Alcohol board rejects extended bar hours in Montreal

The province's alcohol and gaming board has rejected the City of Montreal's pilot project to allow some downtown bars toextend theirhours and serve alcohol until 5:30 a.m.

In its decision, rendered Wednesday afternoon, the board said not enough planning went into Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre's proposal.

"We find that the design and planning of a project withsuch importance and such sensitivity to the population is
deficient. Such a project meritstaking the time to reflect anddocument its feasibility in light of the results and experiences elsewhere worldwide," the boardsaid in its38-page decision.

The pilot project, which was expected to begin this weekend and last until July 6, would have seen 19 bars on Crescent and St-Denis streets stay open until 6 a.m.and serve alcohol until 5:30 a.m.

• Some Montreal bars to serve alcohol until 5:30 a.m.
• Could bars open until 6 a.m. be in Montreal's future?
• Coderre says Montreal would be safer if bars stayed open longer

The board, whichgoverns alcohol and gaming in the province, said the proposal focused too narrowlyon potential economic benefits.

"We are disappointed that the economic outlook has carried so much weight in the proposal, while the issue of public health wascompletely absent," thedecision read.

Mayor Denis Coderre tweeted shortly after the decision was rendered.

"It's a missed opportunity for Montreal," his tweet read, addingthat police were ready to ensure public safety and that the alcohol-awareness groupEduc'alcoolalso supported the experiment.

Merchants feel let down

Bar owners who planned to take part in the project said they were disappointed by the board's decision to quash the plan.

"It was a pilot project, so I said Lets try it. I was not against it, and I was not for it, but we have to try something to get the downtown core rejuvenated a little bit," saidZiggyEichenbaum, the owner ofZiggy's Pub.

"We were going to do it for four weekends in a row and then stop itand then decide if its worth it or not." he said.