Licenced dressing rooms might be in the future at the Clifford, Harriston and Palmerston arenas.
Recently, the towns parks and recreation advisory committee recommended allowing Recreation Director David Stonley to submit an application to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario that would allow it.
Stonley’s report to council noted there are only a few arenas in the province that serve alcohol in their dressing rooms.
He also said from the mid 1990s until recently, the AGCO would not allow municipalities to submit applications to licence dressing rooms, although municipalities that had applied earlier than that time were allowed to continue licensing their dressing rooms.
Stonley contended the licensing of dressing rooms provides staff more control over alcohol-related activities and provides a steady revenue stream for the town’s recreation department.
Stonley said since the arenas are already licensed, the application would simply extend that licence to the rooms.
He noted he undertook the process to licence the Monkton arena dressing rooms in the early 1990s. Those rooms are still licenced and generate roughly $10,000 in revenue each year.
“It has been an overwhelming success to date,” Stonley said.
He added that back in 2003, when he first started in Minto, the town was in the process of implementing a permanent liquor licence. While the town had applied at that time to licence the dressing rooms, that part of the application was refused.
“Upon further investigation, we have discovered that there is a way to proceed with licensing those areas.”
Deputy-Mayor Judy Dirksen asked if that meant there would be an additional person in the building to deal with serving alcohol in the dressing rooms.
Stonley said there would be no extra staff required. “The existing staff would be very capable.”
Councillor Wayne Martin considered it another way of seeking new revenue streams.
He said he has seen the operation in Monkton and it seems to work.
“We need to do more of this,” Martin said.
Stonely said of the Monkton facility, “The users certainly enjoy it,”
Martin agreed. “You sort of get spoiled by it … not that I indulge. I was a witness to the operation.”
Council approved submitting the application.
