Alcohol to be served on party bikes in Ontario

The Doug Ford government is continuing to expand the accessibility to alcohol across Ontario by allowing party bikes, or “pedal pubs” to serve booze or have it consumed on board. (Dylan Dyson/ CTV News Ottawa)

The Doug Ford government is continuing to expand the accessibility to alcohol across Ontario by allowing party bikes, or “pedal pubs” to serve booze or have it consumed on board.

These types of operators are businesses that tour groups around notable areas on large, shared quadricycles, visiting local restaurants, breweries, wineries, cideries and other businesses.

The province says this change would apply to pedal pub operators in Ottawa, Toronto, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Windsor beginning July 1.

Prior to the change, these party bikes would only transport tourist groups to various vendors and producers.

Ottawa currently has one party bike operator, the Thursty Pedaler, which operates pub crawl and coffee shop tours in the Glebe and Hintonburg neighbourhoods.

“I think that’s kind of the perception people get if you’ve done it in different locations and things like that,” says Amy Schultz, a tour guide with the Thursty Pedaler.

“People definitely think you can drink on the bike. So I find a lot of the conversations I have are people kind of surprised by that.”

“Explore some of the best bars, restaurants, and patios Ottawa has to offer. Pedal your way through one of two vibrant Ottawa neighborhoods, refueling along the way at three local watering holes,” the Thursty Pedaler says on its website.

“We’re excited and we want any opportunity to give people more fun,” says Schultz. “If that’s having drinks on the bike, then that’s great.”

“Pedal pubs offer a fun and memorable way to explore Ontario’s communities, and we’re making sure that experience is responsible,” said Attorney General Doug Downey, in a statement. “Beginning this summer, Ontario is supporting a unique opportunity that will not only stimulate tourism and bring communities together, but also protect local jobs, our economy and small businesses across the province.”

A licence from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) will be required to sell and serve alcohol on pedal pubs.

Schultz says once a licence is secured, logistics for serving while on the road will still need to be sorted.

“We’re not really sure what that looks like. We don’t know the process of that. Obviously insurance, staffing, different things like that. We might need more people if you have somebody serving and somebody driving. So there’s lots of considerations. But definitely we’re really excited and hope to see what happens with it,” Schultz says.

Pedal pubs are allowed to operate in a community only once the local municipality passes a by-law to permit their operations.

More to come

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