The interior of the Commodore Grand Cafe and Lounge in downtown Kamloops. (Photo via Mariko Ishikawa/Google)

The Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association is asking City Council to allow bars and nightclubs to stay open until 3 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

KCBIA Past President Dino Bernardo says its not a new concept, telling Radio NL provincial liquor laws allow these establishments to stay open longer on the first day of the year as long as they’re serving food.

“Last year, we went to discover that we wanted to stay open until 3 a.m., and we were not allowed to,” Bernardo said, on the NL Noon Report. “Somewhere along the lines something had changed with the city and a lot of it has to do with COVID when bars were shut down for that two year period.”

“I think just some stuff fell through the cracks and [the city] changed their policy on not just granting the 3 a.m. status and that it was something that had to come to council.”

In Kamloops, businesses that are classified as “neighbourhood pubs” can stay open until 1 a.m., while nightclubs are allowed to be open until 2 a.m. every day, as outlined in the City’s Zoning Bylaw.

“Established closing times are intended to minimize adverse noise and disturbance impacts on the community, which may in turn impact the City’s community services and policing resources,” City Planner Stephen Bentley said in a report going before Tuesday’s City Council meeting.

Bernardo says the extra hour on New Year’s will help bars and nightclubs make some extra money as some still continue to feel the effects of those COVID shutdowns.

“It is something that bars and restaurants really want for New Year’s Eve because business had a strong rebound at the beginning but it seems to be a little bit slower now,” he said. “On a night like New Year’s Eve when you know you can be busy and you can make some extra money, it can be beneficial.”

In the report, Kamloops RCMP say they don’t have an issue with the hour-long extension on New Year’s Day.

“We are preparing our operational planning for New Year’s Eve and have acquired four additional resources for Licence Premise Checks, Impaired Operation patrols and Road Check Stops. This will be in addition to the GD Core compliment and supported by our Traffic Services Unit,” the City’s RCMP liaison is quoted as saying. “We have a contingency plan to ensure sufficient police resources for a premise to be open until [3 a.m.] as per legislation.”

“We do not support a [4 a.m.] closing as it will impact our resources planned through out the New Year’s Eve night. This includes the impact to our cell block operations and resource planning that will also be sufficient throughout the night.”

Bernardo also told Radio NL he is not expecting there to be much interest in similar extensions to operating hours at other times of the year.

“All that does is instead of everyone coming out at 11 o’clock to your nightclub, they’re going to come out later because they can stay out later,” he said. “There is no real benefit to it.”

“I think on the long term, its just not something but to have it on a night like New Year’s Eve its beneficial, because everyone is going out and people want to party the New Year away.”