Canadian bars fined for Sochi gold medal viewing parties

Olympic hockey is pretty popular in Edmonton when Team Canada is going for the gold.

We know this because nearly everyone in the city took a piss simultaneously after holding it through overtime and the awards ceremony in 2010. We also know this because thousands of fans packed local bars as early as 4:30 a.m. to watch the Canadians defeat Sweden for the gold in February from Sochi.

According to city officials, there were a few too many fans at a couple of Edmonton bars that morning.

And now they’re paying for the over-capacity.

The Edmonton Journal reports that Hudson’s Canadian Tap House and Central Social Hall were busted for fire code violations. The Tap House had as many as 317 people for a place that holds 249, earning a $6,000 fine; the Social Hall had 409 people for a place that holds 310, earning a $10,000 fine.

“I can understand the desire to let everyone watch the gold medal hockey game, but there is a public safety issue here,” said provincial court Judge Allan Lefever, via the Journal.

The extra scrutiny was expected after the Alberta government allowed bars and restaurants to open at 4:30 a.m. and to start serving booze at 5 a.m. Which we always figured was allowed in Canada already, but then again everything we know about Canada is via “Trailer Park Boys” and “SCTV.”

As far as we can tell, no U.S. bars were fined for fire code violations in showing the bronze medal game, as fans obviously took a lead from their hockey heroes and didn’t show up for the game…