Hon. Shirley Bond

Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General

Room 347, Parliament Buildings

Victoria, BC V8V 1X4

Dear Minister Bond,

I am writing to you in support of the Rio theatre, a successful small business in my community of Vancouver Mount Pleasant.

The Rio is one of Vancouver’s last independent multi-purpose venuetheatres and has quickly become a cornerstone of Vancouver’s creative economy. The Rio has pioneered a multi-purpose model that blends live entertainment, first and second run movie screenings, and community events. Unfortunately, the Rio’s successful application for a liquor primary license has resulted in programming restrictions, applied by the Liquor Control and Licensing Branch under your ministry. The Rio is now being forced to choose between offering licensed, live entertainment and screening films.

For several years, the Rio has operated in much the same way as they propose continuing: a mix of alcohol-free screenings of first- and second-run films and licensed live events. A formal liquor-primary license will not change this operation but merely allow the Rio to avoid a separate license application for each live event. The owner of the Rio has committed clearly in writing to keeping general film screenings alcohol-free in order to comply with existing legislation. This mix has proven to be popular, successful and without any public safety concerns. There is no reason to believe that problems would arise now under a permanent license. In fact, that the license has been granted following the Rio’s operation in this multi-purpose fashion clearly indicates that there have not been difficulties.

In seeking city approval for a liquor license, the Rio has undergone an extensive community consultation and the support has been clear: our neighbourhood and Vancouver’s broader creative community are standing behind the Rio theatre.

There is no question that the creative arts are a key economic driver across our province and our community of Vancouver Mount Pleasant is no different. This is a classic case of bureaucratic red tape undermining a local small business. The Rio has been very patient and cooperative through the long application process and it is critical to act quickly in order for this business to survive. On behalf of my community, I urge you to find a solution that will allow the Rio to continue to operate successfully.

Sincerely,

Jenny Kwan, MLA

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant

Jenny Kwan

Vancouver-Mount Pleasant

Jenny Kwan was first elected as the MLA for Vancouver - Mount Pleasant in 1996, becoming one of the first Chinese-Canadians to sit in BC's L