A Prince George nightclub has been issued a one-week suspension for defying provincial health orders to close in February. In a ruling issued Aug. 3, a spokesperson for the BC Liquor and Cannabis Regulation Branch said the license held by Learn to Earn Bartending School and Consulting Ltd. for Lambda Cabaret, now known as Club 1177, will be suspended for seven days from the close of business on Wednesday, August 31st. “Signs satisfactory to the director general (LCRB) notifying the public that the license has been suspended shall be posted in a conspicuous place on the premises by a branch inspector or a police officer and must remain in place during the period of suspension .” the spokesman said in the ruling. Beginning in early February and around the same time the Freedom Conversation convened in Ottawa and a large rally in support of it was held at Exposition Park in Prince George, Lambda opened for business in defiance of a provincial health order. A closure order issued on February 9 by Northern Health was lifted eight days later when the main drinking establishment was allowed to reopen, but another was issued two days later after Northern Health inspectors observed security guards admitting patrons without asking for proof vaccination. Coinciding with the Northern Health orders, the LCRB suspended the nightspot’s liquor license. “The branch subsequently learned that the licensee continued to operate and serve alcoholic beverages during the period of the license suspension,” the spokesperson said in the ruling, going on to say that the allegation was corroborated by social media posts by its principal owner. Lambda, Linda Allen. . A pre-hearing conference on the matter was originally set for April 28, but was postponed at the request of the franchisee. Several attempts to reschedule were met with no response, according to the spokesman, and when one was unilaterally scheduled to go forward on May 26, neither Allen nor her attorney showed up. Accordingly, on May 27, they were both informed that the matter would proceed through written submissions, received the branch’s documents and were given 14 days to respond. No response was received, the spokesman said. Allen was also slow to respond to requests to forward sales receipts for the days in question. Once provided, the documents confirmed the nightspot was operating on those dates, the spokesman said. Given no record of a violation by the licensee in the two years preceding the incident, penalties ranged from a seven to 11 day suspension and or a $7,000 to $11,000 fine. Noting that the respondent did not indicate a preference between a suspension or a fine, the representative agreed with the suspension, noting that the licensee continued to operate in February despite the suspension. “Failure to timely comply with a branch requirement is a serious matter as it may involve public safety issues. Under the circumstances, I believe a license suspension is more appropriate than a monetary penalty,” the spokesperson opined. Located at 1177 Third Avenue, it is now known as Club 1177, although it is consistently referred to as Lambda Cabaret throughout the decision. Allen turned the nightspot over to new management in mid-July, according to a post on Club 1177’s Facebook page.
