One of the staples of Canada Day in Steveston will likely be conspicuous by its absence this year.
The very popular beer garden at the Buck and Ear pub will be missing after management were advised by the City of Richmond they wouldn’t be getting a temporary permit for the occasion.
After an approach was made by the Buck and Ear about hosting a beer garden on Canada Day — as the pub has done for many years — the city’s business licensing department then, as is normal, canvassed the RCMP and fire-rescue for their input.
The feedback, according to the city, was that there had been issues in the past, including public intoxication and assaults.
And based on that information, city staff informed the Buck and Ear that staff would “not be supporting an application if it came forward.”
To date, added the city, there has been no formal application.
The Joseph Richard Group, which took over ownership of the Steveston pub in May 2015, issued a statement in response to a request for comment by the Richmond News.
“The Joseph Richard Group and the Buck and Ear have always taken great pride in being an integral part of Richmond’s Canada Day festivities,” said the company’s CEO, Ryan Moreno.
“It being our nation’s 150th birthday, we look forward to continuing this tradition on July 1. Our hope is that the city will reconsider its decision as our establishments are known for offering a safe environment to celebrate any occasion and while we have operated the property, we have never had a safety issue or liquor law violation at the Buck and Ear.”
Across the Lower Mainland, the company operates 10 “public house” bar and restaurants, a handful of liquor stores, three commercial properties and a Downtown Vancouver nightclub.
During his regular briefing to Richmond city council’s community safety committee on Tuesday, Richmond RCMP’s officer in charge, Supt. Will Ng, told councillors how there would be “no beer garden” at the Buck and Ear during this year’s Salmon Festival due to a “number of incidents.”
