Burnaby one step closer to establishing brewers' row

Beer and craft beverage lovers in Burnaby may soon have something to toast.

The city is one step closer to establishing a Brewers' Row, with a motion carried in council this week directing staff to introduce policies and bylaw amendments that could attract small businesses making craft beverages to Burnaby.

The motion was brought forward by Coun. Daniel Tetrault, who said a brewery or beverage district could help Burnaby build up its public spaces and attract visitors and businesses.

"I think the demand is there. There's been consultations with the community, and these are things that are desired —more public space, more patios, more breweries," Tetrault said.

"... Right now, we're seeing a lot of young people. When they want to go out and have a good time or meet up with friends, they're leaving Burnaby. So how do we keep people, young people in Burnaby, walking and biking, staying local and being able to meet up?"

Burnaby currently hosts three breweries within its boundaries, but Tetrault admitted that the current process of opening a new business in the city isn't always easy. There's cumbersome red tape involving zoning, capacities and the process to obtain a liquor license.

Tetrault pointed to cities with established brewery districts, like Port Moody and North Vancouver, as an example of how municipalities can work to encourage craft businesses to set up in areas with blossoming public spaces.

Breweries and public spaces

The Shipyards Brewery District in North Vancouver includes seven breweries, a distillery, a cidery, and a winery, all within walking distance of the extremely popular Lonsdale Quay Market and the Shipyards District, which officially opened in 2019.

North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan said the breweries first set up in the area because of the industrial zoning designations nearby, but they soon came to the city asking for more allowances.

"It was really them then coming to us to advocate for expanding what's allowed within the zoning and the provincial liquor licensing around having a tasting room [or] lounge area within the brewery," Buchanan said.

"... So they came to us, and we were fully supportive and then really, in the last several years, it's just taken off and actually has become a really vibrant area of the city."

While the redevelopment of the Shipyards District itself was planned long before the area's breweries began popping up, a block or two north from the waterfront, Buchanan said the success of one has fed into the other, and the different breweries all work together to create an inviting space.

"If one [tasting room] is full, you have the opportunity to go somewhere else and maybe shift back over at a later time. So they have really worked well together as a brewery district. They really collaborate well with one another and really support one another. So I think that's another beauty of it."

While Tetrault's motion didn't include a specific geographical boundary for a proposed brewers' row in Burnaby, he suggested that the Metrotown and Royal Oak areas could one day host a similar public space, especially given their proximity to rapid transit.

"I think as a city, we need to continue making more public space available, whether it's close to a brewery or not, particularly as it is becoming more dense with our town centres and urban villages on the way," he said.

The vision isn't confined to just breweries but other craft beverage artisans like wineries, cideries, and distilleries  —along with non-alcoholic options like kombucha and tea shops.

Tetrault said he's hoping any policy and bylaw changes will be in place by fall.