Odyssey Gay Club Bid to Relocate Rejected by Vancouver

<quote>After two nights of public hearings, Vancouver city council rejected an application from Calverton Holdings Ltd. to move its liquor licence for the Odyssey to Denman Street.

On Thursday (April 9), Mayor Gregor Robertson and the entire council with the exception of the NPA's Suzanne Anton voted against moving the LGBT nightclub into the old Starlight Theatre at 911 Denman Street.

The Odyssey's current location at 1251 Howe Street is being redeveloped into a city housing project. The club will have to vacate the site by April 30, according to a city staff report.</quote> - Georgia Straight, April 10th 2009

According to sources that went to that council meeting, the city council rejected the bid based on objections from West End residents because of the noise that it will generate.

However, another source that is privy to city council meeting briefings, a similar liquor license was granted at the same premises on 911 Denman Street to another entertainment company group a few months ago but that entertainment company group decided to open their club somewhere else instead, thus raising the suggestion that the decision by councilmen and women to reject the relocation bid by Odyssey to be biased and politically motivated.

The city council also refuses to extend the operations of the Odyssey club at the city owned land at Howe street with the explanation that they needed to do "deep soil testing", sources said from that city council meeting.

Objections were raised by a prominent Gay representative after that meeting with the Mayor that since the land is city owned, such "deep soil testing" can be delayed until the Odyssey night club can find a suitable alternate location. He raised a point that as Davie Village is increasingly getting to be not safe for Gay men and women after a number of reported hate crimes committed against gay men, Odyssey Night club is one of the safe night spots for gay men to enjoy themselves. The Mayor and council has yet to respond this new development.