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Coquitlam beer festival declared 'significant'

Needs designation from city council to get special events liquor permit
Coq. craft beer logo

An annual Tri-Cities beer bash has been declared municipally significant by Coquitlam city council so it can get a liquor permit.

Organizers of the Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival, put on by West Coast Experiences, asked for the designation so it can apply to the province for a special event permit. Previously, provincial policy didn’t allow a permit to be issued for the primary purpose of making a profit and it had to be associated with a registered non-profit with liquor sales profits going to that organization.

But now the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch allows for-profit permit holders to be exempt from donating all liquor profits to charity if the event is of “municipal, provincial, national or international significance.” In the case of municipal, it is up to the local government to make that determination.

The 2019 festival will be held at the Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club  on March 9. Organizers have told the city it will be donating a portion of the ticket sales from its fourth annual event to the Ride to Conquer Cancer while retaining some revenue to cover increased costs. 

ggranger@tricitynews.com