As of Thursday, Ontarians can drink alcohol as early as 7 a.m. during the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) approved the early start of liquor service in the province only during the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 Australia and New Zealand tournament.
The commission made the move as there is a significant time difference between the game times and local time.
For this reason, the extension of liquor service hours will allow fans to watch the games live while enjoying some booze bright and early.
The approval is temporary and will last for the duration of the tournament which runs until Aug. 20.
During this time, Ontario restaurants and bars will be permitted to sell alcohol starting at 7 a.m, with the exception of outdoor patio spaces. The closing service time of 2 a.m. will remain in place.
The AGCO says alcohol service is usually not permitted until 9 a.m.
“While temporary extensions are not normally provided for events taking place outside of the province, the Registrar recognizes that the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 is an event of international significance for many communities in Ontario and is one of the most watched sporting events in the world,” the AGCO said on its website.
The organization goes on to say that the tournament attracts a large and enthusiastic following, specifically in Ontario amongst multicultural communities.
Whether or not an establishment decides to begin serving at 7 a.m is up to their discretion. The AGCO emphasizes that individual establishments do not need to apply to the commission for approval, however they must ensure that the municipality they reside in are on board.
“The extension of hours will apply to licensed establishments provincewide. If a municipality objects to the extension of hours in their jurisdiction, then they may notify the Registrar in writing of their objection and local wishes will be respected with the ordinary permissible hours of service (i.e., 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m.) remaining applicable to those municipalities,” the AGCO explained.
The AGCO plans to release a list of municipalities where the extension of hours is not permitted on its website.
