Oil City gets foxy

Some reno work is already happening.

This has been a week of stories about bars no longer serving up alcohol in Edmonton. First it’s Stolli’s, and now it’s The Fox.

Until today, what I knew about The Fox could be summed up pretty easily:

• It was the scene of a some higher profile violence, like shootings.
• It was once called The Fox and the Hound (or Fox and Hound).
• It was downtown, across the street from a Swiss Chalet Express, which is local by the geographic designation of deliciousness.

Before we get to the new details, some background…

The city’s own Eliot Nesses, known as the “Public Safety Compliance Team” (under the umbrella of Responsible Hospitality Edmonton) travel the city’s watering holes and clubs, looking for great examples of how to run a bar. And trying to educate those owners who don’t know how to clean things up. And monitoring owners who could care less. They work with owners, staff and police to clean up this town.

The Fox, as seen from across 109 Street.

I think it’s fair to say they were aware of The Fox. I’m not singling it out as being awful, it’s just that the area around 109 Street and Jasper has really become a hotbed of late night partying. The Fox was maybe a little more trouble than the other bars in the area, the majority of which are owned by the Oil City Hospitality Group – that’s among their dozen bars, clubs and restaurants.

I’m going somewhere with all this backstory – I recently spoke with Acting Sgt. Nicole Chapdelaine, the Public Safety Compliance Team’s Coordinator, about The Fox changing hands.

“The Fox was more of a nightclub thing,” she says over the phone. “We have a good relationship (with Oil City) and hope them going into the space is going to be pleasing and beneficial to that area.”

Yes, Oil City has added one more location to their roster at 109 and Jasper. But since they appear to play nice and aim to be reputable, Acting Sgt. Chapdelaine and the Compliance Team hope the corner gets better. And she hopes it makes life easier for officers patrolling a spot that gives Whyte Avenue a run for its money on congested, alcohol-fuelled evenings.

“They’re very willing to work with us,” says Chapdelaine of Oil City Hospitality.

She offers a lot of insight into the City’s bar scene, putting bar owners into three categories:

1. Those who know their crowd and what’s going on and work with the Public Safety crew. (like Oil City)
2. Those owners who have problems, don’t know what to do, but take direction from Responsible Hospitality Edmonton.
3. Owners who have problems, break the rules and don’t care.

The Public Safety Team coordinator says more bar owners are getting used to seeing the team roll into the club.

“As you get more of a dialogue between industry contacts, EPS contacts – and front line officers – and the Team, it makes life easier. Things (with bar owners) are progressing nicely.”

Now, to find out what kind of “beneficial” bar could be going into the old Fox hole…