Casinos and nightclubs poised to reopen next week as B.C. heads towards next step of restart
British Columbians are just eight days away from the date pegged for Step 3 of the province's reopening plan, when most remaining restrictions will be lifted. On Tuesday, B.C.’s top doctor, Dr. Bonnie Henry, indicated that the province looks to be on track for that to happen.
“We are progressing well,” Henry said.
“This gives us a strong foundation for our summer of hope, a summer of healing,” said Henry, noting one million British Columbians have now been fully vaccinated.
Seventy-seven per cent of adults have had their first shot, and hospitalizations and case counts are down – all metrics pointing towards Step 3, set to begin on July 1 at the earliest.
When Step 3 begins, casinos will be allowed to reopen, with limited capacity, and you'll be able to pull a one-armed bandit or play poker in View Royal’s Elements Casino, which is tentatively planning to open next week for the first time since the pandemic hit, according to Chuck Keeling with the Great Canadian Gaming Corporation, which owns the casino.
“We’ve called back close to 200 employees to get ready for July 1, after having been closed for almost 16 months, so we're really eager, really anxious, fingers crossed,” said Keeling.
Nightclubs – also shuttered since March 2020 – are also allowed to open in Step 3.
While it remains uncertain whether dancing will be allowed, and how full clubs can get, the operations manager for The Duke nightclub in Victoria says there is pent up demand, and it plans to reopen in early July.
“Two years of 19-year-olds that have never been to a club and are eager to get out there,” said manager Tanya Stone, noting she’s also heard from friends in their late 30’s who thought their clubbing days were behind them, but now have a renewed interest in going out for drinks and dancing.
In addition to nightclubs and casinos reopening, the next step in B.C.’s reopening will harken the return of Canada-wide travel. It will also give folks the green light to host as many people inside or outside their homes as they want, and there will be no limits at tables in restaurants, pubs or bars.
As well, masks won’t be mandatory, only recommended in public indoor spaces.
The province announced Tuesday afternoon that it’s extending the B.C. State of Emergency for another two weeks, through July 6. The government also noted, however, that it would cancel that state of emergency early if vaccine rates continue to rise, and hospitalizations and case counts continue to drop.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Lack of detention space could force CBSA to release detainees, internal memo warns
The Canada Border Services Agency is scrambling to find space to hold high-risk detainees that are set to be transferred from provincial jails in June.
BREAKING American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
BREAKING Allman Brothers Band co-founder and legendary guitarist Dickey Betts dies at 80
Guitar legend Dickey Betts, who co-founded the Allman Brothers Band and wrote their biggest hit, 'Ramblin' Man,' has died. He was 80.
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
Police make arrests in grandparent scam that defrauded victims out of $739K
Ontario Provincial Police say they have 'disrupted' an organized crime group that allegedly used an emergency grandparent scam to defraud seniors across Canada out of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
What does it mean to be 'house poor' and how can you avoid it?
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
Calgary man charged with manslaughter in death of toddler
Calgary police say Winston Campbell, 45, has been charged in the death of a two-year-old girl in 2022.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.