The way bars deal with intoxicated patrons is facing questions in the wake of a tragic disappearance in Saskatoon last month.
Myles Macintosh was escorted out of a city bar on the night of his stag but the friends who were with him at the time were unaware he had been kicked out.
Macintosh boarded a pub crawl bus and after an altercation he was removed from the bus near Eighth Street and Lorne Avenue. It’s believed he later fell into the river near the Sid Buckwold Bridge and drowned but his body has not been recovered.
Liquor establishments in the province have little protocol when it comes to kicking people out but provincial regulations require bar owners to provide a safe environment, not to over-serve customers and to remove people who become too intoxicated.
Changes made to liquor regulations last year allow people who are going to be removed to stay in the bar until arrangements can be made.
“So that might be calling a taxi, waiting for a friend or family member to come -- just so that they're not sent out into an unsafe situation. That is there to ensure the safety of patrons,” said David Morris, spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
Although it's up to the establishment to decide on the details – such as whether the person has their coat and belongings -- some have decided to take on that responsibility.
"I consider myself as well as all the staff here very liable when it comes to customers,” said Justin Reid, assistant manager at Hudson's Canadian Taphouse .
“They're not only our customers up and until the point that they walk out the door, they are our customers until they get a safe ride home."
In other provinces it's the law for bar staff to take a course before they can serve or deal with customers in an establishment that serves alcohol. Reid says it's mandatory for his staff to take the course, since it's an Alberta-based company.
"In this course you see so many scenarios that you would never expect to see,” Reid said, “but it helped so much and it has put so much into perspective for me when I’m dealing with these situations and just the ways you approach people"
About 1,500 people take the course in Saskatchewan, each year. There's also a workshop for doormen although there hasn't been enough interest to warrant one in the last four years.