It’s been a difficult few months for the hospitality industry in British Columbia.
With indoor dining on and off, and restricted at the best of times, temporary patios have been a major lifeline for many restaurants, bars, breweries and more across the province.
According to the provincial government, more than 2,000 temporary patios in BC have been authorized to serve liquor during the pandemic.
Today, it was announced that temporary expanded service areas (TESA) will now be permitted until June 1, 2022, which is a seven-month extension.
In addition, the Province will continue to accept applications for new TESAs until Oct. 31, 2021.
"We have seen the hospitality industry pivot and open patios as a way to continue to welcome their customers and operate safely during the pandemic," said Ravi Kahlon, minister of economic recovery.
"As we move forward with BC's restart, we remain committed to working with businesses to find innovative ways to help them thrive and grow."
However, this wasn’t the only exciting news regarding temporary patios today, as the Province also expressed support for temporary patios becoming a permanent thing in BC.
“Temporary patios have been a lifeline for so many businesses and workers in the hospitality sector,” said Mike Farnworth, solicitor general.
“We’re committed to making these expanded serving areas part of their long-term recovery and beyond.”
The decision to make these TESAs permanent will come down to local government and Indigenous Nations.
They’ll have until July 31 to raise concerns about existing TESA authorizations in their jurisdictions before they’re extended by the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch.
“Local governments and Indigenous Nations will need to evaluate structures and outdoor licensed areas in terms of their community's unique requirements and approach to outdoor dining before those features are made permanent,” explained a government release.
Businesses that want to make their current TESA authorization permanent will need to apply for a new permanent structural change, with more information available here.
Permanent approval of TESAs must meet all local bylaws and requirements related to parking, building codes and the use of public land.
