Yellowknife (Feb 18/04) - The last call for alcohol will soon be coming earlier in NWT bars.

During the Feb. 11, meeting of the Liquor Licensing Board, regulations were amended to push last call up to 1:30 a.m. while also extending the time patrons have to be out of any given establishment to 2:30 a.m.

All drinks are still required to be off the tables by 2 a.m.

"The board has struggled to do something about the hours," said John Simpson, board chairman, during the meeting.

"We think this could help."

Currently, bars can serve drinks up to 1:59 a.m. and patrons must be out of bars by 2:15 a.m.

Several board members and submissions from bar owners indicated this situation has led to rapid, or binge, drinking, as well as forcing a glut of patrons out into the street at the same time.

Gordon Wray, president of the Black Knight Pub and member of the Yellowknife Hospitality Association, said the change in hours is a positive step in the right direction for bar owners.

"It will help alleviate the problems we have at closing time," Wray said.

Wray said the changes are a way of trickling people out slowly - he estimates 1,000 to 1,300 people currently exit all the city's bars at once looking for a way home.

The time changes, however, mean that bars will now have to pay staff for an extra hour of work, although they do not get extra revenue.

"We wanted the extra one-half hour to pay for the extra costs," he said.

The long nagging issue of special occasion permits was also addressed by the board. In the case of events where alcohol is sold to patrons, such as in a beer garden or at a dance, there is now a seven-day waiting period for the issuance of such permits.

"We reduced the proposed 45 days," said Simpson. "It was too long."

As well, the Board approved the idea of charging a $500 deposit on resale permits to ensure the holder obeys the NWT Liquor Act.

"If you're an organization in good standing, your permit will be grand-fathered," and the deposit will be waived said Simpson. The board will only charge new applicants and those with black marks already against them.

Another issue discussed by the board was Sunday openings of cocktail lounges.

Currently, the board approves such openings on a case-by-case basis for things like staff parties, Grey Cup and the Super Bowl, where no alcohol is sold, Simpson said.

Simpson said bars can open for up to six dry Sundays per year, however, that regulation is not set in stone.

Should the Hospitality Association want to request the board will considered making a change.

All of the directions set by the board will still require approval by the Department of Justice, said Simpson, which could take a month or two.