Conditions Placed on Blush Nightclub

July 12, 2010

City places conditions on business licence to protect public safety

The City of Edmonton has placed nine new conditions on the business licence for Blush Kitchen and Lounge, which the club will have to meet before reopening. The conditions were recommended to the City’s Chief Licensing Officer in a joint submission by the business owner and the Public Safety Compliance Team.

The owners of Blush, located at 2940 Calgary Trail, voluntarily closed the club’s doors after shots were fired in their parking lot on May 23, 2010. It was the third time shots had been fired there this year. The conditions are intended to make the club safer and prevent future violence.

In his written decision, Chief Licensing Officer Randy Kirillo writes that, “The shooting incidents of February 27, May 2 and May 23, 2010, are indicative of a disturbing phenomenon that has recently manifested itself in the vicinity of the Blush Kitchen and Lounge.”

“There is agreement that more stringent business practices, along with a commitment to re-brand, will make this establishment less popular to this emerging criminal clientele - which would most definitely be in the public’s interest.”

The nine conditions require that the club:

  • Maintain a daily incident log that tracks any problems and how the staff dealt with them.
  • Only hire new staff that are trained and certified by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission’s ProServe and ProTect training programs, which are designed specifically for nightclub serving and security personnel.
  • Obtain a cleared criminal record check from all new staff before hiring them.
  • Dress security staff in easily identifiable clothing.
  • Install and maintain video surveillance in and around the club.
  • Post phone numbers for the police and taxi companies beside all phones, where patrons can clearly see them.
  • Keep a record of who is entering the club by scanning patrons’ Identifications.
  • Have staff maintain a list of banned patrons and prevent their entry.
  • Search all patrons by pat-down and metal detector to prevent weapons from entering the club.

The owners of Blush can appeal the conditions to the Community Standards and Licence Appeal Committee. An appeal has to be filed within 14 days of the Chief Licensing Officer’s decision.

The City will not be commenting further on this issue.

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