B.C. music venues launch campaign to bring back general admission seating amid COVID-19
In British Columbia, to watch live music you need to pay for a seat under current COVID-19 protocols.
Ontario lifted that requirement two weeks ago. Quebec’s ban on general admission will be lifted on Nov. 15. Operators of live music venues say B.C. has fallen behind and it’s handcuffing their ability to be profitable.
“We’re looking for regulatory parity and clarity to ensure that these live music venues can actually operate at 100 per cent,” says Erin Benjamin, president and CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association (CLMA).
The CLMA, which is an advocacy group for operators of live music venues, has launched a letter-writing campaign calling on the provincial government to join the rest of Canada when it comes to general admission capacity for venues.
“One hundred per cent capacity is how they’re going to pay the bills,” says Benjamin. “It’s been almost 20 months of basically no revenue.”
As of Tuesday morning, more than 11,000 letters had been submitted to the provincial government by venue operators and fans of live music.
The Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver is an old movie theatre converted into a concert hall. Between the rows of theatre seats and the stage, the theatre has room for around 200 standing patrons but because of the seating, their overall capacity has dropped by more than 100 concertgoers.
“I don’t actually have full capacity,” said Mo Tarmohamed, owner and operator of the Rickshaw Theatre. “It almost seems like the language was written specifically to accommodate larger arenas, like Rogers Arena.”
Hermann’s Jazz Club in downtown Victoria has just been expanded. Upstairs has a new stage and a dancefloor but currently that dancefloor is full of tables and chairs, dropping the venue's overall capacity to around 70 per cent.
“I’m optimistic that we will be able to open up and I hope it happens sooner than later,” said Ashley Wey, artistic director of Hermann’s Jazz Club and local musician.
To get into any indoor event, you must show proof of vaccination. Wey says the regulations around general admission single out small music venues.
“You can mingle at a club and you can stand up and drink a beer but you can’t dance while you’re doing that,” said Wey. “It’s a little bit absurd.”
On Tuesday, the province's top doctor on said B.C. will stick with its seating plan for now.
“We are requiring people to have access to a seat,” said Dr. Bonnie Henry. “When people are seated, the risk is just that much lower.”
The CLMA questions how standing up and cheering beside a total stranger at a sporting event is any less risky than standing up at a live music performance.
“You are assigned a seat but you can stand, you can sing and you can dance around your seat,” said Benjamin. “We’re not exactly sure what the difference is.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels will take the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
NEW Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
NEW Capital gains tax change 'shortsighted' and 'sows division' business groups tell Freeland
Forging ahead with increasing Canada's capital gains inclusion rate 'sows division,' and is a 'shortsighted' way to improve the deficit, business groups are warning Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
RateMDs violates privacy of health professionals, class-action lawsuit claims
A lawsuit against RateMDs has been given the go-ahead by a B.C. Supreme Court judge who found the claim that the website violates the privacy rights of medical professionals is not 'bound to fail.'
Defence attacks Stormy Daniels' credibility as she returns to the stand in Trump's hush money trial
Stormy Daniels will return to the witness stand Thursday in Donald Trump's hush money trial as the defence tries to undermine the credibility of the porn actor's salacious testimony about their alleged sexual encounter and the money she was paid to keep quiet.
With contactless screening tech, this Toronto startup hopes to catch breast cancer early — and save lives
Amid evidence of rising breast cancer rates among young women in Canada, one Toronto startup is offering a contactless and radiation-free device that can help doctors identify suspicious changes in breast tissue. The company, Linda Lifetech, says this can lead to earlier detection of breast cancer.
Tornadoes tear through southeastern U.S. as storms leave 3 dead
Forecasters warned a wave of dangerous storms in the U.S. could wash over parts of the South early Thursday, a day after severe weather with damaging tornadoes and large hail killed at least three people in the region.