Nova Scotia restaurant association seeks extension to meet new alcohol regulations

Well known for its hospitality industry, Nova Scotia boasts more than 2,400 licensed bars and restaurants.

By December 1, all staff who serve alcohol in these establishments will have to complete an alcohol safety certification course.

The province announced these new regulations in a press release Tuesday, catching some in the hospitality industry off-guard.

“In principle it’s a great idea, anything that improves the safety in restaurants is a great concept. However it’s always in the execution of it,” said Brendan Doherty, owner of the Old Triangle in downtown Halifax.

“This governing by press release is a strange way to do it and it’s never really effective,” said Doherty. “It most often leads to more questions than answers.”

It’s estimated there are nearly 20,000 people who work in the alcohol service industry across the province.

While some might already have an alcohol safety certification, the majority are likely without credentials said Doherty, who feels like the policy is being rushed through too quickly.

“To not have any input from the restaurant associations and to not have any input regarding transferring (certification) from other provinces to ours, it just seems really hasty and seems it was being pushed through really quickly,” said Doherty.

The Restaurant Association of Nova Scotia (RANS) is asking for an extension to the December 1 deadline, to give the industry more time to meet the new requirements.

“What we would have ideally have seen was more consultation on how it was rolled out, so that we could have had more conversations around timelines and the impacts it’s going to have,” said Natasha Chestnut, RANS executive director.

Service Nova Scotia Minister Colton LeBlanc insists there was consultation with the industry and says the decision is about improving safety.

“We’re still moving forward with the December 1 start date,” said LeBlanc, who insists the safety course is accessible and can be completed in under two hours.

“It’s a two hour, self-paced training module online,” said LeBlanc. “And of course we will be working with our licensees, through education.

“We’re not here to penalize anybody but we do not want anyone to underestimate the importance of this training,” said LeBlanc.

In the last five years, the province says they have opened more than 150 investigations related to over-serving and intoxication, pointing out that other provinces require similar certification.

The course cost, initially set at $70, has been criticized by those in like Doherty and Chestnut, but in an email to CTV News, the government said the price was adjusted to $35.

The serve right program is offered by the Nova Scotia Tourism Human Resource Council and because the course can be completed online, the province doesn’t expect any challenges with offering the course to so many participants in such a short window.

The province confirmed anyone who has completed similar training in other jurisdictions will still be required to complete the training program here in Nova Scotia.

For more Nova Scotia news visit our dedicated provincial page.