OTTAWA -- Patios set up on city of Ottawa property will be allowed to serve until 2 a.m. this spring and summer.
Council approved the "2021 Patio Innovation Program" to support bars and restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the measures, staff can authorize the closure of any city road for a patio and last call will be 2 a.m.
The city must be in the "green" zone of Ontario's COVID-19 reopening framework to allow bars and restaurant patios to stay open until 2 a.m.
Coun. Mathieu Fleury, Jeff Leiper and Catherine McKenney voted against the 2 a.m. closing time, raising concerns about the later last call near residential areas.
City staff are introducing a three strikes policy to enforce the patio permits this summer.
The first strike is a verbal warning, a second offence results in an 11 p.m. closing time on the patio or a modification to the permit to address the issue. The third offence for noise bylaw infractions would result in the patio permit being revoked.
Coun. Fleury introduced a motion to use $30,000 from Ontario's Safe Restart to give to Ottawa Bylaw and Regulatory Services to cover expenses for policing the extended patio hour.
That motion was defeated 16 to 8.
Bylaw will assign a summer student to conduct proactive monitoring and enforcement in the ByWard Market exclusively.
Bylaw Services Director Roger Chapman says officers will conduct "proactive enforcement" Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights to help address any concerns.
