The province will not allow the Gables liquor store owner to move a liquor license from its Martin Street address to a new spot on Fairview Road.
(SHANNON QUESNEL / iNFOnews.ca)
March 19, 2013 - 1:39 PM
By Shannon Quesnel
Penticton city council will support a liquor store owner in trying to get his business moved from Martin Street to Fairview Road.
Malvindar Randhawa wants to move the Gables Liqour Store license from 360 Martin St. to 1196 Fairview Rd. but the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch refused his request. The branch said the new site would be within one kilometre of existing liquor stores.
Randhawa wrote to city council outlining this problem.
Mayor Dan Ashton said there have always been problems with the LCLB. He points out there are several liquor outlets that violate the one-kilometre rule. Right across Martin Street from the Gables store is another liquor store.
“I think our liquor laws are archaic,” Ashton said. “I don't understand the method to their madness.”
The mayor added that moving a liquor store away from the downtown core might also benefit the downtown.
Coun. Helena Konanz is in favour of helping the applicant out of the area.
“Anything we can do to move one of them away,” said. “Might as well give it a try.”
Council will write a letter to the LCLB asking for clarification.
To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca or call 250-488-3065.
News from © iNFOnews, 2013