‘IT’S NOT JUST A PUB, IT’S A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY’; THE NELSON RAISED HUNDREDS OF PETITION SIGNATURES TO EXTEND THEIR HOURS
In February, The Nelson, a local Sandy Hill pub located on the corner of Laurier and Nelson, submitted a petition to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) to upgrade their liquor license in order to stay open later every night. Since their grand opening in 2024, The Nelson has had restricted hours due to conditions on their liquor licence, a problem many local small pubs face. The Nelson is currently open until 11 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights; and 12 a.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. If their license is upgraded, the pub will have the freedom to be open until 2 a.m. every night.
Due to frustration from staff and community members that many late gatherings are often cut short, The Nelson’s management created a petition to use in their hearing with the AGCO, which happened in late February. The petition has garnered over 200 signatures from people across the community, including U of O students.
Judi Tetro, one of The Nelson’s co-owners, told The Fulcrum, “We’re hoping that the petition forms part of our statement to the AGCO to say this is what the community wants, and this is what our customers want.”
Tetro emphasized the numerous occurrences where the pub had to close early, cutting off popular holiday celebrations and sports games, adding that, “What this is about is ensuring that when our customers come, that they are able to have the full experience. That means if the Blue Jays are playing in the series final, that they can stay until the end of the game.”
Tetro expressed that The Nelson is not just a place to drink or eat, and it’s certainly not a nightclub either. Tetro says The Nelson is first and foremost a space for the community, “We’ve done toy drives at Christmas, we do food bank drives, we run trivia that so many community members want to participate in, and we have weekly karaoke that people in the community want to participate in. So, it’s not just a pub.”
Prior to the opening of The Nelson, the building had been vacant for four years due to the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic had on local small businesses. In 2022, 1 in 7 small Canadian small businesses were considering filing for bankruptcy or permanently decreasing their services because of the pandemic’s economic impact.
Tetro remarked that having a dark and vacant building in the community has a negative impact on the environment for all. “Even if people aren’t our customers; having a well-run, open, viable gathering place, and prosperous business in their neighbourhood benefits them.” Tetro said.
The Nelson’s case with the AGCO was heard at the end of February, but they have not yet received the results of their appeal. If successful, they will extend their hours until 2am multiple days in the week. The Nelson is no longer taking signatures on their petition.
