The News
Montreal will become the latest city to allow 24-hour drinking, in a move officials say will bring in hundreds of millions of dollars. Following in the footsteps of Berlin and Tokyo, Canada’s second-largest metropolis plans to designate a central district to be open all hours, instead of the current closing time of 3 a.m.
It comes as cities around the world look to boost their after-dark economies, with around 100 appointing officials like “night tsars.” While some Montrealers worry about lawlessness, one bar owner told the BBC that staying open would make nightlife safer. “One of the problems we have is, at 3 a.m. it’s like madness. But if you expand the hours, there’s less problems, less demand for security.”