APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF HOURS OF LIQUOR SERVICE AT FOUR-MILE PUB – 199 ISLAND HWY

TOWN OF VIEW ROYAL COUNCIL REPORT

TO: Council DATE: September 9, 2025 FROM: Leanne Taylor, RPP, MCIP, Director of Development Services MEETING DATE: September 16, 2025

APPLICATION FOR EXTENSION OF HOURS OF LIQUOR SERVICE AT FOUR-MILE PUB – 199 ISLAND HWY

RECOMMENDATION:

THAT the Town opt out of providing input and defer the community input and comment process to the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Branch for an application to amend the liquor license at the Four-Mile Pub located at 199 Island Hwy.

ALTERNATIVE OPTION:

THAT Council authorize staff to undertake the community input and comment process and provide comments to participate in the decision-making process, in accordance with the Liquor Control and Licensing Act and Liquor Control and Licensing Regulation.

It is not recommended that the Town opt-in to lead the process to gather public input on the liquor license application to change the opening hours of the pub on Saturday and Sunday morning opening hours from 11am to 9am. The Town does not have a bylaw or administrative policy for set notification area or oblige the Town to comment on every liquor license application. If the Town opts-out of leading the public input process as recommended, then the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Branch would complete the community input and comment process that would otherwise have been completed by the local government.

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this report is to present a referral of an application for the permanent extension of hours of liquor service at Four-Mile Pub located at 199 Island Hwy.

BACKGROUND:

On September 8, 2025, the Town received a referral from the Liquor and Cannabis Licensing Branch (LCLB) to extend the hours of liquor service on Saturday and Sunday morning opening hours from 11am to 9am at the Four-Mile Pub. According to the business owner, all other hours would remain the same.

The provincial process for a liquor primary license includes a referral to a local government. The local government then has the option of running a public engagement process or declining to comment on the application in which case the LCLB would proceed with the public input process.

If Council wishes to provide comment, then the following items must be addressed:

a. The potential for noise. b. The impact on the community. c. If nearby residents may be affected, the views of the residents must be gathered, and the following must be provided: i. The views of the residents (includes business owners) ii. The method used to gather the views of the residents. iii. Council comments and recommendations respecting the views of the residents. d. Council resolution recommending whether the application should be approved.

To address the items, staff would prepare a report on potential for noise and impact on the community for Council’s consideration. Notification of the Council meeting would be made to residents and business owners to gather their views. However, Council may wish to note that if Council chooses to not complete the public input process, then Council and staff cannot provide comment on the application as it would be considered as “opt-out”. The Branch can only consider comments from a local government if the local government conducts the public input process.

ANALYSIS:

There is no bylaw or policy obliging the Town to comment on every liquor license application. Opting out of providing comment on this application would not preclude the option to provide comment on future applications when referrals are sent to the Town. In the Fees and Charges Bylaw No. 958, there is an application fee of $300 for revisions to existing licenses and a public notification fee of $175 plus costs for advertising, notices and postage; however, Council may also wish to note that the province does not share the application fees they collect with the Town to facilitate the process on their behalf. For these reasons, it is recommended that the Town opt-out of providing input on the application.

Impacts and implications can be summarized as follows:

• Community Impact: Changes to primary liquor license applications require public input in accordance with the Liquor Control and Licensing Act and Liquor Control and Licensing Regulation.
• Financial Implication: Should the Town undertake the public input process then it will require additional staff time and resources that could otherwise be carried out by the province.
• Inter-governmental Relations Impact: The Province referred the liquor license application to the Town for comment.

ALIGNMENT:

The recommended option aligns with the Town’s following core guiding documents as follows:

• Strategic Plan: N/A
• Official Community Plan: N/A
• Other Policy Documents: N/A

PUBLIC PARTICIPATION GOAL:

The desired level of public participation for the recommended option is:

[x] Inform [ ] Consult [ ] Involve [ ] Collaborate [ ] Empower [ ] N/A

TIME CRITICAL:

This report is time critical to ensure that there are no further delays with the referral process.