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Right call on booze sales

Spanning many years, several mayors and more than a few city councils, civic politicians were united against public drinking, particularly at public events and at city-owned facilities where children could be scarred by horrifying images of adults si
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Spanning many years, several mayors and more than a few city councils, civic politicians were united against public drinking, particularly at public events and at city-owned facilities where children could be scarred by horrifying images of adults sipping beer and wine coolers.

In the past three years, everything has changed.

In the summer of 2012, city council approved an application to allow drinking throughout Treasure Cove Casino, instead of just in the show lounge and cafe. In one swoop, the casino went from being able to serve 257 people to 1,216. The following year, after a one-year pilot project, the same mayor and council endorsed fans being able to sit in the stands with an alcoholic beverage during Prince George Cougars games. They were the last major junior team in Canada to allow that luxury.

On Monday night, city council approved liquor sales during Prince George Spruce Kings. Like the Cougars before, the Kings were also the last of their breed, since all of the other 16 B.C. Hockey League teams already permitted drinking in the stands during their games. The Cougars set aside sections of CN Centre for families, where drinking will not be allowed, and the Kings will do the same thing, the regular practice at amateur and professional sports venues.

The local change was long overdue and the outcome has been positive, with increased revenue for the city with liquor sales and adult fans happy they can have a beverage while watching their favourite team or performer, just like they can at a Canucks game, at junior hockey games or at arena concerts everywhere else in B.C.

Coun. Garth Frizzell and Coun. Albert Koehler voted against the application for liquor sales during Spruce Kings games at the Coliseum, remaining consistent with their stands on the previous applications for the Cougars at CN Centre. Sadly, they are letting their personal morals get in the way of making the right choice for the entire community.

"We shouldn't enable impairment right before people get into their vehicles," Frizzell said in 2012 and clearly his view has not changed. "We shouldn't be normalizing drinking."

Too late.

Drinking is a normal and legal activity for many adults and it's an important part of the local economy. Liquor production provides good paying jobs at the Pacific Western Brewery and Northern Lights Winery. Liquor sales at restaurants, pubs, clubs, cold beer and wine stores and government-owned outlets are good for the owners and employees of these establishments. There is nothing abnormal or immoral about making or consuming alcohol.

As for impairment, there are many rules set out by the B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Board that the casino, CN Centre and now the Coliseum have to follow in order to keep their liquor licence. One of the many infractions of the licence is continuing to serve intoxicated customers.

Mayor Lyn Hall rightly pointed out Monday that "there's adequate controls in place for every piece of their operation over there during a game so I see it would be no different if there's alcohol added to this."

The family atmosphere at Cougars games did not disappear when liquor sales were allowed and there is no evidence that it will dramatically change at Spruce Kings games, either.

The city should never have been in the business of liquor control in the first place. There is a provincial agency that already does a thorough job of making sure liquor licence holders follow the regulations to the letter. The paying public at the casino and at the city-owned arenas should decide with their dollars about the viability over beer sales at these venues, not a well-meaning mayor and council.

Heck, in Alberta, residents there can drink an ice-cold beer or a wine cooler at the movie theatre, too. An epidemic of drunken tomfoolery and impaired driving did not follow. At some point, they will be asked to grant the same privilege here and they will be wrong to reject such an application.

While city council has seen the light on liquor sales, it still remains fearful and hesitant on medical marijuana sales and distribution, even though the issues are virtually identical, with only the substances involved being different.

But that's the subject of tomorrow's editorial.