The AGCO moves to revoke the liquor licence of Club 33 in Hamilton
April 29 2024 - 10:28AM
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is moving to
revoke the liquor sales licence of Hamilton bar Club 33, for
alleged repeated violations of the Liquor Licence and Control Act,
2019 (LLCA). The AGCO is taking this step following a comprehensive
review of the licence holder’s compliance with Ontario’s liquor
laws.
The AGCO identified multiple alleged violations of the LLCA, the
Regulations, and the Registrar’s Interim Standards and Requirements
for Liquor by this licence holder, which puts the public at
risk.
In repeated inspections of the establishment over a one-year
period, AGCO inspectors observed and advised the licence holder of
multiple alleged violations of provincial liquor laws. Despite
repeated interventions by the AGCO and attempts to bring this
establishment into compliance, inspectors continued to observe
issues during their ongoing visits that put the public at risk.
Alleged violations include:
- the licence holder failed to
maintain control over the premises by leaving the establishment
unsupervised on multiple occasions, including one incident when
patrons were observed serving themselves liquor from the bar;
- the licence holder was observed
selling or serving alcohol after hours on multiple occasions;
- the licence holder was observed
selling or serving alcohol that had not been lawfully
purchased;
- on multiple occasions, management
staff at the establishment were found to not have their Smart Serve
certification;
- on multiple occasions, the licence
holder obstructed AGCO inspections including one incident when a
manager provided false information; and
- the licence holder failed to comply
with the provincial fire code after several emergency exits were
found to be blocked.
Holding a liquor licence comes with legal obligations for the
safe and responsible sale and service of alcohol. The AGCO is
proposing to revoke Club 33’s liquor licence to protect the
public’s safety.
An establishment served with a Notice of Proposal to revoke its
licence has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action to the
Licence Appeal Tribunal, which is an adjudicative tribunal
independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.
QUOTES
"All liquor licence holders in Ontario are required to operate
with honesty and integrity and in a way that doesn’t endanger their
patrons or the community around them. When an establishment is
unable or unwilling to meet its obligations, the AGCO will take the
necessary steps to protect the public. "
Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO, AGCO
MEDIA CONTACTAGCO
Communicationsmedia@agco.ca
ABOUT THE AGCO
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is an
Ontario provincial regulatory agency reporting to the Ministry
of the Attorney General (MAG). It is a corporation under
the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario
Act, 2019.
The AGCO is responsible for regulating the alcohol,
gaming, horse racing and private cannabis retail sectors in Ontario
in accordance with the principles of honesty and integrity, and in
the public interest.
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