Yellowknife (Dec 10/04) - Bars across the territory will be allowed to open for six Sundays every year, the Liquor Licensing Board announced Wednesday.

The board made the decision after being deluged by requests last month for special permits to allow bars to open on Grey Cup Sunday, said chair Don Kindt.

"This new policy will streamline the approval process," Kindt said.

The new regulations allow bar-owners to apply for the Sunday openings without convening a full hearing before the board.

Many bars in Yellowknife say their revenues have dropped significantly since the city passed a bylaw that banned smoking in public places last fall.

Kindt said limited Sunday openings would help the bars recoup some of those lost earnings.

"The licensees said things are pretty tough," Kindt said. Despite the changes, the liquor board is not moving towards full Sunday openings, Kindt said.

"That is not an issue for this board," said Kindt.

It would likely be some time before the territory joins southern jurisdictions that allow drinking on Sundays, Kindt said.

Any decision in that vein would likely only come after extensive public consultations, he said.