David Duprey, owner of Grace Gallery and Narrow Lounge, is part of a group lobbying to make it easier for entrepreneurs to open arts venues in Vancouver.

Credit: Doug Shanks

NEWS: ‘No-fun city’ no more?

As part of seemingly never-ending efforts to put Vancouver’s “no-fun city” reputation to rest, city council unanimously approved a regulatory review that aims to dramatically reduce the jungle of red tape surrounding the creation and operation of spaces that host live music, performance art, and other cultural events. The recommendations contained in the review, which was brought forward by Cultural Services staff last week (Jan. 21), will be subject to formal investigation throughout 2011, beginning after the Olympics.

Inconsistent information, confusing or outdated zoning policy, and prohibitive regulatory frameworks surrounding basic acquisitions like liquor licenses, have been the bane of many cultural entrepreneurs’ ambitions for years.

Recognizing that the City of Vancouver’s current regulatory structures often work against the proliferation of a dynamic arts and culture scene, Cultural Services staff held community roundtable discussions last fall with venue owners, festival coordinators, and members of the independent music community to address the barriers they felt were prohibiting the pursuit of their livelihoods.

David Duprey, owner of the Narrow Lounge and Grace Gallery, at 3rd and Main, and the Rickshaw Theatre, at Hastings and Gore, participated in the roundtable discussions, and has been a vocal supporter for reforming what he says are prohibitive regulatory barriers. When WE met with him at the Grace Gallery, Duprey’s obvious exasperation for the City’s regulatory policies become even more pronounced when he compared Vancouver to other cities.

“If I was in California right now — or Toronto — with this space, I would literally apply for a liquor license and I would have one... I’d go and pay my $150 fee, and there wouldn’t be any weirdness,” he says.

In order for him to open the Narrow Lounge, Duprey had to pay rent for 10 months while waiting for approval from the City to build in the former industrial space. “It took me three months to be able to build everything, and then it took another four months after that to get the liquor license,” he says.

Meanwhile, the adjacent Grace Gallery remains without a liquor license because the space is not zoned for one, so Duprey and his staff must apply for a special-event permit when they hold an event that serves liquor. “You’re only allowed to get two of those a month,” he says. “There was a 40-seat liquor license that got offered to me the other day... and it was $600,000. Who the hell has $600,000?”

Duprey is optimistic that the City can change its performance-venue policies, provided there is enough political will. As an example, he points to city councillor Suzanne Anton’s recent success passing a motion that loosens regulations around privately-owned liquor stores.

“There are a bunch of people on council right now who are really dedicated to doing this, specifically Heather Deal,” he says. “This city is in a horrible position right now because it’s impossible to start a live-music venue. If you’ve got two million bucks, you could go do something and open up a new Biltmore. If you’re like me, and you have $40,000, you can’t do it.”

Jacquie Gijssen, senior cultural planner for the City of Vancouver, says she expects City staff will be ready to come to council with its first new set of bylaws to improve live-performance regulations by around this time next year. “Regulations obviously have their place. They’re meant to protect public safety and they’re meant to create the kind of city that we all envision and want to have,” she says. “But over time, regulations can get out of date, they can be inconsistent, they can be overly complex, they can be contradictory, and they can be barriers for operation and creation of, in particular, cultural spaces.”

Members of Vancouver’s arts and cultural community spoke unanimously in favour of the regulatory review at the January 21 city council meeting. “It might be a decade too late, but at least it’s happening,” said Ryan McCormick of the Safe Amplification Site Society, a non-profit organization looking to establish a permanent all-ages arts and music venue in Vancouver. “After attempting to learn how to start a legal venue,” McCormick told council, “I have a new appreciation for these illegal venues in Vancouver. These people aren’t being lazy; it’s extraordinarily difficult to even find out how to be legal, let alone actually going through that process.”