A now-shuttered restaurant at the Big White Ski Resort near Kelowna, B.C., has received a hefty fine after hosting a party earlier this spring in violation of COVID-19 public health orders.
WorkSafeBC fined Charley Victoria’s All Day Apres, which was evicted by the resort in the wake of the March 29 party, nearly $3,500 for the “raging” party that saw maskless young people in close proximity gathering in large groups and dancing on tables.
WorkSafeBC said the party violation, which was captured on video and posted to social media, was a “high-risk.”
“The party contravened the employer’s COVID-19 safety plan protocols for capacity, physical distancing, mask-wearing, and barriers between patrons and staff,” the agency said in the penalty notice posted online.
“The employer failed to ensure the health and safety of all workers present at its worksite.”
Reaction to the party was swift, drawing outrage from ski resort management.
The restaurant was not associated with the resort corporation, other than being located at Big White.
“Obviously, from the resort’s point of view, we’re absolutely disgusted and quite, frankly, embarrassed,” Big White Ski Resort vice-president Michael J. Ballingall told Global News at the time.
“(Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry) comes down with the provincial health orders and this operator decided to put his alcohol and food on sale. And, obviously, the staff that were laid off yesterday showed up and the party raged until the police showed up on scene.”
Most of the restaurants at the resort laid off their staff on March 29 after the province announced it was temporarily closing all indoor dining at bars and restaurants, prompting the idea for the party.
Ballingall added the restaurant operator “decided he was going to do his best to sell as much product as he possibly could. Whether it was defiant of the order or not, it was just a blatant disregard for the law, and for the human commonality of what we’re trying to do here with the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Restaurant owner Justin Reid issued a public apology shortly after.
“My decision to let his happen was wrong. I take full accountability for accept all consequences (sic) of this poor decision,” Reid wrote on the restaurant’s Facebook page.
“As a community, we have all been working so hard and making sacrifices to curb COVID-19 and keep each other safe, and what happened at Charley’s was unacceptable and did not demonstrate leadership or compassion for my community, in which I care deeply about.”
Big White saw a large cluster of COVID-19 cases last winter, and revellers who attended the restaurant party were asked to monitor themselves for potential coronavirus symptoms.
-With files from Doyle Potenteau