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From Sunday Sep 08 Vancouver Courier: Problem pubs targeted by city By David Carrigg-Staff writer City staff want to suspend the business licenses of three of the Downtown Eastside's most chronically troublesome pubs. Barb Windsor, deputy chief licence inspector, said continued police complaints prompted the decision to temporarily shut down pubs in the Regent, Balmoral and Astoria hotels, owned by the Sahota family of Angus Drive. The decision comes as Vancouver police enter their fourth month of undercover surveillance of pubs in the area. Another hotel, the Savoy at 258 East Hastings St., has agreed to employ door staff and ban the sale of stolen property on site in exchange for a reduced business licence suspension-two weeks instead of one month. The Savoy is not owned by the Sahotas. Windsor said the business licence of the Regent Hotel pub at 160 East Hastings St. was temporarily suspended from May 7 to 17 this year after police complaints about stolen property sales and violations of liquor laws, including booze sales to obviously drunk patrons. "The Sahotas voluntarily relinquished their licence but after they reopened, we continued to get police reports. The pub is not being managed properly, so it's going to council," said Windsor. Council will decide whether to suspend or revoke the Regent's licence at a business licence hearing Tuesday. City licensing staff have also ordered the business licence suspended for the Sahotas' Balmoral Hotel at 159 East Hastings St. between Sept. 16 and Sept. 30, and for the Astoria Hotel at 769 East Hastings between Sept. 16 and Oct. 15. The Sahotas also own the Cobalt Hotel, at 917 Main St. Windsor said the family still has time to appeal the Balmoral and Astoria suspensions, but a final decision is up to council. Insp. Ken Frail, officer responsible for the Downtown Eastside, said the police department was instrumental in getting the suspensions recommended to city council. "We are well aware that some of the pubs down there are owned by the same people and the problems at those pubs are consistent," Frail said. "There are breaches of ethical business practices beyond just allowing the sale of stolen property. We see violations of the liquor act where people are over served or where they allow smoking or drug use to occur." Frail said since police began focusing on activity in and around Downtown Eastside pubs, violent incidents in the neighbourhood have dropped. "We realize how tightly linked problem pubs are to the problems of the Downtown Eastside. Liquor is still the number-one killer in the Downtown Eastside in terms of substance abuse. And when liquor is oversold, or there is drug and liquor consumption, the overdose rate is pushed up," said Frail, adding police are investigating all problem pubs in the area. Windsor said she doesn't expect the Sahotas to get out of the pub business or sell their liquor licenses because they are so valuable. She said the Sahota family also owns an apartment complex at 575, 555, 525 East 5th Ave. that's been the subject of ongoing complaints about drug dealing and the building's poor condition. A spokesperson for the Sahota family was not available at the Courier's press time. |
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