Vancouver city council has voted unanimously to expand patio hours during the summer.
Currently, patios can only operate until 11 p.m., but now they can stay open until one in the morning.
The Vancouver mayor brought forth a motion to look for ways to expand the size and hours of Vancouver patios.
“It won’t work for every patio in every neighbourhood, but we are looking for those instances where an operator never had any noise complaints and comply with our bylaws very well,” city councilor Heather Deal told Global News.
Deal says it is possible that some restaurants – including those in the downtown core — may be able to enact the new rules by the end of this summer.
The council has heard some concerns about possible noise from local residents, so they will be choosing the venues carefully.
“Many cities around the world have patios staying open way past 11 p.m. And here in Vancouver where we love being outdoors and the sun stays up so late in the summer, we’d like people to have that opportunity,” says Deal. “As long as it can be done within a good neighbourhood agreement, and people manage not to be too loud, it will be a great opportunity.”
The city currently has 577 patios.
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