THE North Shore Winter Club's members would like to enjoy their post-game libations a little bit later on Fridays and Saturdays, but the application for a permanent extension of the liquor licence is facing some opposition with neighbours and council.
Several residents of the Carleton at the Club condo building turned out to Monday's District of North Vancouver council meeting to ask council to pull support for NSWC's application and to address the many other noise and nuisance issues the neighbours blame on the club.
The club has been operating on a year-long trial to keep the bar open until 2 a.m on Fridays and Saturdays. That trial period has expired and the district is now being asked by the province whether it supports making the 2 a.m. last call permanent.
The club hasn't received any noise complaints since September of last year when management hired a security guard to watch the site at night, according to Tony DiGiovanni, NSWC's director of operations.
Still, neighbours were not impressed at the thought of living next to a bar, idling vehicles and loud conversations in club's parking lot at night and early morning swimming lessons for kids that wake residents up they already deal with.
But, Coun. Roger Bassam noted most of the complaints Carleton residents had with the NSWC had nothing to do with what time the bar serves drinks till, which is what council was being asked to consider, and that the North Shore Winter Club and it's outdoor pool predate the construction of the Carleton at the Club building, so residents should have known what they were buying into.
"People make decisions and should have to live with the consequences of their decisions," he said.
However, there were sympathizers on council, including Coun. Mike Little.
"If my neighbours had a pool and they were sending their kids out at 6 a.m., I'd be upset about it," he said.
While having a beer after a game of shinny is part of hockey culture, Mayor Richard Walton said, "people aren't going to go any quieter" if they pub stays open one hour later.
Not seeing a ready compromise, council voted for staff to arrange another meeting between Carleton's strata members and the Winter Club's management to see if a more neighbourly arrangement can't be made.
