Earlier this month, the City of Vancouver considered making major changes to the last entry policy in the Granville Entertainment District (GED).
But now, the city has decided to extend the start date for the ‘late entry’ pilot project in an effort to extend consultation and collaboration with bars and clubs in the district.
The policy was set to begin on July 1 and would prohibit entry to bars and clubs along Granville Street after at 2 a.m. but would remain open until 3 a.m. to guests already inside.
“City staff will delay the pilot start date from July 1 in order to first convene the Council-sanctioned working group to jointly develop an implementation plan and establish metrics by which the pilot will be evaluated,” said corporate communications representative Jag Sandhu in a statement.
“The working group will confirm a pilot start date, which the City expects will be no more than an additional three months (i.e. no later than October).”
The ‘late entry’ project comes as a response to increasing reports of violence in the GED.
On Saturday, 29 year-old Samantha Doolan was charged with manslaughter after allegedly attacking Lauren McLellan outside Caprice nightclub last August.
Citizen groups and residents believe further consultation is necessary.
“They need to target the people that are causing the trouble a bit more specifically, rather than create rules that apply to people that don’t deserve it,” said a GED resident.
Operations will continue as usual on July 1 and the new pilot project launch date has yet to be determined.
“The City expects to convene the working group in approximately two weeks,” said Sandhu.
-With files from Paula Baker and Amy Judd