Halifax bar at centre of patron’s death ordered to close for 45 days

A downtown Halifax bar at the centre of a criminal case and civil lawsuits is now the subject of one of the longest closures ever issued to a liquor licensee in the province.

The Halifax Alehouse must shut its doors for 45 consecutive days as a penalty stemming from charges under the Liquor Control Act following a death and alleged assault outside the bar in 2022.

“It is a significant penalty,” Roland Deveau, panel chairman for the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board, said at a hearing Tuesday. Deveau declined a request for comment by CBC News. 

The province’s alcohol, gaming, fuel and tobacco division launched an investigation into the Alehouse after the death of Ryan Sawyer on Christmas Eve in 2022.

The division found several incidents throughout that year that were in violation of the province’s regulations, including failing to report criminal charges in relation to an incident on or around its property.

Bar to update surveillance equipment

Lawyers for the division and the Alehouse reached a proposed agreement over the charges earlier this month, and presented it to the utility and review board Tuesday.

The board approved the agreement. The dates the bar will be closed must be agreed upon within 30 days.

The agreement also includes conditions that require the Alehouse to update its surveillance equipment, kept surveillance footage for at least 14 days, and provide any footage requested by alcohol and gaming. 

At the hearing, Victor Goldberg, the lawyer representing the bar, said the owners acknowledge they violated the Liquor Control Act and accept the penalty.

Goldberg declined an interview and said his clients would not comment any further on the agreement. 

Duane Eddy, the lawyer representing the alcohol and gaming division, said at the hearing several considerations were taken into account when determining how long the Alehouse would have to close, including a 30-day suspension related to the death of a man at a legion in Stellarton, N.S., in 2008.

The alcohol, gaming, fuel and tobacco division declined to comment on the agreement.

Ongoing court cases

The case in front of the utility and review board is separate from the ongoing civil and criminal matters involving the Halifax Alehouse. 

The bar and employees are the subject of a civil lawsuit related to an incident in August 2022.

A man alleges he suffered serious injuries, including a fractured hyoid bone in his neck, when he was assaulted by Alehouse security guards, according to court documents.

In a statement of defence, lawyers for the Alehouse argued the man was trespassing on the bar’s property and wouldn’t leave after being told to do so. 

A separate lawsuit filed by the family of Ryan Sawyer argues the actions of a bar security guard caused his death on Dec. 24, 2022. Sawyer died in hospital after being found unconscious on the street in front of the Alehouse.

In statements of defence, the Alehouse denied any wrongdoing.

None of the allegations have been tested in court. 

Alexander Levy, 38, has been charged with manslaughter and criminal negligence causing death in relation to Sawyer’s death.

A trial by jury is scheduled for September 2025.