Login / RegisterLiquor licence will prevent Rio Theatre from screening any movies
There's been another twist in the ongoing saga of the Rio Theatre's attempt to obtain a liquor licence.
On Thursday (January 19), Rio Theatre owner Corinne Lea issued a news release, stating that the theatre had been granted a liquor-primary licence for live events.
The theatre had planned on continuing to screen movies and all-ages community events—but without bar service.
However, later that day, the BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch issued a condition on the licence:
"By regulation, movie theatres are prohibited from applying for a liquor primary license. Under current regulations and policies, you cannot operate as a licensed live theatre at some times and an unlicensed movie theatre at others. Therefore the following term and condition will be placed on your liquor primary license:
• This establishment is not permitted to show movies or any type of cinematic screenings at any time."
Lea told the Straight by phone that she still doesn't understand why she can't screen films when her licence is not in effect. "My licence starts at 6 p.m. and goes from 6 p.m. until midnight on weekdays and 6 p.m. until 1 [a.m.] on the weekends. Even during the day, when I have no liquor licence, I'm not permitted to show a movie. To me, that is way too far reaching and we don't understand why they felt the need to do that."
Her interpretation of why this is happening is because the Rio is being classified as a movie theatre, rather than a multimedia venue. "What we're hoping is that maybe if they just classified us differently, because we're not like every other movie theatre, maybe that would allow them to permit us to have multimedia programming."
The BC Liquor Control and Licensing Branch did not make anyone available for a phone interview request by the Straight.
Lea emphasized though that she will abide by the terms of her licence. "I have agreed to follow the rules and that's what I'm going to do. I'm not being defiant. I'm not happy about it…but I am going to comply with the rules that they've laid out for me."
Consequently, movie screenings after the licence is issued (Lea anticipates it will be on Monday [January 23]) will be cancelled. The last film will be The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo on Sunday (January 22) at 9:30 p.m. Film events such as Midnight Movies, Movies for Mommies, Friends of Dorothy Queer Film Series, and DOXA and Vancouver Queer Film Festival screenings will all be affected.
The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival had six screenings scheduled at the Rio (in addition to screenings at other venues) to be held during their festival, which runs from February 10 to 18. VIMFF festival director Alan Formanek said by phone that they will wait to see what happens at the Rio next week before taking action.
The Rio will be closed on the nights that films were scheduled into February. However, Lea is hoping to schedule live events in their place.
You can follow Craig Takeuchi on Twitter at twitter.com/cinecraig.
Politicians, collectivist nanny-state lefty politicians, you know, the ones all your co-workers at the Straight worship, the ones whose unethical behavior you can't criticize without getting censored, called racist, or charged with a hateful thought crime.
Some of the people complaining about this are the same folks who demand "more regulation" in every area of our lives. Well congratulations "progressives", you won, enjoy your prize. You're finally SAFE from the dark, evil, dangerous combination of beer and a movie.
Let's ban pine cones next, and reduce the posted speed limit on the Seawall. You know, for the planet and shit.
Thinking? A bureaucrat? Ha ha ha.
Please provide details of when the Georgia Straight has censored your comments about "collectivist nanny-state lefty politicians".
Anyone who regularly reads posts on this site knows that, if anything, the opposite holds true.
The only time a comment is deleted is when it contravenes the restrictions set out in our "Comments Disclaimer", below.
Criticizing "lefty politicians" is not one of them.
Have a nice day.
Dont blame the bureaucracy, its called the rule of law. Its insane we still have 1920's liquor laws but start writing the right people. If we make it an issue, the straight will right another piece on it, a large conversation will form and maybe the MLA's will push some legislation?
You are wrong. The NDP (Spencer Hertbert) is the only provincial party that has said anything about this. The Liberals have been completely silent and have said nothing about provincial liquor laws since they have been in power even though the laws are clearly completely non-sensical.
Ha! That is awesome. Great work. I couldn't have come up with that myself.
Consider the following B.C. government employees:
-Probation Officers
-Support Workers
-Healthcare Workers
-Social Workers
...and...
-B.C. Liquor Workers
The B.C. Liquor Control and Licensing Branch is clearly a relic of the past. More needs to be done and it cannot change fast enough.
Statements like this always make me wonder if it should not be made mandatory for every Canadian to leave this puritanical country at least once in their lives. Really, just try it sometime. Take a trip to Europe, for instance, and marvel at the fact how people (from the age of 16) in a city like Berlin can buy beer in supermarkets and convenience stores, are free to drink it walking down the street or even on the subway and there is still surprisingly less frequent boozed-up public aggression than on a Saturday night on Granville Street - and the world has miraculously not ended thus far. You could also witness, how literally every movie theatre sells liquor without any noticeable increase in lewdness and rudeness compared to what goes on here. Seriously, unless your position is that specifically Canadians are somehow genetically incapable of looking after themselves, our liquor laws - not just their interpretation - are perhaps the most ignorant, unnecessary legislation in the entire country ... and that's saying something.
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