Vancouver’s Levels Nightclub suspended from serving alcohol for 7 days

A nightclub near downtown Vancouver’s Granville Street lost its liquor license after exceeding its capacity limits last New Year’s Eve.

A decision from the provincial regulator says Levels Nightclub won’t be able to serve alcohol for seven days between July 6 and July 14 after the Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch said a fine would not be enough as a penalty.

The court documents say that Levels Nightclub was 57 per cent over capacity.

“This average came to a total person count of 705 people which exceeded the 449 person count permitted by the Licence for the entire Establishment,” the documents state.

It says that two inspectors showed up along with two VPD officers, who were told there were 420 people inside. However, after observing people “shoulder to shoulder” with limited room to move, and conducting their counts the inspectors concluded otherwise.

According to the documents, after determining the overcapacity issue, managers of the club were told no one else could be let in and people had to be removed.

“That no additional people were permitted to enter the Establishment and that the Licensee’s security staff immediately take steps to remove 256 patrons from the Establishment,” it said.

People outside lining up for the nightclub started getting “confrontational” when the licensing staff told them they were not going to be allowed in, resulting in a constable having to request additional officers to come assist and control these people.

The branch said that the suspension was adequate because the staff were well aware that they were going over capacity.

“(It) was an intentional breach of the capacity limitation under the Licence, which breach was orchestrated by the Former GM and the Former Head Doorman, with the full expectation of the Former GM that the Establishment would be “shut down “as a result of his direction,”” it said.

During the period of the suspension, the nightclub is ordered to place signs notifying the public about the seven-day suspension. It must be placed in a “prominent location” in the establishment. The nightclub is also ordered to have a Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch inspector or a police officer in place during the period.

-With files from Angelyna Mintz.