ONTARIO-The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has issued a notice of proposal to suspend the liquor licence of a restaurant in Huntsville for 60 days following a fatal car crash.
It is alleged that on November 4, 2022 a customer at Kelsey’s Huntsville was served and consumed a number of shots of liquor over approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. The AGCO says during that period, the customer showed increasing signs of intoxication, yet staff continued serving alcohol to the customer until closing time. The customer was later involved in a major single-vehicle accident and died due to their injuries according to the AGCO.
The AGCO says liquor licence holders must ensure their customers are not served to intoxication or permit intoxication on their premises. It is the responsibility of all licensees to ensure their staff are properly trained to recognize the signs of intoxication.
The AGCO says it is committed to ensuring that the alcohol sector operates with honesty, integrity and in the public interest.
“All liquor licence holders in Ontario are required to meet their obligations for the safe and responsible sale of alcohol. Licence holders have a specific duty not to serve customers who are or appear to be intoxicated and have a responsibility to prevent such tragic events from happening.” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO, AGCO.
An establishment served with a Notice of Proposal has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.