It looks like Vancouver patio season is starting in Spring vs. Summer this year.
As B.C. restaurants are forced to shutdown indoor dining, due to rising viral case numbers, Vancouver is stepping up to see how they can support the restaurant business survive a third wave.
The City of Vancouver is looking into ways they can help by furthering the expansion of patios for various restaurants.
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Vancouver Patio Season Plans
Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart has called a motion to have staff work with the industry to find ways to help struggling businesses.
It will also direct staff to work with industry & business representatives to identify any other quick actions needed to help businesses get through this.
I’m also working w/ business reps on other actions we can take to support #SmallBiz. I’ll have more details soon. #vanpoli
— Kennedy Stewart (@kennedystewart) March 29, 2021
Another person involved in expediting help from the city is Vancouver Councillor Sarah Kirby Yung.
Kirby Yung had brought forward the Temporary Expedited Patio Program last year. Approximately 400 restaurants have applied to this program since then. She says that she is looking forward to new ideas that the mayor and staff have to support the restaurants. New ideas may include direction from the council, perhaps with expanding patios, the size of them, and how many of them.
While it’s evident that patio season in Vancouver will be the main way of supporting local restaurants (other than take-out), Kirby Yung says, “we need to do is ramp up what we’re doing, and let restaurants have their patios, issue more permits for patios, bigger patios if that’s what needed, and try to be sensitive to fees this year.”
For more updates in Metro Vancouver, check out our News section.