Toronto Bars Will Still Stay Open Late As City Has No Power To Close Them Early
In a City of Toronto media briefing on July 29, Mayor Tory told the media room that while Toronto bars are reopening, the city can't look to enforce earlier closing hours.
He explained that he had been looking into the idea of curtailing bars' hours, but that he's been told the decision is not within his or the city's jurisdiction.
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"(Changing bars' hours) is not within our jurisdiction."
Mayor Tory
Instead, any power would lie in the hands of the province. However, Tory warned Torontonians not to expect the province to take action, calling the suggested measure "a doubtful starter."
While hours may not be cut, though, new bar and restaurant protocols in stage three do include a ban on standing, dancing, and the introduction of required contract tracing.
Tory told the media room that he can't guess which protocols the province will decide to put in place and which they won't. But it sounds like those bars and nightclubs will be open late into the night, like they were pre-pandemic.