BC Shut Down A Beachfront Tiki Bar For Not Following COVID-19 Rules

If you like pina coladas and getting caught in the rain, then you might have to wait to sip at the Tiki Bar in the Okanagan.

According to Interior Health, they ordered the Okanagan Beach Club Tiki Bar in Kelowna to close on September 10.

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[...] the premises do not have adequate measures in place to protect the public from contracting COVID-19.

Interior Health Statement

B.C.'s public health officer issued an order earlier this year that said restaurants could be forced to close if they were not complying with the rules.

Interior Health didn't list any specific offences and they also fined them $345 on September 14.

Speaking to Narcity, owner Ryan Hargreaves said that they had been working with Interior Health for weeks and brought in all the necessary tables, plexiglass, security, hand sanitizing stations and more that were recommended.

Then, after the long weekend, Hargreaves said an official came and said they had seen a photo of 20 to 30 people crowded at the bar and they would be getting a fine.

"One guy went off of one photo that fined us, and we're going to fight the ticket because we feel it's unfair to give us a fine without any warning when we've been complying with Interior Health all year," he said.

Hargreaves says that the group in the photo would have only been there for a few moments until they were directed by staff on how to safely enjoy the bar following COVID-19 procedures — the rest of the resort is still open but the tiki bar is closed for the season.