The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario is moving to suspend the liquor licence of the Kelsey’s Restaurant in Huntsville for 60 days for alleged over-service of alcohol leading to a fatal car accident.
On November 4, 2022, Kelsey’s Huntsville allegedly served a customer 18 shots of liquor over approximately 3 hours and 45 minutes. During that period, the customer showed increasing signs of intoxication, yet staff continued serving alcohol to the customer until closing time. The customer left the establishment after last call and drove away in a vehicle. Within minutes, the customer was involved in a major single-vehicle accident and tragically died due to their injuries.
In a news release the AGCO said, “The AGCO holds liquor licensees to high standards for the safe and responsible sale of alcohol. Liquor licence holders must ensure their customers are not served to intoxication or permit intoxication on their premises. It is the responsibility of all licensees to ensure their staff are properly trained to recognize the signs of intoxication.”
“All liquor licence holders in Ontario are required to meet their obligations for the safe and responsible sale of alcohol,” said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Registrar and CEO of the AGCO. “Licence holders have a specific duty not to serve customers who are or appear to be intoxicated and have a responsibility to prevent such tragic events from happening.”
Any establishment served with a Notice of Proposal has the right to appeal the Registrar’s action to the Licence Appeal Tribunal (LAT), an adjudicative tribunal independent of the AGCO and part of Tribunals Ontario.
