When Nova Scotia allowed bars to be open for business on Sunday
In Sydney, N.S., patrons welcomed the chance to hang out at the bar on the last day of the weekend
You might still go to church on Sundays, but then you could also go to a bar afterward.
That was the change occurring in Nova Scotia in the spring of 1992, as a result of some updated provincial liquor regulations.
"While some people spent their day the traditional way, others decided to do something new," reporter Laurie Graham told viewers, when reporting on how Cape Bretoners in Sydney, N.S., were reacting to the new normal on the first Sunday in May that year.
"They dropped into their local tavern for a beer."
Graham popped by a local lounge that had started serving beer at lunchtime.
"There weren't many people there, but the few that turned out enjoyed their beer," Graham said. "They were happy to have a place to go on Sunday."
Those customers welcomed the change.
'It's about time'
"I think it's about time, because [we're] way behind times around here, I think," said a customer in a baseball cap.
"It's about time that you can come down Sunday, you got nothin' to do. So, now have a couple of beer, watch TV."
That was the same take on the situation that another Cape Bretoner had about the opportunity to be at a bar on a Sunday.
"I like it on Sunday, because I got nothin' to do. I'm [otherwise] home alone with my cat," he said.
Graham found at least one person at the Clipper lounge who seemed to think the new situation on Sundays wasn't necessary.
"You don't have to be open on a Sunday," he said. "But a lot of people want it."
Graham noted that not all bar and tavern owners had decided to add an extra day to their work week, though the owner of the Bonnie Prince beverage room acknowledged that could change depending on what his customers wanted.
