N.S. alcohol enforcer calls for 50-day liquor licence suspension in Route 19 Brewing death

Tom Ayers · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 11, 2025 5:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: July 12

Nova Scotia's intoxicant enforcer and a trade brewery and edifice successful Inverness, Cape Breton, are acold isolated erstwhile it comes to the suggested punishment for contravening a liquor licensing regularisation connected the nighttime the company's brewmaster died.

Dallas Lewis died successful 2023 aft getting drunk and falling disconnected the extortion astatine Route 19 Brewing.

The aesculapian examiner said his blood-alcohol level was 3 times the ineligible bounds for driving.

The RCMP and the Department of Labour some investigated, but nary transgression charges were laid.

The institution was charged with 3 administrative counts nether the province's liquor licensing regulations and, aft a proceeding successful 2024, was recovered blameworthy of 1 number earlier this year.

In a determination successful May, the Regulatory and Appeals Board said Route 19 failed to support power of the premises connected the nighttime Lewis died.

Longest suspension successful history

In documents filed with the board, Nova Scotia's intoxicant and gaming part said breaking that regularisation was the basal origin of Lewis's decease and the brewery and restaurant's liquor licence should beryllium suspended for 50 days.

If approved, that would beryllium the longest suspension successful the province's history.

Evidence from the proceeding "proves that it is much probable than not that if Mr. Lewis did not person unfettered entree to the extortion aft consuming alcohol, past Mr. Lewis would not person fallen from Route 19's extortion aft becoming intoxicated," the intoxicant and gaming part said.

In a written effect to the board, Route 19 said its infraction was not deliberate and was a first-time offence.

The institution said 3 days would beryllium reasonable.

"The licensee respectfully submits that the violation, portion founded, occurred successful a discourse that does not warrant a terrible penalty," Route 19 said, adding a 50-day suspension "constitutes an excessively harsh punishment that is disproportionate to the quality of the allegation and [is] unsupported by Nova Scotia cases successful liquor disciplinary matters."

The institution besides said since the brewmaster's death, it has taken steps to guarantee it complies with regulations by restricting entree to the brewery aft moving hours, defining the brewmaster's tasks and hours, adding policies to clarify operations for unit and beefing up surveillance cameras to show entrances and exits.

The intoxicant and gaming part said if immoderate caller infractions are alleged successful the future, the caller policies and procedures whitethorn beryllium relevant, but they were implemented aft the 2023 incident and should not beryllium considered mitigating factors successful immoderate penalty.

An online database of provincial liquor licensing infractions shows astir convictions effect successful a licence suspension of between 1 and 15 days.

90 days to decide

The Palace Cabaret, besides known arsenic The Alehouse, was handed a 45-day suspension past twelvemonth aft the decease of Ryan Sawyer successful 2022.

The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 132 successful Inverness was fixed a 14-day suspension successful 2020 aft a patron was served 15 drinks successful 5 hours, went home, fell down the stairs and died.

The regulatory committee has 90 days — until Oct. 9 — to determine connected the last penalty.

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