Province allowing restaurants to expand patios

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By Nick Seebruch
Province allowing restaurants to expand patios
An artists rendering of an expanded patio at Tim Hortons. Submitted.

ONTARIO – The province of Ontario is allowing restaurants to expand their patios temporarily as they re-open after the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Monday, June 8, Premier Doug Ford announced that as of June 12, restaurants will be permitted to re-open and have guests, but only on their patios.

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To support this development, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is allowing licensed business owners to build these temporary extensions without a fee.

“The new measures announced today provide flexibility for liquor sales licensees (e.g. licensed bars and restaurants) to temporarily extend their patio, if they choose to do so,” reads a statement from AGCO emailed to Seaway News. “As the regulator for the sale and service of alcohol, the AGCO notified all liquor licensed establishments of this change. ”

The establishments are required to get permission and follow by-laws and guidelines of their municipality.

One business that is already planning to take advantage of these patio extensions is Tim Hortons.

“Tim Hortons is ready to welcome guests back to our patios and we are quickly expanding the number of patios we offer across Canada,” said Tim Hortons Chief Operating Officer Mike Hancock. “In the coming weeks, we are reopening more than 350 existing patios in Ontario and plan to significantly expand this number.  Overall, we are planning to open upwards of 1,000 new patios across Canada by transforming existing outdoor spaces to allow our guests and their friends and families to sit and enjoy their Tim Hortons favourites outside our restaurants.”

These new regulations will be in effect until Jan. 1, 2021 at 3 a.m.

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