Yellowknife (Dec 10/04) - The owner of the Gold Range Bar has asked the Liquor Licensing Board to extend drinking hours to help establishments hit hard by a ban on smoking in public places.

Richard Yurkiw said his sales are down by $512,000 since the city enacted a ban on public smoking in October 2003. He said other owners have reported similar revenue drops.

He suggested the liquor board allow bars to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. and stay open until 2:30 a.m. Right now, bars must close at 2:15, forcing them to stop serving at about 1:45 a.m.

"(People) are sure as hell not in the bars," said Yurkiw during a sparsely attended public meeting Wednesday. "(Owners) are frustrated. We're not churches, we're bars," he said.

The extra half-hour would help bars capitalize on patrons who appear to be coming out much later than before, Yurkiw said.

"(The bylaw) has spawned a new industry. It has gone underground," said Yurkiw, who told the board people are having keg parties in warehouses and their homes -- places they are allowed to smoke.

Liquor board chair Don Kindt told reporters, who outnumbered presenters at the meeting, the members would consider the proposal.

The board will hold public meetings across the territory to gauge public opinion on the extended hours and probably reach a decision in the spring, Kindt said.