Vernon council has mixed feelings on later open hours for downtown sports bar

VERNON – Whether or not to support a downtown Vernon bar’s bid to stay open until 2 a.m. left local politicians divided.

Kal Sports Bar has applied to the Liquor Control Branch to extend its hours to 9 a.m. to 2 a.m. Monday to Sunday, from a current 10 a.m. to midnight Monday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Thursday to Saturday and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday.

The liquor board has the ultimate say in whether or not the changes are approved, but as part of the process seeks input from local government.

Mayor Akbal Mund says he has no problem with the bar staying open later.

“This is more of a sit down pub rather than a nightclub where everyone tends to leave at the same time,” Mund says.

He adds the extended hours would provide a venue for patrons looking for a place to go at night when few other establishments are open.

While a majority of council supports the change, not all councillors are endorsing it. Coun. Juliette Cunningham says she ‘didn’t have a real comfort level on it.’

“I think even the RCMP did express a bit of concern, and a few businesses as well, in terms of it puts more pressure on our resources,” Cunningham says, adding she would vote against the change.

Coun. Catherine Lord is concerned the later hours will impact the residents of a care home being built on the Bennett Lot behind the bar.

“There is going to be a lot of people in there that are older with some health problems, so a lot of noise at 2 a.m. wouldn’t be serving them properly,” Lord says.

The application will next go before the liquor board. 

To contact a reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.