Highway death prompts liquor licence suspension for strip club in Mississauga

A strip club in Mississauga’s north end has been given a 60-day liquor sales licence suspension for its role “in over-serving a patron” shortly before the person was killed in a May 2023 highway crash.

Midway Invader, located at 6809 Invader Cres. near Derry Road East and Tomken Road, was handed the suspension by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.

The commission said in a news release on Tuesday it determined the establishment played a role on May 10, 2023 “in over-serving a patron who subsequently left the establishment and drove a vehicle in the wrong direction on Highway 427 before tragically dying in a collision.”

Following a review, the AGCO concluded that prior to the deadly crash, the club “served the driver of the vehicle excessive amounts of alcohol.”

The business was cited with the following violations:

• serving intoxicated persons: on May 10, 2023, the patron in question was served five double shots of alcohol (10 ounces) within less than half an hour
• permitting intoxication: the licensee permitted intoxication to occur on their premises
• lack of required training: at the time of the incident, the bartender had not completed an approved responsible service training course
• serving alcohol outside permitted hours: the AGCO’s review revealed that the licensee was found to be serving alcohol after 2 a.m. on multiple occasions

Among other things, the AGCO added “it is the responsibility of all licensees to ensure their staff are properly trained to recognize the signs of intoxication.”

“Our laws and regulations exist to protect the public and prevent tragedies like this,” Dr. Karin Schnarr, the AGCO’s registrar and CEO, said in the news release. “This incident shows the devastating consequences that can result when liquor licence holders do not abide by Ontario’s high standards of responsible service. We will actively monitor Midway Invader’s operations to confirm that they have taken concrete measures to ensure the safety of their patrons.”