Ottawa pubs lament lack of booze for gold medal game

Some Ottawa bars will be open Sunday morning for the men's gold medal hockey game, but unlike their Toronto counterparts, they won't be serving alcohol during the event.

The puck drops Sunday at 7 a.m. in the final between Canada and Sweden, but Ontario liquor licence rules say alcohol can only be served after 11 a.m. in bars and restaurants.

Chris Ward, the general manager at Pub 101 in the ByWard market, said Ontario's Alcohol and Gaming Commission twice turned down their request to extend the bar hours for the game.

"We are very disappointed but we will still be opened for the Olympic game and we'll serve some brunch for the game and hopefully people will come in," said Ward.

Ward said serving up alcohol for the gold medal game could have meant big profits.

"We'd be packed," he said.

Eight years ago the City of Toronto was given control over setting when bars can serve alcohol, and that city's council approved a motion allowing bars early alcohol sales for both Saturday's bronze and Sunday's gold medal games.

Councillor Mathieu Fleury represents the ByWard Market, and said the bars in his ward should have sought council's backing and applied for the extension much sooner.

"It should have been done before the games and it should have applied for the entire period," said Fleury.

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