The Nunavut Liquor and Cannabis Board (NLCB) has hit popular Iqaluit restaurant the Storehouse Bar & Grill with a $5,000 fine for contravening the Liquor Act, it revealed in a Sept. 7 news release.
During a recent show cause hearing, the restaurant plead guilty to one charge of contravening the act by permitting intoxicated persons to remain on the licensed premises.
The board found that charge was substantiated, and suspended the restaurant’s license for Sept. 13 and 15 in addition to the aforementioned fine.
“The Board appreciates that this matter has been resolved by agreement,” Valerie Inukpuk, chairperson of the NCLB, said in the release. “The Board expects all licence holders to take all necessary measures to comply with the Liquor Act and Liquor Regulations to ensure the safe and responsible use of alcohol in the community”.
$5,000 is the NLCB’s maximum fine per offense.
The board selected Sept. 13 and 15 for the restaurant’s suspension because those dates “have enough traffic that closing on those days is a deterrent to prevent future breaches of the liquor laws,” NLCB said in an email.
“In this case, Wednesday and Friday were chosen because these days tend to be busier at the Storehouse,” they added, noting that the restaurant hosts its weekly Wing Night on Wednesdays.
This is the Storehouse’s second brush with the NLCB this year, which the release said is a cause for concern.
In June, the restaurant, which is attached to the Frobisher Inn, plead guilty to two charges of permitting intoxicated persons to remain on the licensed premises, and another charge of allowing quarrelsome and disorderly conduct to take place on the licensed premises. It received $9,000 fines as a result, and in that case, had its license suspended for three days.
Based on the restaurant’s history of recent infractions, future issues may be handled with increased severity.
“This would depend on the severity and nature of the infraction, should one occur,” NLCB said.”Having prior infractions for similar issues factors into Liquor Enforcement’s submissions to the board.”
The Government of Nunavut provides a detailed server training course to ensure bar staff are aware when a patron is inebriated.
“All staff members at a licensed establishment have a role in ensuring that patrons are served safely and that individuals aren’t served to, or past, the point of intoxication,” NLCB said.
The Storehouse has not responded to request for comment on its latest infraction.