Woodstock bar owner on death of patron who allegedly had 17 beers

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By: Brian Williams, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

WOODSTOCK — A Southwest Ontario bar owner says she won’t fight a proposal by Ontario’s alcohol regulator to ban the sale of booze at the bar for two months after the agency investigated the death of a patron who allegedly was served 17 beers.

The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario said last week it had issued a notice of proposal to suspend the liquor sales licence of My Friends Place, at 19 Burtch St., for 60 days for the Oct. 6, 2024, death of a man who fell and hit his head after leaving the bar.

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Mary Beattie, 80, who owns My Friends Place, said Friday she wouldn’t appeal the proposed ban because of the cost.

“I can’t fight that,” she said. “The legal expenses would be more than what I make in the bar in two months.”

Establishments served with a notice of proposal have the right to appeal to the Licence Appeal Tribunal, an adjudicative body independent of the commission.

The commission’s probe alleges the man who later died was served alcohol “after appearing visibly intoxicated,” in violation of Ontario’s Liquor Licence and Control Act.

But Beattie disputes several of the commission’s allegations, including the claim the man was served 17 beers in four hours.

Beattie questions how many drinks the man was served, saying he bought beverages for other patrons. She maintains he was at My Friends Place more than four hours, claiming he was already at the bar when she arrived about 5:30 p.m., and was there until at least 10:30 p.m.

She also said when he first appeared intoxicated after he got up to use the washroom, she cut him off and called a cab.

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“He was in (the bathroom) quite a while, which we kind of keep an eye on,” Beattie said. “When he came out, he was completely disoriented, like he didn’t know where he was, and I said to him, ‘You can’t drink anymore.’ ”

The commission said the man left My Friends Place, fell backwards outside the bar and struck his head. He was taken to hospital, where he later died.

“(It’s) terrible,” Beattie said of the man’s death. “That’s a terrible thing to have to go through, and I talked to the family. It’s awful.”

The commission probe also alleged the bar permitted intoxication to occur on its premises, allowed someone without required training to serve alcohol, and less than three weeks after the death, allowed another patron “to drive their vehicle after being over-served alcohol.”

Beattie said she bought My Friends Place – a house converted into a small bar — in 2006. It’s an open barroom with about eight high and low tables, a TV set and an L-shaped bar at the end.

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“I always wanted to own a bar, and I wanted a nice, safe, quiet corner bar where people could come in and talk and that’s exactly what I have,” she said. “So, this is all unfortunate.”

It’s unclear when the proposed liquor licence suspension would take effect.

Reached Friday by Postmedia News, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission said by email that “out of respect for the process” it was “unable to offer any additional comment or information.”

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada

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