Last call has been bumped up at Okotoks bars and restaurants over the next two weeks.
After new restrictions were handed down from the Province Nov. 12, establishments have to stop serving liquor by 10 p.m. and close by 11 p.m.
"I'm extremely pissed off,” said Darren Greve, owner of In Cahoots Bar & Grill, who is frustrated that despite the best efforts of his establishment, the Province isn't asking similar action to be taken in other sectors. "Since the start of the restrictions, we've played ball, we've done everything we could. I don't have a problem with that. I don't think we should be exempt from the rules.
After reconfiguring his bar for social distancing, Greve can seat 35 patrons.
"Our enhanced cleaning, limiting capacity, we did all of that," he said.
In a press conference on Nov. 12, Premier Jason Kenney introduced the new restrictions, while acknowledging the efforts of such establishments.
"I know that operators have worked hard to follow the guidance in place to protect their patrons,” Kenney said. “Limiting the hours of liquor consumption and operating hours will allow these businesses to stay open.”
He added there has been a growing number of violations in bars and lounges, with many converting themselves into “virtual night clubs.”
Night clubs are one of the activities that have remained suspended since March.
"When we reopened on May 14, we (Alberta) went all the way to September maintaining 500 cases. They reopened the schools in September and they spiked,” Greve added. "I went to the bank yesterday and I see the schools letting out all the kids going to [Circle K] in massive packs, not wearing masks, not adhering to any rules.
"How can you expect us to do this for two weeks and expect any change when we know there's definitely cases coming from there and we're not going to do anything.
“We're just going to stand here and watch it happen.”
In the press conference, Kenney pointed out that 40 per cent of spread of COVID-19 was attributed to home and social gatherings and has implored Albertans to voluntarily avoid such gatherings for the time being.
"We're putting our faith in the good judgment of Albertans, which is why these measurements are voluntary," Kenney said. "The alternative to voluntary actions by Albertans is mandatory restrictions like in most other places backed by fines.
"If we continue to see large private parties that ignore these recommendations, we may have to consider enforcement action.
"This two-week push is, I believe, our last chance, to avoid more restrictive measures that I, and most Albertans desperately want to avoid.”
Greve notes he has respect and concern for COVID-19, having friends with chronic illness that makes them vulnerable to the virus.
"We've got to be considerate, but [the government is] being completely inconsiderate to us,” he said. "It's not just us and we've proven that we're lower than one per cent of the cause. We'll play ball, but they've hurt us and they're shutting us down, and they're not helping us.
"There's no financial help, there's no rent assistance, the wage subsidy has basically disappeared.”
During the initial lockdown in spring, the bar was classified as a casino because it has VLTs.
"So we weren't even allowed to do takeout, but we still had to pay rent,” he said.
COVID-19 has already taken a toll on the bar’s finances — something Greve said hasn't been helped by government relief in the form of a loan.
"We're still out $300,000 and they gave us $40,000 in debt,” Greve said. "I didn't have debt before COVID. They said ‘Here's $40,000 in debt, here, we're helping.’
"How're you supposed to climb out of this when they handcuff you, tie rocks around your ankles, and tell you to swim?
"We've got to worry about COVID, but we've got to worry about people's lives too. My problem isn't even the mask. We'll keep doing that, just don't shut us down. I support my community and I'm not trying to be disrespectful.
"We're going to keep playing ball and hopefully we're here to keep trying to employ those Okotoks families.
Greve said that restrictions, such as mandatory masks in indoor public places in Okotoks, have made him and his staff a target for patrons that don't want to follow the guidelines.
"We have customers who come in here and swear at us and tell us off just for saying it's bylaw," he said. "We don't force them to put the mask on, we just have to let them know and we still get sworn at.
"You can pick on us all you want, but if those people are still out there and they don't care, then all the lockdowns are a moot point.”
