City Government

Bar Owners Turn Over Licence and Shut Down Gingur Sky Permanently

April 01, 2010

The owners of the Gingur Sky Bar & Grill have turned in their business licence to the City and are closing their doors permanently.

The bar in northwest Edmonton was the scene of a shooting early Sunday, March 28, 2010.

That incident, and seven other shootings at the bar in the last two years, prompted the Public Safety Compliance Team to ask the City to use its emergency powers under the Municipal Government Act, and suspend the bar’s business licence for 14 days. The suspension came into effect on March 29, 2010.

On March 31, 2010 the owners voluntarily turned in their business licence to the City’s Licensing Section.

“In the interests of community safety we’re glad that an unsafe place is now closed for good,” says Nicole Chapdelaine, coordinator of the Public Safety Compliance Team (PSCT). The team works with licensed establishments to ensure a safe and hospitable environment is created in and around those establishments for patrons, staff and the community.

“As a result of this move by Gingur Sky,” she adds, “we will not proceed with our submission to have the bar’s licence reviewed, and possibly revoked, by the City’s Chief Licensing Officer.” The team had begun gathering evidence on the bar’s business practices and the circumstances surrounding the violence in and around the bar.

The Edmonton Police Service meanwhile, continues to investigate the shooting. Superintendent Neil Dubord, West Division, says that over the last four years, police had been working on a number of initiatives to address the complaints of violence at Gingur Sky. “From a public safety perspective,” he adds, “the owners voluntarily closing the club was the best possible outcome.”