By Allison Taylor
An extra two hours of operation is enough to convince local bar owners that business will be good on New Year’s Eve.
Robert Runciman, Ontario’s minister of consumer and commercial relations, announced Ontario bars can extend their operating hours past 2 a.m. on Jan. 1, providing two extra hours of business for bars.
“Staying open until 4 a.m. is long enough,” says Paul Ste-Marie, manager of the bar at Barrymores on Bank Street. “If you’re not drunk by 4 a.m., then you never will be.”
Ste-Marie says business is always good on New Year’s Eve, and the millennium hype should only increase customer interest this year.
Bars and nightclubs have traditionally been granted a one-hour extension on New Year’s Eve, but this year they were granted one millennium bonus hour, says Terry Simzer, senior communications adviser to the minister.
“There is a lot of interest being expressed in extending hours for the millennium celebrations on New Year’s Eve,” says Simzer. “We wanted an extension but nothing too outlandish like Newfoundland.”
Newfoundland bars will keep their taps running for 42 hours straight, while Quebec residents could possibly have five bonus hours of millennium partying until 8 a.m. A final decision will be made with two weeks.
Simzer says public safety and responsible drinking were big factors in the decision. With the possibility of Quebec adding five extra hours to the evening, there was also some concern of losing patrons to Quebec bars.
He says border crossing was another issue they considered.
But Simzer says the 4 a.m. decision is reasonable considering it’s only one night out of the entire business year.
“I don’t think the number of people who would actually keep a bar open that late would generate enough business to strongly affect bar owners’ profit,” Simzer says. “If people are going to stay out at a particular establishment in Ottawa until 4 a.m., they’ve probably done a fair bit of business until that point already.”
Extra time will help business at Babylon on Bank Street, says owner Adam Kronizk. He’s not worried about losing patrons.
“There is a faithful following to the bar,” Kronizk says. “People will want to stay among their friends.”
Natalie Hughes, 22, says 2 a.m. is late enough to celebrate in Ottawa. She has no plans to move her millennium party to Quebec.
“Chances are that if you are going to party till 4 a.m., then you won’t be in any condition to continue until 8 a.m. anyway.”