Twilight Afterhours Club Ordered to Close
June 03, 2010
City cancels business licence to protect public safety
The City of Edmonton has cancelled the business licence for Twilight Afterhours Club, forcing the club to close its doors immediately.
The City’s Chief Licensing Officer found that serious violence occurring in and around the club and the poor business practises of Twilight’s owners show that it is not in the public interest to let the club, located at 10018-105 Street, stay open.
On February 15, 2010, a shooting outside Twilight killed one patron and seriously injured another. This was the sixth serious act of violence involving patrons of the club in just 30 months.
In his written decision, Chief Licensing Officer Randy Kirillo states that, “It is unreasonable to conclude that the acts of violence, by or to patrons of the club, that occur inside Twilight or within the immediate vicinity of the club are just unrelated coincidences, or that they can be written off as some generic form of downtown violence to which the owner and management have no responsibility.”
“It is incumbent upon the owners and management of such establishments to identify hazards, risky situations, or the potentials for violence and acknowledge them, plan for them, and deal with them.”
Other reasons for the cancellation include the club’s negative impact on the surrounding community and a failure to comply with a business licence condition that requires that the owners keep minors out of the club.
The owners of Twilight can appeal the decision to the Community Standards and Licence Appeal Committee, but they cannot operate during the appeal process.
Normally, businesses remain open through appeals; however when the Chief Licensing Officer believes there is imminent danger to public safety a business must remain closed, according to the Community Standards and Licence Appeal Bylaw.
The City will not be commenting further on the cancellation.
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