Bar tied to crash gives up licence

A Calabogie bar linked to a fatal accident involving four junior hockey players from the Renfrew area has voluntarily given up its liquor licence.

Only days before a scheduled hearing next week, Shooter’s Bar & Grill — already under suspension — gave up its licence on Nov. 30, according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

In the aftermath of a single-vehicle crash on Oct. 27, commission inspectors had posted a notice on the door of the restaurant on Oct. 30, alleging seven violations of Ontario liquor laws, including permitting “apparent” minors on the premises, drunkenness and serving liquor to intoxicated patrons.

OPP have said alcohol was a factor in the crash that killed Brandon Hanniman and Alex Paquette, among four members of the Renfrew Timberwolves travelling in a vehicle that left Calabogie Road and struck a rockcut about two kilometres from Burnstown. All the players, including the two survivors, were 18, or below the legal drinking age of 19.

Neither police nor the alcohol commission have officially said the teenagers were at Shooter’s that night, but the AGCO made it clear the suspension was a direct result of the police investigation.