Glass half-full: Bedford highway beer garden reopens at reduced capacity
A new beer garden on the Bedford Highway has reopened after having to close temporarily for failing to meet parking regulations.
The Bedford Beer Garden initially opened for a weekend in late June. But it closed when the Halifax Regional Municipality determined it didn't have enough parking spaces.
The beer garden, located in a largely empty gravel lot along the highway, has been reduced in size by 100 square feet in order to require fewer parking spaces under its municipal permit.
"We had to compromise, find that middle ground," said co-owner Tony Makhoul.
The outdoor bar reopened on Friday to a large turnout, Makhoul said, and he's expecting a busy summer after several "ups and downs" while trying to open.
He said he's optimistic he'll be able to continue to work with the regional municipality to fully open the beer garden. But he also believes the municipality can help by removing barriers for businesses outside the downtown core.
"Downtown is completely exempt from the same rules we were held to here when it comes to parking and other things," he said.
There aren't many beer gardens outside of downtown Halifax. With areas like Bedford growing in population, people would prefer to have the same amenities, Makhoul said.
Rules are different for a reason
Jean St-Amand, the councillor for Bedford-Wentworth, said he's pleased the business and municipality were able to reach a compromise.
St-Amand said he's open to asking municipal staff to consider changes to municipal bylaws, but the rules are different in the suburbs because people still rely more on personal vehicles to get around.
"There are some [people] in Bedford that will readily walk to a beer garden, but I went down to the beer garden on Friday to check it out on its opening day and the parking lot was absolutely jammed," he said.
Regional council wants residents to be less dependent on vehicles throughout the municipality. But it takes time to improve the public transit system and build infrastructure, St-Amand said.
"That's something that we can't see change overnight," he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CTV News
18 minutes ago
- CTV News
Canadian rideshare service to allow passengers to ride with pets
Uride founder and CEO Cody Ruberto is shown holding his phone with the app displayed on screen and a company vehicle in the background in this undated promotional image. (Supplied/Uride) Uride is rolling out a new pet-friendly ride option this week after a conversation between the company's CEO and a frustrated passenger highlighted a gap in service for pet owners. 'The idea took flight – quite literally,' the company said in a news release. Starting Wednesday, riders in Thunder Bay can select a 'Pets' option when booking through the Uride app, ensuring drivers are willing to accommodate animals for an additional $5 fee. The feature allows pets to ride either on a passenger's lap or in the back of a vehicle, depending on driver preference. The idea came after Uride founder and CEO Cody Ruberto spoke with a frequent rider, Nathan, during a flight to Thunder Bay. Nathan, who has used Uride in five different cities, explained that drivers often canceled his rides upon learning he had a dog with him. 'Nathan told me he uses Uride all the time in Thunder Bay and has taken rides with us in five different cities. But he said the most frustrating part is how often his rides get canceled after he tells the driver he has a dog with him,' Ruberto said. On one occasion, Nathan was left stranded after a night out when no drivers accepted his ride request with his pet, forcing him to stay at a friend's place. 'That's a terrible experience – and one we don't want anyone else to ever go through again,' Ruberto said. 'We want Uride to be accessible for everyone – including our furry best friends. This change means fewer canceled rides for pet owners and more choice for our drivers.' Urider vehicle An undated photo of a Uride car. (Supplied/Uride) Following its debut in Thunder Bay the pet-friendly option will expand to other markets in the near future. Founded in Thunder Bay in 2017 to provide reliable transportation in underserved communities and reduce impaired driving, Uride now operates in 24 cities across Canada, including North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, and Thunder Bay in northern Ontario. For more information on the company, its services or to book a ride, visit its website or download the Uride app.
National Post
41 minutes ago
- National Post
OCEU/CUPE 1750 Members Vote Yes to Ratify Tentative Agreement
Article content TORONTO — The Ontario Compensation Employees Union (OCEU/CUPE 1750) is pleased to announce that its members have voted to accept the tentative collective agreement negotiated by their bargaining committee. Article content 'I am proud of my coworkers and the strength of our union, we are a critical safety net for Ontario workers and Ontarians spoke up, sending thousands of messages to the WSIB leadership,' said Harry Goslin, President of OCEU/CUPE 1750. 'Together, we were able to secure the best possible outcome and successfully pushed back against the employer's attacks on union seniority rights.' Article content Article content This strike was a historic moment for our union and the broader labour movement. We thank our members for their unwavering commitment and courage, the public for their understanding, and our fellow unions for their solidarity and support throughout this challenging fight. Article content As members prepare to return to work on Monday, July 7, 2025, the union remains steadfast in its commitment to protect workers' rights and health. Article content OCEU/CUPE 1750 will continue to stand in solidarity with other public sector unions currently negotiating collective agreements. The union remains concerned about the ongoing anti-union measures being pursued by the Ford Government and will remain vigilant in defending workers' rights and fair bargaining processes. Article content Article content Article content Article content Article content Contacts Article content For more information, please contact: Article content Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Two NDG restaurants say they were victims of fraud
Two family-run restaurants in Montreal's Notre-Dame-de-Grâce neighbourhood say they were victims of an alleged fraud. They both claim thieves stole their payment terminals and quickly withdrew thousands of dollars. Gity Pour and her husband have owned The Oxford Café on Sherbrooke Street for 30 years. Their video surveillance camera shows that on July 2, a man came in right before closing time to get a take-out order and left quickly. 'By the time I went to my device for the transaction, I press it wasn't working,' said Pour. She called her contact person for the payment system on her clover brand terminal when she realized it had been compromised. Charles Shefler, a sales agent for First Data, said the thief probably swapped the terminal. 'The thief had taken her terminal and replaced it with a stolen one, probably from another business he's done this with,' said Shefler. But Pour is down $2,000. In May, a similar incident played out at The Sunshine Dumpling House in Monkland Village. Owner Elise Feng said a man came in at closing time to place an order and stole her clover payment terminal. She said he left a different one in its place. Feng noticed right away, yet within five minutes she was out $2,000. She said the thief used the machine's manual refund function, which can issue a refund of any amount to any debit card. Because it's a debit card, and not a credit card, the transaction cannot be reversed. Feng said she had to pay $600 for a new terminal, and Clover wants another $600 dollars for the stolen device. CTV reached out to Clover, who said they have 'industry-leading security features, including encryption, tamper resistance, and user authentication to prevent unauthorized access.' 'Business owners have full control over refund permissions — allowing organizations to disable refunds," it said in a statement. Feng and Pour both say deactivating the manual refund option is difficult. 'I'm trying myself,' said Pour. 'They referred me to my Clover account, it doesn't give me any information how to disable this.' Pour filed a police report. When contacted by CTV News, Montreal police said they have not made any arrests. 'I'm hoping that the police call Scotiabank and find out who this account belongs to, because that's obviously the person who's doing this,' said Shefler. Both say they now treat the payment device like the cash drawer and never leave it in the open.
