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HomeMy WebLinkAboutADM 320 Municipal Alcohol PolicyPolicy Procedure Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Policy Number ADM 320 Reference Liquor Licence and Control Act (2019) Municipal Designation for Special Occasion and Bring-Your Own Event Permit Policy (ADM 310) Resolution #993/26 Date Originated (m/d/y) April 27, 2026 Date Revised (m/d/y) Pages 8 Approval: Chief Administrative Officer Point of Contact Manager, Community Services Administration & Strategic Initiatives Policy Objective For any event where alcohol is served or sold on City of Pickering property, obtaining the applicable Special Occasion Permit from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is mandatory. The purpose of this policy is to outline the rules and regulations for the consumption of alcohol to mitigate negative social, legal, and health impacts from uncontrolled or high-risk consumption. Index 01 Definitions 02 Roles and Responsibilities 03 Prohibited Uses 04 General 05 Insurance 06 Accountability and Control 07 Enforcement and Compliance 08 Promoting the Policy 01 Definitions 01.01 Licensed Function - a function for which a Special Occasion Permit has been issued by or is otherwise licensed by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario at which alcoholic beverages may be consumed. Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 2 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 01.02 Designated Facilities - city-owned buildings, parks, open spaces, lands, structures, premises, and/or associated parking lot designated by Alcohol Management & Designated Facilities Procedure (XX) as approved for indoor or outdoor alcohol consumption with a Special Occasion Permit. 01.03 AGCO - the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. 01.04 Permit Holder - a person, group, or association to whom the City has granted permission to use a Designated Facility for a Licensed Function. 01.05 Events - events include both private and public events. Private events are limited to invited guests only and may not be publicly advertised. There can be no intent to gain or profit from the sale of liquor at the event. Public events are open to the public. These events can be advertised and fundraising and/or profit from the sale of liquor at the event is permitted. 01.06 Special Occasion Permit (SOP) - a permit issued by the AGCO required for the sale and service of alcohol at private or public occasions or events. 01.07 Director - the City’s Director, Community Services or designate. 01.08 Supervisor - a person responsible to manage the Public or Private Event to ensure that the function is operating safely and in accordance with the Alcohol Management Policy; and to resolve issues as they occur. The Supervisor may be the Permit Holder or a designate. 01.09 Monitor - persons that are responsible to monitor a Private Event to ensure that alcohol consumption is occurring in accordance with the City’s Alcohol Management Policy, and to report any issues to the Permit Holder during the event. Monitors shall be at least 19 years of age and are not to be consuming alcohol throughout the event. 01.10 Smart Serve - a certification program for responsible service training to all individuals who serve alcoholic beverages or who work where alcoholic beverages are served in the Province of Ontario. Smart Serve is governed by the Hospitality Industry Training Organization of Ontario and is recognized by the AGCO. 01.11 Acceptable Forms of Identification - the AGCO recognizes acceptable forms of identification as proof of age to be a Drivers Licence, Passport, Citizenship Card, Canadian Armed Forces Card, Identification Card issued by Liquor License Board of Ontario (LCBO), Secure Indian Status Card, Permanent Resident Card, and/or Photo Card issued under the Photo Card Act, 2008. 02 Roles and Responsibilities 02.01 Chief Administrative Officer: a) Support this Policy and amendments as required. Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 3 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 02.02 Manager, Community Services Administration & Strategic Initiatives to: a) Prepare and maintain standard operating procedures required to implement the provisions throughout this Policy. 03 Prohibited Uses The following Events and activities are prohibited on City property: a) The sale, service, and/or consumption of cannabis-based products is prohibited on City property including edible cannabis and cannabis-infused alcohol beverages. b) The sale, service, and/or consumption of alcohol is prohibited in change rooms, washrooms, offices, parking lots, baseball diamonds, sport pitches, and sports fields. c) Bring-your-own, tailgate, or similar outdoor Events involving alcohol such as those sanctioned under a Bring your Own Special Occasion Permit (formally known as Tailgate permits) are prohibited on City property. d) The consumption and sales of alcohol is prohibited on all City property that is not expressly listed in the Alcohol Management & Designated Facilities Procedure, and in instances where no SOP has been issued. 04 General 04.01 Designated Facilities Alcohol shall only be consumed or served in City properties designated for alcohol use with a valid SOP. A complete list of Designated Facilities is outlined in the Alcohol Management & Designated Facilities Procedure. 04.02 Permit Application Process and Special Occasion Permit Requirements A permit holder renting a facility in the City of Pickering, holds a critical responsibility when serving alcohol at an event. Under the Liquor Licence and Control Act of Ontario, Permit Holders are legally accountable for the actions of guests and event workers. Anyone who wishes to serve alcohol at a Designated Facility must complete a facility permit or event application form stipulating that alcohol will be served at the event/function and must comply with all other applicable requirements and submission deadlines outlined by the City. In addition, the Permit Holder must obtain a SOP from the AGCO and submit the document to the City, along with the liability insurance prior to the event and in accordance with all associated timelines outlined in Section 06. Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 4 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 04.03 Participant Control for Public/Private Licensed Events/Functions Alcoholic beverages will not be sold to or consumed by persons under 19 years of age. Permit Holders must ensure sufficient controls to prevent underage intoxicated or rowdy persons from entering the Designated Facility, to refuse service to such persons, and to remove such persons from the Designated Facility. Permit Holders must ensure sufficient controls are in place to prevent intoxication and rowdy behaviours. Such controls shall include but are not limited to the following: a) Having a Supervisor in charge of the Licensed Function present in the Designated Facility at all times during the event. b) Having a sufficient number of Event Monitors at the event as outlined in section 4.09. c) Ensuring that all patrons attending the Event who intend to consume alcohol beverages show Acceptable Forms of Identification as proof of age as recognized by the AGCO. d) Ensuring there is food available to reduce the risk of intoxication. Food should be set up in a visible location for the duration of the event and include light meal items such as sandwiches, pizza, etc. Snack foods such as chips and nuts are not enough to offset the effects of alcohol. e) Bar operations and alcohol service must close 30 minutes prior to the end time of the permit or the time listed on the SOP. For example, if the event ends at 12:00 am the last drink served must be no later than 11:30 pm. There shall be no “last call” announced at any event to prevent rapid consumption. It is the responsibility of the Permit Holder to refuse individuals who appear to be rowdy or intoxicated. If a dispute arises from someone denied access and/or ejection, the Permit Holder will make the final decision regarding who does and does not gain admittance. The City of Pickering reserves the right to eject rowdy, intoxicated or disruptive patrons. All Permit Holders and participants attending an event on City property shall adhere to the City of Pickering’s Respectful Conduct Policy (ADM 260). 04.04 Safe Transportation Permit Holders shall implement a safe transportation plan that includes various options for a safe return home from the event to prevent intoxicated participants from driving. The City may require a Permit Holder to demonstrate that such a plan will be implemented by the Permit Holder. Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 5 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 04.05 Statement of Intoxication The City will prominently display Statement of Intoxication signage in all Designated Facilities where alcohol is served (i.e. bar service area). Such signage indicates that it is illegal to serve participants to a state of intoxication. Permit Holders shall ensure compliance with all conditions as outlined in the following Statement of Intoxication: City of Pickering Statement of Intoxication: It is contrary to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019, S.O. 2019 to serve persons to intoxication. For this reason, Servers are required to obey the law and not serve anyone to intoxication. Should you wish a no alcohol or low alcohol “breather” round, request a soft drink, coffee or smaller than usual portion of alcohol. In addition to any signage requirements by the AGCO, under the Liquor License and Control Act the following must be adhered to: a) No advertisements promoting liquor prices may be placed outside the licensed area. b) No discounted drink prices or multiple sales for a special rate are permitted at the event or function including, but not limited to half price happy hour, and two for one drink options. c) Serving practices that encourage over-consumption of alcohol are not allowed, including shots, specialty drinks like Jello shooters, over-sized drinks, and drinking contests or games. There must be no beer or coolers available with an alcohol content of greater than 5.5 percent. d) Service is limited to two drinks per person at one time. e) Event names which convey the message that drinking is the principal activity or the purpose of the event are not permitted. 04.06 Posting Required Documentation and Signage The Permit Holder shall post the valid SOP and Service Guidelines at the bar service area for the duration of the event. The City will provide service guidelines signage to all Permit Holders. SERVICE GUIDELINES Servers are prohibited from serving alcohol to participants under 19 years of age. Proper identification must be presented to consume alcoholic beverages. Service is limited to two drinks per person at one time. Intoxicated persons or anyone who appears to be at the point of intoxication will be refused entry and/or service. ASK YOUR SERVER ABOUT SAFE TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 6 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 04.07 No Alcohol and Low Alcohol Drinks Non-alcoholic drinks shall be available at no charge or at a cost less than the lowest priced alcoholic drink. Permit Holders shall offer a sufficient quantity of no alcohol and low alcohol drinks containing less than 5.5% alcohol content for the duration of the function or event. The City may require a Permit Holder to provide a plan outlining the types of beverages that will be served at the event. This is to ensure that sufficient quantities of no alcohol options will be available by the Permit Holder. The City has the right to cancel a permit immediately and at any time if compliance of this provision is not adhered to. 04.08 Event Supervision and Security At the discretion of the City, professional security services and/or pay-duty police officers may be required at the Event or at access points of licenced bar areas, at the Permit Holder’s expense. The City reserves the right to adjust the minimum number or types of Event Workers and/or request additional measures be undertaken on an event-by-event basis. For outdoor Events that include alcohol, a Pay-Duty Officer request must be made via Durham Region Police Service (DRPS). The required amount of officers will be determined by DRPS, and will be at the expense of the organizer. For indoor Events that include alcohol, a Pay-Duty Officer request must be made via DRPS when the event attendance exceeds 500 people, and will be at the expense of the organizer. The City reserves the right to request additional measures be undertaken on an event-by-event basis. 04.09 Supervisor, Monitor, and Server Training Permit Holders must provide enough Supervisors, Monitors, and Servers that hold Smart Serve certifications and meet service requirements of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario Act, 2019, S.O. 2019 to be permitted to use Designated Facilities for a licensed event. All applicable positions outlined in the following chart are to be 19 years of age or older, be smart served trained and will not be consuming alcoholic beverages for the duration of the Event. Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 7 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 Event Attendance Servers Supervisors Monitors 1-100 1 1 1 at each entrance and 1 to monitor the floor/grounds 101-300 2 1 1 at each entrance and 1 to monitor the floor/grounds 301-500 3 1 1 at each entrance and 2 to monitor the floor/grounds 501-650 3-4 (depending on number of attendees above 19 years of age) 1 1-2 at main entrance, 1 at each additional entrance, and 2 to monitor the floor/grounds 651 and above 1 additional server for every 150 patrons 2 2 at main entrances, 1 at each additional entrance, and 3 or more to monitor the floor/grounds as determined by the City based on event details Floor refers to the rentable space of an indoor facility and grounds refer to the rentable space for an outdoor facility. The Permit Holder is required to provide a list of names of Supervisors, Monitors, and Servers to the City prior to the event, including their Smart Serve certification details. 05 Insurance 05.01 Permit Holders of Events must have a minimum of $5,000,000 third party general liability insurance coverage, naming the Corporation of the City of Pickering as an additional insured, to be permitted to use Designated Facilities for public and/or Private Licensed Functions. 06 Accountability and Control 06.01 A copy of the SOP must be provided to the Community Services Department (Facility Booking office and/or Event Staff) 15 business days prior to the event or function. 06.02 It is a requirement of the Alcohol Management Policy that the person(s) named on the City of Pickering Facility Permit be the same person(s) named on the SOP. Policy Title: Municipal Alcohol Policy Page 8 of 8 Policy Number: ADM 320 06.03 The Permit Holder of an alcohol related event must abide by the Municipal Alcohol Policy, all AGCO guidelines and regulations, Municipal Designation for Special Occasion and Bring-Your-Own Event Permits Policy, Facility Rental Conditions of Agreement, and any applicable City of Pickering Municipal By- laws. The Permit Holder must be present for the duration of the event, is responsible for all activities that occur during the event and is the main contact for City staff. 06.04 All alcohol for the event must be purchased under an SOP. 06.05 A Permit Holder that contravenes any City Policy or Procedure or any applicable law may be refused permission to use Designated Facilities for licensed functions, at the Directors discretion. 06.06 At its sole discretion, the City may remove any person that does not abide by the rules set out in this Policy. 07 Enforcement and Compliance A violation of this Policy occurs when individuals consume alcohol on municipal property where alcohol consumption is prohibited. Failure to adhere to this Policy can result in the immediate cancellation of the event/function and could restrict future permit opportunities. Any applicable fees related to the permit and/or cancellation are non-refundable. Any person or group who has violated the Policy will receive notice of the violation, outlining the issues and the consequences of the violation. 08 Promoting the Policy The City shall ensure that all Permit Holders are provided with the Municipal Alcohol Policy when the permit is issued.