There’s one corner of B.C. life where the new Age of Enlightenment as far as liquor policy is concerned has yet to take hold.
It’s the hockey-rink dressing rooms.
For all the government’s preoccupation with farmers’ markets, beer gardens and grocery stores, the reformers have missed the one place where the old policies overlook the blindingly obvious. In hockey dressing rooms taken over by adult players after the kids have departed, it’s not unheard of for the occasional cold beverage to be consumed after a game.
They don’t call it “beer league” hockey for nothing.
B.C. Liberals have been avidly trumpeting their various reforms of liquor policy for the past two years. But they haven’t ventured to recognize the gap between theory — dressing rooms aren’t licensed for alcohol — and the reality — a post-game beer in the dressing room is as Canadian as apologizing for Justin Bieber.
Though at least 22 separate liquor-policy announcements from the government herald the arrival of a new sophisticated, tolerant outlook on booze, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy still holds in the dressing rooms. In some cases, the policy is actually moving in the opposite direction.
The Alberni Valley Times reported last fall a crackdown on drinking in dressing rooms at the local multiplex, on orders from liquor inspectors. Those orders in turn arose from a complaint that prompted them to check out the dressing rooms.
The Times filed a freedom-of-information request to learn more about how it all came about. The documents, made public a few months ago, show the full scope of the problem.
The file brings to mind Claude Rains as the police captain in the movie Casablanca, shaking down saloon owner Humphrey Bogart: “I’m shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!”
The complainant wrote to inspectors: “Was just wondering why Nanaimo has been fined for alcohol beverages in locker rooms yet … There is drinking in all adult leagues in Port Alberni … Any night you will observe coolers rolling in and there’s no Coca-Cola or Gatorade in there. The consumption of alcohol is rampant in the Alberni Valley Multiplex.”
The offended individual even took mobile phone videos with apparently smoking-gun proof and forwarded it to the branch.
Liquor inspectors checked it out and determined some beer-league hockey players were indeed drinking beer in the dressing room. That’s like finding dope being smoked at a Cheech and Chong concert.
They met the supervisor and his superior and took action to “ensure this practice ceases immediately.”
“They may consume liquor only in the licensed area of the establishment or teams may get special-occasion licences for the odd event in the change room. Otherwise, there can be no liquor in the dressing room.”
So Port Alberni might have achieved some kind of parity with Nanaimo when it comes to strict application of liquor laws. But not many middle-aged skaters would regard it as a bright day in the grand history of Canadian hockey.
After the inspector’s warning, the Times reported a city official’s observation that more communities and arenas are moving in the zero-tolerance direction. Another option would be to license the dressing rooms. But that would involve servers going into the dressing rooms to take orders and then serve the beer, which doesn’t sound workable.
Teams could also go to the licensed lounge after the game, but that isn’t always convenient.
As it stands, the crackdown has been in effect for a few months and teams are on a three-strike watch — first a warning, then loss of ice time, then full suspension.
There are understandable reasons to be careful about liquor consumption in those circumstances. But the crackdown is a far cry from the general tone of all the changes that have been rolled out recently. The beer corrals at public events are gone. B.C. has a happy hour now. Special-occasion licences are easier to get. There are provisions for family times with kids in certain pubs.
B.C. Liberals are confident they’re riding a popular winning streak with the reforms. If they want to keep that going, they might want to look at the plight of the thirsty beer leaguers.
