Party boats have yet to get back on the water (despite boat operators who are desperate to do so) but when they do, they'll be able to serve us booze, even while docked. 

The Alcohol Gaming Commission of Ontario announced yesterday that they're now allowing boat operators with a liquor sales license to serve alcohol, both on the water and docked, for the rest of 2020. 

"Once they are again permitted to welcome passengers, and until 3:00 a.m. on January 1, 2021, boat operators with a liquor sales licence do not have to be primarily transporting passengers and be underway in order to sell and serve alcohol," said the AGCO. 

Ontario changes its liquor laws to offer more options to businesses and consumers in the delivery of alcohol and to provide more flexibility for boat operators with a liquor sales licence to sell and serve alcohol. https://t.co/dFR82cPYN4

— AGCO (@Ont_AGCO) July 16, 2020

And similar to restaurants in Toronto who've been permitted to extend their patios, boat operators are now also allowed to temporarily extend their licensed premises but do not need to apply or submit any documentation to the AGCO (unless explicitly asked). 

That means they, too, can add a physical extension, like a patio, to the part of the land where the boat is docked. 

The only rules are that they'll have to add barriers to prevent any access to the water. The license holder will also have to implement all the usual physical distancing regulations. Extensions to their patio are capped at about 3.6 square feet per person. 

Hopefully, the change in liquor laws will help prop up the city's tourism sector — specifically, Toronto's badly winded cruise boat industry, which awaits news of Stage 3 before it can set sail once more.