B.C liquor board denies booze licence for major music festival in Penticton

PENTICTON, B.C. – A major music festival scheduled for next weekend in Penticton has been dealt a big blow.

British Columbia’s Liquor Control and Licensing Branch has denied the Boonstock Music and Arts Festival a liquor license, citing unaddressed safety concerns.

Ray Tetzel, the deputy general manager of the branch, said in a statement the agency will not consider a licence application when security cannot be planned or communicated adequately.

Tetzel says potential risks remain outstanding, but did not elaborate on the exact nature of the problems.

No one from the branch was immediately available to comment further.

Boonstock organizers did not immediately return requests for comment, but posted a Facebook message saying the decision was a bureaucratic hurdle they plan on overcoming.

Dozens of bands are scheduled to play at the event which runs from July 31 to Aug. 3, and thousands of concertgoers are expected to attend. (CKFR, The Canadian Press)