Toronto bars could serve booze earlier than usual during the FIFA World Cup
Toronto Mayor John Tory is seeking to expand the hours that alcohol can be served within the city during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
Tory committed to bringing the issue to council next week, aiming for "immediate approval" on Nov. 24, according to a statement issued Wednesday.
The World Cup will run from Nov. 20 to Dec. 18, and due to the time difference between Toronto and Qatar, some games will start as early as 8 a.m. EST.
“As a result, residents will patronize local cafes and restaurants earlier than usual during this period,” Tory said in the statement.
“During this time, the ability to serve alcohol one hour earlier than the provincial standard would allow business owners to benefit even more from the celebrations across the City.”
If approved, businesses will be permitted to begin alcohol sales at 8 a.m. rather than 9 a.m until Dec. 18.
“I hope this extra hour of alcohol service will help establishments planning to show the 8 a.m. games," Tory said.
Closing hours for alcohol will not change and all other rules around alcohol service remain in effect.
The city says, during past World Cup tournaments, there have been no issues with the extension of alcohol hours.
Toronto isn’t the first Canadian city to review its alcohol bylaws amid the World Cup – soon, Albertans will be able to crack a beer before the crack of dawn.
During the World Cup, Alberta bars and restaurants will also be allowed to offer early morning alcohol service, starting at 5:30 a.m.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Montreal man on the hook for thousands of dollars after a feature on his Tesla caused an accident
A Montreal man is warning Tesla drivers about using the Smart Summon feature after his vehicle hit another in a parking lot.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
Spike in 'violent rhetoric' since Oct. 7 attack from 'extremist actors,' CSIS warns
The Israel-Hamas war has led to a spike in 'violent rhetoric' from 'extremist actors' that could prompt some in Canada to turn to violence, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service warns.
Summer forecast: What to expect as El Nino weakens
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Actor Bernard Hill, of 'Titanic' and 'Lord of the Rings,' has died at 79
Actor Bernard Hill, who delivered a rousing cry before leading his people into battle in 'The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King' and went down with the ship as the captain in 'Titanic,' has died.
Dash cam catches moment suspected drunk driver hits parked car, sends it careening into North Shore flower shop
Police say it’s fortunate no one was injured or killed in a collision at North Vancouver’s Park and Tilford shopping centre Saturday evening that sent one vehicle careening into a flower shop and another into a set of concrete barriers outside a Winners store.
Israeli army tells Palestinians to evacuate parts of Gaza's Rafah ahead of an expected assault
The Israeli army on Monday ordered tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza's southern city of Rafah to start evacuating from the area, signalling that a long-promised ground invasion there could be imminent.
'Love has no boundaries': Sask. couple in their 90s and 80s get married
Eighty-two-year-old Susan Neufeldt and 90-year-old Ulrich Richter are no spring chickens, but their love blossomed over the weekend with their wedding at Pine View Manor just outside of Rosthern.