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The City That Never Sleeps could be facing some stiff competition — just a few hours drive up the Thruway.
By joining a very short list of North American cities that allow bars to remain open and serving alcohol 24 hours a day, Montreal — where the drinking age is 18 — hopes to further broaden its appeal as a nightlife destination, the BBC reported.
The bold step would put Canada’s second city in elite company with just two other party-all-the-time towns — New Orleans and Las Vegas.
The new Santé! clause will no longer require bars in certain zones to close at 3 a.m., while a specially designated 24-hour nightlife district would be created.
“This is an opportunity for economic growth,” city council member Ericka Alneus, who championed the change, told the outlet. “But it’s also to present, and reinforce, the cultural scene.”
A handful of outlets in the city — long a popular party destination for American bachelor weekends and US college students seeking to drink legally — are already piloting the concept, according to Time Out.
The city has yet to announce specifics regarding the new, anything-goes district, but the changes are reportedly expected to be rolled out at some point this year.
The move appears to follow changes made in other popular destinations like Berlin and Tokyo, which have also introduced special zones and new laws in hopes of bringing more money into local coffers.
Back down in the Big Apple, bars close at 4 a.m. as a rule, though the city has always enjoyed a legendary — if somewhat stealth — after-hours culture.
Some Montrealers are questioning the move, but others say changing the law so that closing times are more staggered could help greatly with issues like security.
“In Montreal, we close at 3 a.m. People are drunk at 1 a.m. — and they’re super-drunk at 3 a.m.,” one bar owner explained to the BBC.
“One of the problems we have is, at 3 a.m. it’s like madness. But if you expand the hours, there’s less problems, less demand for security,” L’ile Noire owner Michel Lavallée said.
