Junos: Hamilton venues want to stay open late for parties

To be proactive about keeping the party from stopping, the city council will consider deeming the upcoming Juno Awardsfestival March 13-15 "municipally significant."

Coun. Jason Farr will present a motion next Wednesdayto make the declaration, which would allow several bars and venues to serve alcohol later than their typical 2 a.m. last call.

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Each venue submits a request to the province individually, but needs the "municipally significant" finding to bolster the application.

"It's sort of one of those things that's done when you have afestival like this in your city," said Tim Potocic,chair of the Juno Host Committee. It allows venues hosting concerts or industry parties to keep serving an hour or two later than normal, "to keep the vibrancy going," he said.

With or without the designation, people coming to Hamilton for the Junos will be celebrating, Potocic said. He said it makes economic sense to allow those parties to happen in the city's venues and bars.

The city granted the extension for the Canadian Country Music Awards in 2011, saidFarr, who made the motion coming to the city council Tuesday. He said the last time the Junos were in town, he remembers running from venue to venue to interview acts for the radio.

"This time around, as a councillor,I'm just glad to have the economic benefit for the core and the city," Farr said.

Johna Preston, a bartender at This Ain't Hollywood, said she's getting excited for the Juno week. In addition to the application for a later last call, she said venues like hers may also apply to allow more people than the usual capacity of 200 inside the venue.

"You're going to have a lot of people hoping to come in," she said.

Usually only on New Year's Eve can bars continue serving drinks until 3 a.m. instead of 2 a.m., she said.

The venues that plan to ask Ontario for an extension to their serving hours are:Sheraton Hamilton Hotel, Absinthe, The Augusta House, Sarcoa Restaurant, The Pheasant Plucker,Corktown Pub and Fare,Casbah,Mills Hardware, This Aint Hollywood,Anchor Bar Hamilton, The Baltimore House, Liuna Station Banquet and Convention Centre, Radius and Club Seventy Seven.