On Tuesday, one of Kingston’s biggest nightclubs abruptly announced that it would be closing until at least January 2022.
The Ale House and Canteen notice read “We will be closing Ale House & Canteen for the holidays. Stay safe, Kingston! “Ale House & Canteen did not provide a specific reason for the closure.
The Wilderness had been scheduled to perform at the venue on December 11, but the show has now been postponed. The news came as a surprise to some on social media, who were still under the impression that the show was still happening.
The shutdown comes as COVID-19 cases rise in the Kingston area. On Wednesday alone, KFL & A Public Health reported 101 new cases. There are currently 429 active cases in the Kingston region.
Just one day after the shutdown was announced, KFL & A Public Health announced that multiple positive cases of COVID-19 had been identified at Ale House & Canteen.
Nightclubs also face capacity limits due to the increase in cases in the province. While many other venues, such as concert halls and sports stadiums, have seen their capacity limits lifted, venues such as nightclubs have had to limit their limits to 25% of their total capacity.
Local businesses like Trinity Social and The Ale House in Kingston were looking forward to welcoming party-goers at full capacity starting November 15. However, the Ontario government extended restrictions amid a surge in COVID-19 cases in the province. At the time, the province said it would monitor the situation for 28 days and review the decision.
On the day that Casa Ale abruptly closed, the province once again extended its capacity limits on nightclubs.
YGK News reached out to Ale House & Canteen for comment, but has not received comment.
Reference-ygknews.ca