Yellowknife (Sep 12/03) - The Liquor Licensing Board has ordered the temporary closure of the Gold Range and the Polar Bowl for violations of the NWT Liquor Act.

The Gold Range will be shut down from Sept. 19 to 24, while the Polar Bowl will be closed for one day, Sept. 15.

The Gold Range was cited for overcrowding after a GNWT liquor inspector counted 319 people in the bar last April 19 -- a Saturday night -- well over the 254- person limit.

The general manager of the Gold Range, Richard Yurkiw, said the overcrowding was a result of miscommunication between new staff members.

"This situation just came out of the blue," he said. "I was away, we had new people at the doors and we just got swamped."

This was the Gold Range's third appearance before the board since 2001. After each of those hearings, the bar was closed for a week and fined $5,000. But this was the Gold Range's first appearance before the board since Yurkiw took over as general manager more than a year ago. "Everybody knows I've cleaned the place up," he said.

Board member John Simpson said his body takes overcrowding violations very seriously.

"People have died in the U.S. as a direct result of overcrowding. It's not something that should be ignored."

Simpson was referring to two incidents earlier this year when 21 people were killed during a stampede in a Chicago bar and 98 died in a fire at a Rhode Island night club.

Meanwhile, the sanctions against the Polar Bowl were less severe. It will be closed for 24 hours, starting at 10 a.m. on Sept. 15 The bowling alley bar was cited for allowing an intoxicated person on the premises.

According to the board members, that person was actually a Polar Bowl employee.