B.C. restaurants push back as govt axes temporary patio permits
Kamloops publican Layne Richards says extending his restaurant's patio into the parking lot last summer was a much-needed move, especially with the forced reduction of seating inside.
"It was really successful," the co-owner of the Frick and Frack Taphouse told iNFOnews.ca. "Everybody loved sitting out there."
However, the free temporary permit that Richards obtained to extend his patio will expire on June 1.
And he's not alone, the Frick & Frack Taphouse was one of more than 2,000 licenced establishments that took advantage of a pandemic measure rolled out by the province whereby temporary patio permits were rubber-stamped enabling alfresco dining without the red tape.
With a detailed and expensive patio approval process set to come back June 1, Liberal Opposition House Leader and Critic for Jobs, MLA Todd Stone, is painting a bleak picture of restaurants and bars forfeiting their patios due to either the expense or having their permit applications caught up in lengthy bureaucracy.
"Only the NDP would force pandemic-weary businesses to endure more stress and find more money they simply don’t have, just to keep doing what they’ve been doing safely and smoothly through most of the pandemic," Stone says in a media release. "This makes absolutely no sense."
However, B.C. Restaurant and Foodservices Association president Ian Tostenson says he's optimistic the NDP government will do the right thing and extend the temporary permit program.
"The Liberals are trying to make some hay," Tostenson said. "What the Liberals are saying is technically true, but practically from my experience, the government's not going to say we're... going to have some arbitrary June 1 deadline and not have patios...this government wants to see patios, they want to see as many people outside as possible."
Tostenson says he wants to see the province continue the temporary patio program this year and allow businesses to continue with the process for permanent patios next year.
Businesses had until Oct. 31, 2021, to pay a one-time fee from between $330 and $440 for an application so diners could sit on a patio in the summer of 2022.
"The industry has been so busy to even think about this stuff," Tostenson said.
Back at the Frick and Frack Taphouse, Richards agrees.
He says he's been too busy trying to get through the winter to think about patios, but would like to see the temporary program extended.
"If it was extended that would be nice as it would give us the option to have more tables out there, we expect a very busy summer, the extra capacity would be a benefit," he said.
Richards also said it will give bars and restaurants more time to decide if they want to go ahead with a permanent application and the expense a permanent patio would bring.
In an email to iNFOnews.ca, the Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General confirmed licenced businesses must apply for a new outdoor permanent patio permit to keep their patios after June 1.
However, the email does hint at a possible extension.
"(The) Government has heard that the June 2022 extension is too soon for some licensees and local governments to get patio policies in place and applications submitted," the email says. "Work is underway to identify options to address the need for additional time for businesses and local governments."
Whether that means easy alfresco dining across the province remains to be seen.
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