KCBIA president relieved after province extends deadline for patio extension permits

KAMLOOPS — The provincial government is giving B.C. restaurant and bar owners more time to transform temporary patio extensions into permanent structures.

Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth announced Thursday (Apr. 7) that temporary expanded service area (TESA) permits will be extended until March 31, 2023.

The change is meant to allow local governments more time update patio policies and business owners more time to transform their patios.

Dino Bernardo owns The Commodore Grand Cafe and Lounge in downtown Kamloops, and is the president of the Kamloops Central Business Improvement Association.

“I’m extremely excited that they’re doing it,” Bernardo told CFJC Today. “It’s just going to allow us to work with the City and build a better plan moving forward for the patios.”

Temporary patio extensions became popular during 2020 and 2021 when COVID-19 pandemic restrictions forced many businesses to improvise in order to survive.

Bernardo had previously expressed concern that the provincial and municipal policies did not match up.

“I know that it was a concern for us and I spoke to a couple of the others restaurants downtown. It’s just not matching up because the cost to build these permanent structures is so much and, yes, you could get approval from the provincial government but if the City (of Kamloops) wasn’t approving it, that would be a waste of money for us.”

Bernardo says he has already contacted the City of Kamloops to discuss the matter. He notes many businesses are not in favour of the structures because they occupy much-needed parking spaces.