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May 06, 2015 - 7:00 AM
THOMPSON-OKANAGAN - A program by the provincial government to make it easier to get a special occasion liquor licence has been opened up to the Southern Interior.
The licences are now available online in the Thompson-Okanagan. The B.C. Liquor Distribution Branch began a pilot program in the Lower Mainland in early February and has now opened up the service to other parts of the province.
In the past, such licences had to be applied for in person at government liquor stores, municipal halls or police stations, depending on where in the province you lived.
The licences are required for occassional events such as private functions, festivals or manufacturer’s tastings where liquor will be sold or at events where liquor is served held in public places.
Events held in private homes or already-licensed establishments are exempt from the licensing requirement.
According to the liquor branch website, it hopes to free up police and liquor inspectors from having to personally inspect the special occasion sites. The branch receives up to 25,000 special occasion licences every year.
To contact the reporter for this story, email John McDonald at jmcdonald@infonews.ca or call 250-808-0143. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
News from © iNFOnews, 2015