for Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government ended with a renewed push from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre to topple this government – this time in the form a letter to the Governor General.
opinion Christmas movies for people who don't like Christmas movies
The holidays can bring up a whole gamut of emotions, not just love and goodwill. So CTV film critic Richard Crouse offers up a list of Christmas movies for people who might not enjoy traditional Christmas movies.
More than 7,000 Jeep SUVs recalled in Canada over camera display concern
A software issue potentially affecting the rearview camera display in select Jeep Wagoneer and Grand Cherokee models has prompted a recall of more than 7,000 vehicles.
'I'm still thinking pinch me': lost puppy reunited with family after five years
After almost five years of searching and never giving up hope, the Tuffin family received the best Christmas gift they could have hoped for: being reunited with their long-lost puppy.
10 hospitalized after carbon monoxide poisoning in Ottawa's east end
The Ottawa Police Service says ten people were taken to hospital, with one of them in life-threatening condition, after being exposed to carbon monoxide in the neighbourhood of Vanier on Sunday morning.
New York City police apprehend suspect in the death of a woman found on fire in a subway car
New York City police announced Sunday they have in custody a “person of interest” in the early morning death of a woman who they believe may have fallen asleep on a stationary subway train before being intentionally lit on fire by a man she didn't know.